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50th anniversary Sept. 19 to Nov. 1, 2026 Six Flags Great America, Gurnee IL Not recommended under 13 after 6 p.m.

Fright Fest 2026 at Six Flags Great America: What's Confirmed, What's Not

Fright Fest runs select nights from September 19 through November 1, 2026, Great America's 50th anniversary season. Five haunted mazes are locked in, headlined by two new ones: Blair Witch: No Signal and Nightmares. What Six Flags hasn't said yet is which specific nights inside that window actually run the event, or what time gates close. Here's everything that's confirmed, what's still open, and what your ticket covers versus what costs extra.

What's confirmed for 2026

The full picture, straight from Six Flags' event pages

Event
Fright Fest presented by SNICKERS, part of Great America's 50th anniversary season
Dates
Select nights, September 19 through November 1, 2026
Night-by-night calendar
Not announced yet. Six Flags hasn't published which nights inside that window are actually open.
Hours
Not announced yet for 2026. Last year's nights ran roughly 5 p.m. to midnight, varying by date. That's last year's pattern, not confirmed for this season.
Daytime family side
Tricks and Treats runs Saturdays and Sundays, September 19 through November 1, included with admission
Included with admission
Scare zones, live shows, and rides after dark, with regular admission or an eligible season pass
Costs extra
The 5 haunted mazes need a Haunted Attractions Pass, starting from $35 a night
Age guidance
Not recommended for children younger than 13 after 6 p.m., per the park's own page
What your ticket actually covers: Regular admission or an eligible season pass gets you into the scare zones, the shows, and the rides after dark. It does not get you into the 5 haunted mazes. Those need a Haunted Attractions Pass, starting from $35 a night, on top of admission for everyone, season passholders included as far as we can confirm. A Fright Fest Bundle starting from $75 packages one-day admission with maze access if you'd rather buy it in one shot.

Last checked August 18, 2026, against Six Flags Great America's official event pages. Prices are online prices before processing fees of up to $9.99 and tax.

The mazes

All 5 haunted mazes for 2026

Five mazes are on the Haunted Attractions Pass this year, two of them brand new:

  1. 1 Blair Witch: No Signal New for 2026. Based on the Blair Witch Project films: a walk through the Black Hills Forest and the Rustin Parr house in near-total darkness.
  2. 2 Nightmares New for 2026. An original dreamscape maze built around twisted clowns, spiders, and deranged doctors.
  3. 3 The Conjuring Universe Returning. A licensed maze pulled from the Conjuring horror franchise.
  4. 4 SAW: Legacy of Terror Returning. A licensed maze built around Jigsaw's traps, straight out of the Saw franchise.
  5. 5 The Estate at Wretched Meadows Returning. An original maze about a cursed estate, tied thematically to the Wretched Meadows scare zone outside.
Between the mazes

Scare zones and shows (no extra charge)

Seven scare zones come with admission this year. The headline return is Necropolis, a city-of-the-dead zone with the recurring Mayor Slayer character that last ran from 2006 to 2014 and is back as a 50th-anniversary callback. The rest: Oddities: Circus of Madness, Forbidden Forest, Underworld, Head Bangerz, Lost Souls, and Wretched Meadows.

About nine shows round it out, two of them new for 2026: Masquer-RAVE and The Velvet Quarter. Returning acts include The Uprising: Nightly Call of the Dead, the Procession of Nightmares parade, The Ringmaster's Cabaret: The Ringmaster's Revenge, Love at First Fright, Wake the Dead, and The Wraths, plus The Pumpkin King, a recurring entry-plaza performance roughly every 15 minutes.

Two events in one weekend

Family daytime vs. scary night

Daytime (Sat–Sun)

Tricks and Treats

Costume contest at Pumpkin Hollow with parade prizes, a trick-or-treat trail, a corn maze, storytelling, the Boo Line Express train ride, and character meet-and-greets. All ages, no scares, included with admission.

Nighttime

Fright Fest

Five haunted mazes and seven scare zones aimed at 13 and up, plus shows and rides that keep running after dark. Not recommended for kids under 13 once it hits 6 p.m.

One more event shares the calendar: Oktoberfest presented by Cash App runs select dates in the same window, with German food, beer, and live music. It's an adult-oriented add-on, not a family alternative to the mazes.

Pricing

What Fright Fest costs on top of admission

These are the online prices from Six Flags Great America's official Fright Fest page as of August 18, 2026, all before the up-to-$9.99 processing fee and tax. The page doesn't list a single-day admission price, and both pass prices move with the night.

Haunted Attractions Pass
Starting from $35 for one night. Covers all 5 haunted mazes, valid on the night you buy it for. An Express Pass upgrade exists to skip maze lines, but Six Flags hasn't published a price for it.
Fright Fest Bundle
Starting from $75. Bundles one-day park admission with haunted maze access in a single purchase.
Season pass holders
Not clearly confirmed for this park. Six Flags' corporate announcement references a company-wide "All Season Haunted Attractions Pass," but Great America hasn't posted its own price or said whether any pass tier includes maze access automatically.

We don't sell tickets or passes, and we don't do affiliate links. This is what Six Flags offers so you know your options before you buy from them.

Know before you go

The age guidance is confirmed, the chaperone rule isn't

Not recommended for kids younger than 13 after 6 p.m. That's Six Flags Great America's own guidance, and it applies regardless of age since every guest needs their own paid admission ticket. Some Six Flags parks post a stricter chaperone rule for minors after a certain hour; Great America hasn't published one specifically for 2026 Fright Fest as of this check, so confirm at the gate if you're bringing teens without an adult.
Planning

Hold your dates loosely until the calendar drops

Six Flags hasn't released which nights inside September 19 through November 1 actually run Fright Fest, or what hours those nights keep. Don't lock in a nonrefundable hotel around a guess. Once the full calendar posts, the October weekends closest to Halloween are the ones to expect crowded.

Great America runs its regular ride lineup during the event too, so check the crowd calendar for the daytime picture on your date before you commit.

Crowd calendar
Six Flags Great America Crowd Calendar
Daily crowd levels for the park's regular daytime hours. →
Quick answers

Fright Fest 2026 FAQ

Is Fright Fest included with Six Flags Great America admission?

Scare zones, live shows, and rides after dark are included with regular admission or an eligible season pass. The 5 haunted mazes are not: they need a separate Haunted Attractions Pass, starting from $35 a night, and that's on top of admission for everyone, season passholders included as far as we can confirm. A Fright Fest Bundle starting from $75 packages one-day admission with maze access in one purchase.

Is Fright Fest scary for kids?

Six Flags Great America says Fright Fest isn't recommended for kids younger than 13 once it hits 6 p.m., and that guidance applies park-wide. For a scare-free visit with kids, Tricks and Treats runs Saturdays and Sundays in the same window, included with admission, with a costume contest, a trick-or-treat trail, and a kids' train ride.

What's new for 2026?

Two new haunted mazes, Blair Witch: No Signal and Nightmares, plus two new shows, Masquer-RAVE and The Velvet Quarter. The park is also bringing back Necropolis, a scare zone that last ran from 2006 to 2014, as a nod to Great America's 50th anniversary season. Six Flags hasn't published the full night-by-night calendar or specific hours for 2026 yet, so some planning details are still open.

When does Fright Fest 2026 start at Great America?

The event runs select nights from September 19 through November 1, 2026. Six Flags hasn't said yet which nights inside that window are actually open, so don't lock in nonrefundable hotel plans until the full calendar posts.

How much does the Fright Fest Haunted Attractions Pass cost?

It starts from $35 for a single night, plus processing fees up to $9.99 and tax. A Fright Fest Bundle that pairs one-day park admission with maze access starts from $75. Six Flags hasn't published a price for the Express Pass upgrade that skips maze lines.

Raging Bull's tunnel is even darker at night

Raging Bull's underground tunnel already hits 73 mph in real darkness on a normal day, and Goliath, the record-holding RMC, keeps running through Fright Fest nights too. Both stay open once the mazes and scare zones fire up at dusk. The app tracks Six Flags Great America's ride waits live, so you can time your coaster laps between houses. Get it on the App Store before you go.

Get Ride Ready