Wasatch Front Halloween 2026: A Family Planner From Pumpkin Patches to Full-Scare Haunts

Planning Halloween along the Wasatch Front usually starts with one practical question: who is going? A haunt that a group of high school friends will talk about for a week can be too much for a nine-year-old, and a pumpkin patch that delights a preschooler may bore a teenager in twenty minutes. The quickest way to build a plan for the second half of October is to sort the options by intensity first, then by drive time.

This planner covers Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Weber counties and groups each stop into three tiers: no scares, mild or mixed, and full scare. Dates, hours, prices and age rules below come from each organizer's own 2026 listings as of October 10, 2026. Where an organizer had not posted a detail, it is left out. Weather closures and sold-out nights happen every year, so checking the official site on the day of a visit is a good habit.

Tier 1: No Scares (Toddlers and Up)

WitchFest at Gardner Village, West Jordan

Gardner Village, at 1100 West 7800 South in West Jordan, runs WitchFest from September 18 through October 31, 2026. Large witch figures are staged along the village pathways among the shops and restaurants, which makes it one of the easiest Halloween outings for strollers and grandparents. October hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, with a shorter 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. day on Halloween itself.

Several WitchFest activities are reservation-only, including Breakfast with a Witch, the Witchapalooza dinner theater, an escape room, art workshops and the Witch Run. Ticket release dates vary by event, so families who want a breakfast slot should look early. One detail that catches visitors: parking is free in September and Monday through Wednesday in October, but costs $10 per car on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October.

Hee Haw Farms, Pleasant Grove

Hee Haw Farms, at 150 South 2000 West in Pleasant Grove, opened its fall season on September 19 and runs through November 7, 2026, a week longer than most patches. Admission is $14 for ages 3 and older and covers the petting farm, hayrides, slides, a zip line, a corn box, courtyard games, and a hayride out to the pumpkin patch. Weekday hours start at 3 p.m. (until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 p.m. on Friday), and Saturdays run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The farm's 18th annual Giant Pumpkin Drop is on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from noon until about 5 p.m. It is the one day on the calendar where watching something fall from a height counts as family entertainment.

Dinos in the Dark, Ogden

The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden hosts Dinos in the Dark on October 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24, 2026. Entry is timed at either 4 p.m. or 6 p.m., and the event ends at 8 p.m. The park lists it for all ages, with trick-or-treating, haunted paths, carnival games and crafts. Non-member tickets are $15 on Thursdays and $17 on Fridays and Saturdays; children under 2 are free, and a four-person family bundle is $36 for one time slot. The "haunted paths" are built for kids, which makes this a good first step for children who are curious about spooky but not ready for actors in masks.

The Day Haunt at Nightmare on 13th, Salt Lake City

Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City (300 West 1300 South) offers a daytime walk-through of its main haunted house with full show lighting and no actors, no jump scares and animatronics switched off. Three candy stations sit along the route, and children receive a trick-or-treat bag and a finger light. The attraction notes that the sets and lower light can still unsettle some guests, so it works best for kids who like spooky scenery. Day Haunt dates are posted on the attraction's ticket calendar; there is no separate child pricing, and only babies carried in arms skip a ticket.

Tier 2: Mild or Mixed (Family Venues With a Scary Corner)

The most useful stops for households with a wide age range are the farms and parks that pair daytime family activities with a separate haunt after dark. Younger kids can do the maze and the pumpkins while older siblings take on the scare zone.

Cornbelly's, Lehi

Cornbelly's operates at Thanksgiving Point, 3003 North Thanksgiving Way in Lehi, from September 21 through October 31, 2026. The main corn maze is not haunted; the haunted trail is Frightbelly's, cut into the same 10 acres of corn. Cornbelly's says Frightbelly's suits older children and adults and calls 12 and up the ideal age, while leaving the final decision to parents. Anyone 12 and under must have a chaperone in Frightbelly's, and guests 15 and younger need a chaperone in the main corn maze after 6:30 p.m.

Admission applies to everyone 3 and older. Pumpkins run from 50 cents to $10, priced by size rather than weight, with an average pumpkin around $4 to $5. Most guests finish the maze in 30 to 45 minutes. Admission closes one hour before the posted closing time.

Black Island Farms, Syracuse

Black Island Farms, at 2075 South 4000 West in Syracuse, runs September 18 through October 31, 2026. The corn maze and courtyard are $15 for adults and $12 for children ages 3 to 11 (before tax), and children 2 and under are free. A pumpkin patch hayride, which includes one pumpkin, is $11 for adults and $8 for children. The farm also rents bonfire sites for $50 per two-hour block, for groups of up to 25 people, with admission not included.

The scary side is Nightmare Acres, a separate haunted corn maze of about four acres with live actors, open Thursday through Saturday nights starting at dusk. The farm recommends it for ages 12 and older. The Nightmare Acres combo (maze, courtyard and haunt) is $32 for all guests. Hours run 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with extended hours during Davis County's fall break on October 16 and 17 and a 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. day on Halloween.

Frightmares at Lagoon, Farmington

Lagoon in Farmington runs Frightmares from September 11 through November 8, 2026, with most haunted attractions open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The haunted attractions are included with regular Lagoon admission. The park labels its own attractions by intensity, which makes planning simpler:

• Kid-friendly: Treat Street, the Spook-A-Boo Walk-Thru and Scary & Crow's Straw Maze, all limited to children under 54 inches tall, plus "no scare zones" in the kiddieland area.
• Parental guidance: Fun House of Fear and the roaming street performers.
• Too scary for most kids: Malevolent Mansion, Nightwalk, Nightmare Midway, the new Frightening Frisco, and Seance, a separately ticketed show at $17 ($15 with a season passport).

A Time Warp Fast Pass for shorter lines costs $30 on Saturdays and $25 on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Peter's Pumpkin Patch is an add-on at $15.

Tier 3: Full Scare (Teens and Adults)

Fear Factory, Salt Lake City

Fear Factory, at 666 West 800 South, opened its 2026 season on Friday, September 18 and runs select nights through Sunday, November 1. The attraction is spread across six buildings, some up to six stories tall, connected by two underground passages, and the average walk-through takes about 45 minutes. There is no hard age limit when an adult comes along, but the attraction advises discretion for children under 12, and there are no separate child tickets.

Actors do not intentionally touch guests unless the group buys the "Touch of Fear" upgrade. Every guest needs a signed waiver, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign before arrival. Sturdy closed-toe shoes matter here; sandals and heels are discouraged on the stairs and uneven floors. Tickets bought at the door carry a surcharge.

Nightmare on 13th, Salt Lake City

After dark, Nightmare on 13th runs three attractions: the main Nightmare haunted house, the Institute of Terror, and the 13th Manor, a new seated live show added for 2026. There is no minimum age, though the attraction recommends that anyone 10 or younger go through with an adult. The main house takes about 25 to 40 minutes and the Institute of Terror 15 to 20 minutes. Actors do not touch guests, and the haunt uses strobe lights, which matters for anyone with light sensitivity. Tickets are sold online and at the door, and the attraction warns that many nights sell out in advance.

Castle of Chaos, Midvale

Castle of Chaos, at 7980 South State Street in Midvale, is the option for groups who want to choose their own intensity. It is open nightly from October 1 through October 31, 2026, starting at 7 p.m., with five "levels of fear":

• Levels 1 and 2 (Monsters Be Gone and General Admission): all ages.
• Level 3 (Hands On Horror): recommended 13 and older.
• Level 4 (X-Scream Hands On): 16 and older, or 13 and older with a legal guardian.
• Level 5 (Ultimate Hands On): 18 and older with ID.

Overall, the attraction does not recommend it for children under 13. Prices change by night and by level, with Tuesdays cheaper and weekends higher, so the official calendar is the place to compare. Every guest signs a waiver, most groups spend 25 to 40 minutes inside, and tickets are tied to a specific date and time.

Five Planning Tips for a Smoother Halloween Night

1. Buy timed tickets online. Most of these venues sell by date or time slot, and door sales cost more or sell out on Fridays and Saturdays.
2. Use weeknights. Castle of Chaos prices Tuesdays lower, and farm crowds drop sharply Monday through Thursday.
3. Sign waivers in advance. Fear Factory, Castle of Chaos and several farms require them, and minors need a guardian's signature.
4. Dress for the ground. Corn mazes are unpaved farm fields and haunts involve stairs in the dark; closed-toe shoes and a warm layer make a difference on a late-October night.
5. Split the group by tier. Venues with both a maze and a haunt let one adult take younger kids through the daytime side while teens go into the scare zone.

Halloween as a Neighborhood Factor

For households thinking about a move, seasonal traditions like these are part of what a commute map doesn't show. Families in north Davis County are minutes from Syracuse farm country, Utah County buyers have Lehi and Pleasant Grove patches close by, and Salt Lake Valley residents can reach three major haunts within a short drive. Those comparing cities across the Wasatch Front can browse current homes and neighborhood data at Best Utah Real Estate.