Castle Park’s 25 acres in Riverside fill with fog machines, dimmed lighting and eerie music at night as the amusement park transforms into Castle Dark for its annual Halloween run through November 1, 2026. The seasonal haunt features three dark mazes, two scare zones and a food menu built around names like Zombie Walking Taco and Hand of Doom.
Castle Dark runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 7 p.m. to midnight, with an added Thursday session on October 29, according to The Press-Enterprise. That schedule lines up with the September 18 through November 1 window reported by mycityscene.com, which also notes the event includes an After Dark segment where the monsters keep the party going into the haunt’s final hour. Castle Dark is aimed at guests 13 and older, and the park layers in a late-night party restricted to those 21 and up.
Castle Park’s creative director, Kolten Bierman, described the nighttime transformation simply: all of Castle Dark’s monsters take over the streets once darkness falls. The park itself changed hands last year, when Lucky Strike Entertainment announced its acquisition of Castle Park along with Raging Waters and Boomers, according to a report noted by parkjourney.com.
Three Mazes Take Over the Park’s Rides and Pathways
The centerpiece of Castle Dark is a trio of dark mazes woven into existing park attractions. S.O.S. — Sewer of Screams sits near the Dragon Tower ride bordering the 91 freeway and depicts a toxic chemical disaster that has filled an underground sewer system with mutant creatures. Condemned, located near the Big Top, pays homage to Castle Park’s former Ghost Blasters dark ride, built on the premise that souls trapped in the ride return on a stormy night; the maze hands out flashlights to help guests find their way through.
Midnight Manor, positioned near the Sawmill Plunge log ride, returns as a paranormal investigation set inside a haunted house, equipping visitors with electric candles rather than flashlights. The 2026 lineup builds on 2025, when Castle Dark debuted three brand-new mazes — Containment Breach, Midnight Manor and Feary Tales — with Midnight Manor described at the time, per allhallowsgeek.com, as a paranormal investigation team exploring the legend of the manor. This year’s lineup includes two all-new haunted mazes and the returning fan favorite Midnight Manor.
Scare Zones and a Dance Party Fill the Gaps Between Mazes
Outside the mazes, two scare zones populate the park with evil fairy-tale creatures and medieval monsters roaming the walkways. Lady Lou’s Haus of Monsters adds a dance show set to club music, giving guests a break from the scares between maze visits. The event also features two scare zones, a show called Echoes From the Grave and the returning Haunted Highway antique car ride overlay.
Food and drink lean into the theme as heavily as the scares. Castle Dark’s menu includes wicked bites topped with gory-looking sauces. Haunt-season offerings include the Hand of Doom — chicken fingers embedded in mac and cheese — the Sweet Ember Dragon Leg turkey leg, the Zombie Walking Taco and the Cursed Corn Cup, an elote serving.
Desserts, Cocktails and Daytime Fall Fest Round Out the Season
Dessert options include a Graveyard Funnel Cake topped with gummy worms and a Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake. For guests 21 and older, cocktails include the Slime Shot, made with Tito’s vodka and served in a syringe, part of a beer, cocktail and craft-drink lineup available at the Plaza Café and Big Top.
Beyond the nighttime scares, Castle Park is also holding Fall Fest, a daytime Halloween celebration aimed at kids that runs through November 1, 2026, and includes a trick-or-treat trail from 2 to 4 p.m. on weekends. Castle Dark general admission starts at $29.99, with priority line-access add-ons available for $14.99 and $29.99, while daytime admission bundles start at $54.99. Parking costs either $10 or $25, and the park sits at 3500 Polk St. in Riverside.
