Howl-O-Fest
- Hours: noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 27 through Nov. 1
Halloween Haunt
- Hours: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night from Sept. 25 through Oct. 31 and select Thursdays (Oct. 8, 15) and Sundays (Oct. 11, 18) from 7 p.m. to midnight.
- Cost: Fridays are $21.99 and Saturdays are $27.99 when purchased online or free with season pass. At the gate tickets costs $34.99 for Fridays and $48.99 for Saturdays and Sundays.
- Park opens at 11 a.m. during Howl-O-Fest and Halloween Haunt. Rides in Nickelodeon Universe close at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and select Sundays (Oct. 11, 18) for Halloween Haunt. Park hours on Sept. 26 are from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Kings Island is expanding the two decidedly different options that entertain guests in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
The very gory and graphic Halloween Haunt, replete with ghoulish creatures and severed limbs, kicked off on Friday, Sept. 25, for an expanded 16-night run.
Billed as “the most immersive horror experience in the Midwest,” the attraction feature 500 ghastly creatures and 13 haunted attractions, including the blood-filled Slaughter House butcher shop and pirate-themed Cut Throat Cove mazes and a vampire-filled Hot Blooded “live” stage show.
Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig said the attraction offers more blood, terror and gore than ever before, including “roamers and creepers” who can deliver unexpected jolts of fear anywhere in the park
“Once you’re in, there’s nowhere to run and hide,” he said.
Eighteen thrill rides, including Diamondback and The Beast, are open during Halloween Haunt. “It’s a totally different experience because of the fog,” Helbig said.
Parents should be advised that because Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery, it is intended for mature audiences — not children, Helbig said.
That’s where Howl-O-Fest comes in. Billed as the ultimate Halloween Party for kids, the G-rated and genial attraction is expanding in its second year to offer more family-friendly fare. That includes a giant indoor maze, a hay bale maze, petting zoo, mask painting, trick-or-treating and a kids-only dance party.
There’s also a talking pumpkin, a story-telling witch, games, a petting zoo and new interactive attractions, such as Tractor Town, where children can ride a miniature John Deere tractor. Events begin each day at noon with a costume parade, awarding prizes to those with the best, most creative and scariest costumes. Both attractions feature all-you-can eat buffets.
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