Kennywood turns Ghostwood Estate into a walk-through haunt for Phantom Fall Fest 2026
Kennywood’s Phantom Fall Fest returns for select nights from Sept. 12 – Nov. 1, 2026, and this year the park is turning one of its year-round rides into a haunt. The Ghostwood Estate dark ride will convert into a walkthrough experience for families during the day and transition into one of seven haunted houses after 6PM.
Phantom Fall Fest is Kennywood’s annual Halloween event, included with park admission on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Weekend afternoons are built for families, with trick-or-treating and fall food. After 6 p.m., the park turns dark with seven haunted houses, four scare zones, and coasters running at night.
What’s new for 2026
‘Ghostwood Estate: Open House’
Ghostwood Estate is a trackless dark ride, where guests board a moving buggy and journey through Lord Kenneth Ghostwood’s mansion. For Phantom Fall Fest 2026, it converts to a walkthrough, and guests explore the mansion on foot.
Before 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, the walkthrough runs with the lights on as an all-ages experience, where guests meet costumed characters and collect candy. After 6 p.m., it operates as a haunt. The daytime version begins Sept. 19.
Photo courtesy of Kennywood.
Fall Fest Tasting Experience
The Fall Fest Tasting Experience is a new food event around Kennywood’s Lagoon. Guests buy a tasting card and choose samples from a fall menu. Items include a potato kielbasa skillet, smoked sausage mac and cheese, and maple cinnamon sweet potato fries. It runs Saturdays and Sundays starting Sept. 19.
Photo courtesy of Kennywood.
The seven haunted houses
After 6 p.m., Phantom Fall Fest features seven walkthrough haunted houses, all included with admission:
- ‘Ghostwood Estate: Open House’: the year-round dark ride, run as a walkthrough at night.
- Detached: a puppet maker’s toy shop with marionette-themed scares.
- mALICE in Wonderland Unleashed: an expanded, darker take on Alice in Wonderland.
- Shady Grove: a hospital with a doctor collecting specimens.
- Dark Shadows: a pitch-black walkthrough that uses shadow figures.
- Voodoo Bayou: a swamp with voodoo priestesses.
- Kennyville Cemetery: a zombie-themed cemetery.
Four scare zones
Four outdoor scare zones run across the midways after dark, also included with admission:
- Fear Fest: a carnival with clowns.
- Dead Light District: a zombie-apocalypse city block.
- Hellbilly Hollow: a cannibal farm in the cornfields.
- The Welcoming: a fog-filled tunnel with rotating figures.
More than 30 rides and attractions
Kennywood runs more than 30 rides and attractions during Phantom Fall Fest, including coasters such as Steel Curtain, Phantom’s Revenge, and Jack Rabbit. The Exterminator, an indoor coaster, runs in the dark during the event as Exterminator – Lights Out!
These rides operate during all event hours:
- Aero 360
- Black Widow
- Cosmic Chaos
- Exterminator – Lights Out!
- Jack Rabbit
- Kangaroo
- Musik Express
- Phantom’s Revenge
- Pirate
- Potato Smash
- Racer
- Sky Rocket
- Spinvasion
- Steel Curtain
- SwingShot
- Turtle
- Wave Swinger
These rides operate on Saturdays and Sundays until 6 p.m.:
- Auto Race
- Coal Haulin’ Convoy
- Fire Busin’ Brigade
- Kenny’s Cargo Drop
- Kiddieland: Up to 8 Rides
- Olde Kennywood Railroad
- Parker’s Cloud Cruisers
- Merry-Go-Round
- Old Mill
- Whip
Costumes, chaperones, and age guidance
The event has the following policies:
- Costumes: Children age 12 and under are welcome to wear costumes into the park for the duration of Phantom Fall Fest. Some costumes may not be permitted on select rides for safety. Guests over the age of 12 are not permitted to wear costumes.
- Chaperones: The park’s Adult Chaperone Policy is in effect during all operating hours. Guests age 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age (with valid ID) to enter the park.
- Ages: Saturday and Sunday afternoons are suitable for guests of all ages. After 6 p.m., the scares begin. There is no minimum age requirement, but the nighttime portion is geared toward an older audience, and parental discretion is advised.
Tickets and event details
Phantom Fall Fest is included with Kennywood admission. Dated tickets start at $37.49, half off the regular $74.99 gate price on select dates. Gold and Platinum season passes for the 2026 and 2027 seasons include the event.
Event hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Fridays, noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 10 p.m. Sundays, on select dates from Sept. 12 – Nov. 1, 2026. The new daytime family experiences begin Sept. 19. Full details and tickets are on the Kennywood website.
Kennywood is at 4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin, PA 15122.
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