How to make the most of Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest
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Kennywood gets spooky after dark. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios
Hitting all seven haunted attractions at Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest in one night is no easy feat.
Why it matters: A Speedy Pass is likely your best bet on busy nights, but it'll cost you — and even with one, our poor planning limited us to five haunts during a recent Saturday visit.
Here's how to avoid the same pitfalls and make the most of your visit.
The big picture: Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest, still known to many as Fright Nights, combines daytime rides and seasonal food with haunted houses and four scare zones after dark.
- It runs 6-11pm Fridays, noon-11pm Saturdays and noon-10pm Sundays through Nov. 1.
Zoom in: Each haunt has its own theme, from the unsettling dolls of Detached and the zombies of Kennyville Cemetery to the mind-bending light effects of Dark Shadows.
- Those are our top three picks. We missed Voodoo Bayou because its line closed 30 minutes before the park and Ghostwood Estate because it wasn't included in the Speedy pass.
- Haunts generally open at 6pm.
- Select rides, including Phantom's Revenge, Steel Curtain and Jack Rabbit, run day and night, while others close at dusk.
What it'll cost you: Park admission starts at around $38. For an extra $35-$75, Speedy Pass Chills lets you virtually queue and skip the line once per haunt. It only includes 6 of the haunts.
- Reserve a spot on your phone, then scan your QR code at your entry time to cut waits from an hour or more to 10-20 minutes.
- The pass doesn't include expedited ride access, which requires a separate upgrade via Speedy Pass Thrills ($30-$70+).
- A season pass ($125+) could cut your costs on admission and line-skipping perks if you're planning multiple Kennywood visits.
Zoom out: The Fall Fest Tasting Experience runs Saturdays and Sundays from noon-6pm at five locations around the Lagoon. A $40 tasting card includes five food or drink samples, with options like potato kielbasa skillets, hot apple dumplings, seasonal beers and wine.
Pro tip: Download the Kennywood app for the interactive map. Haunt entrances can be hard to spot in the dark, and we struggled to find a few Speedy Pass lines without asking other guests in line for directions.
What to know: Guests 17 and younger must enter with an adult 21 or older with valid ID.
The bottom line: To get the best bang for your buck, arrive before the haunts open at 6pm on weekends.
- Spend the afternoon enjoying rides, then save the evening for the haunts at the top of your list. Fridays and Sundays tend to have lighter crowds.
What's next: The park is hosting its first Halloween-themed drone show on Oct. 24 at 10:15pm.