Scarywood Theme Park is Silverwood’s signature Halloween event that runs on select nights during October. In this post, we’ll explain our strategy for a “perfect evening” at the park, and how we approach tackling the difficult task of trying to get it all done in one night. (Updated October 21, 2026)
We’ll start out this update by pointing out that it’s been eight years since we first wrote this guide, and over four years since we last updated it. Suffice to say, this post has been long overdue for an overhaul! Scarywood is not what it was even just a few years ago; a lot has changed. Many of these are changes for the better, others are things we wish could have stuck around. But one thing is certain: the event is not the logistical challenge that it used to be. There were three major attractions that either had capacity constraints, or took a huge bite out of the evening: Timber Terror Backwards, Zombiewood Express, and the magic show. All three of those are no more as of 2026, and as such, Scarywood is much easier to navigate. The common phrase used to be “there are too many frights to fit into one night”, but we no longer find that to be the case.
From a guest perspective, that’s a good thing! It makes for a much less stressful experience overall, allowing more flexibility throughout the evening, and fewer headaches for those trying to do it all. Having said that, it’s still a much better approach to come prepared with a plan of attack, and that’s what our aim is with this updated version of our 1-Night Itinerary.
The goal here is to give you our tips for how to accomplish a “perfect evening” at Scarywood. From our perspective, we’re targeting the 6 signature attractions at Scarywood: the 5 haunted walkthroughs, and the Slider Show. This is the stuff that you won’t get to do during the regular season, and should therefore be your focus. Experiencing all of them in one night is very doable and is what we would consider a successful evening. We’ll sprinkle in some other attraction recommendations here and there as well, but the six Scarywood-specific attractions are the priority.
One thing that has not changed (nor will it ever!) from previous iterations of this itinerary is our pre-arrival strategy. Plus, we can’t ever pass up a chance to throw out a plug for our favorite restaurant in CDA. Situated in a strip-mall next to a gas station, Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese doesn’t look like much. But Meltz is an absolute must-do while in the area, and Scarywood Haunted Nights makes for the perfect opportunity. We head over here at around 5:00pm, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the best cheese sandwich you’ll ever taste. Our go-to on the menu is always the Pot Sticker, but we’ve tried several other items and liked each one. After you’ve sufficiently stuffed yourself with cheesy goodness, start driving out to the park, aiming to have your ticket scanned and be in the courtyard around 6:30pm. Then line up at the gates, and don’t lose your spot!
Even though Timber Terror no longer operates backwards, the far south end of the park is still the best place to start. Conventional wisdom would suggest going to Nightmares first, but we disagree and here’s why. Nightmares is akin to Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland – it’s where everyone goes first. If you’re right at the front of the pack entering the park, you’ll be able to walk on it. Otherwise, it’s going to build a 20-30 minute queue fairly quickly, which will remain at least that long for most of the evening. If you want to be first, you’ll need to arrive at the gate even earlier, say around 6pm. You’re essentially avoiding waiting in line for Nightmares, by waiting an extra 30 minutes in line at the gate. That’s all good and well, but we prefer a different strategy. To borrow a line from our favorite Disney blogger, you need to zig when they zag. Go where everyone else isn’t going yet – for us that means heading to the south end of the park!
Two haunts are conveniently placed almost right next to each other in the far southwest corner of the park – Chuckle’s 3D Sideshow behind Aftershock, and The Swine behind the picnic pavilions. During our recent visit, these were both walk-ons for at least the first 30-60 minutes of the night. It’s very possible you’ll have time to experience each of these attractions twice, in short duration. A quick spin on Tremors is also an option while you’re at this side of the park. Its line will be short all night due to two-train operations, but especially at this time of the evening it will likely be a walk-on. Keep an eye on the time; around 7:40, you need to start heading north. The goal is to head back to catch the 8pm Slider Show, and you’ll need to be there around 7:45 if you want a prime viewing spot.
The new Slider Show runs twice an evening at 8pm and 10pm. Note that it will not operate even in light rain, so keep that in mind if the weather looks iffy. Here we’re assuming our “perfect evening” continues, so that means the weather is good and it’s showtime! We haven’t had a chance to see the Slider Show in person yet, but what we’ve seen online and heard from others has us excited to check it out. At just 10 minutes long, it doesn’t take much time out of the evening, so we definitely recommend making it a priority.
After this, go ahead and hop in line for Nightmares. It was around 30+ minutes for us, but it’s likely not going to get any shorter until after 11pm, so now’s as good a time as any. Once you’ve finished facing your fears, it should be approaching 9pm. You’ll have already hit up 3 of the 5 mazes (some of them hopefully more than once!), the Slider Show, and possibly even a coaster. That’s a pretty good start!
By this point, we’re usually ready for a snack and a chance to warm up. So it’s time to head back towards the front of the park, where there are a couple decent places to satisfy both of those needs. The High Moon Saloon or Plagued Pizza are both great options to grab a snack or drink. We enjoy the ambiance of High Moon Saloon, but Plagued Pizza this year was extra good with all the creepy horror clips showing on the big screen on the stage. That was our favorite part of the Monster Meal concept from 2025, so we were glad to see it stick around. Regardless of what you choose, once you’re warmed back up, head north to Blood Bayou. At this time of night it should have a moderate, yet not unbearably long queue.
If you missed the 8pm Slider Show, or want to see it again, make your way back that direction for the 10pm showing. Afterwards, hit up the final haunt – Pharaoh’s Curse. Don’t worry about having waited until the 10 o’clock hour, as we noticed the line for this attraction never got very long. Conversely, we checked out Chuckle’s and The Swine around the same time during our recent visit and they both had full queues spilling out into the overflow sections. Pharaoh’s Curse has been around for a long time now, and seems to be waning in popularity. Suffice to say, it’s okay to save it for this time of the evening.
As the time approaches 10:30-11:00pm, you’ll have officially knocked out the six priority attractions at Scarywood. Therefore, we consider everything else from here on out to be bonus material. We noticed a significant drop in crowds after 10:30pm, including Nightmares. So we’d suggest circling back on that a second time. Indeed, by 11:00pm, the line wasn’t even outside the show building! But anything is fair game now – coasters, a repeat of your favorite haunt, thrill rides – the night sky is the limit!
THE PERFECT FINALE: STUNT PILOT MIDNIGHT RUN
Our final recommendation is to hop in the line for Stunt Pilot just as you approach park closing. To us, this is the quintessentially perfect way to end an evening at Scarywood: riding up that lift hill in sometimes 30- or 40-degree temps, staring up into the starry sky, right as the clock strikes 12:00am. Stunt Pilot is fantastic anytime of day, but getting to ride at night is a truly special treat that is not to be skipped.
Then, enjoy your stroll back through the park one more time as you make your way to the park entrance. Don’t forget to grab a snack on the way out for your “morning after” re-fuel tomorrow – our usual go-to is a Reese’s Pieces caramel apple, but this year we found a new treat that gives it a run for the money: the Monster Cookie.
Packed with gobs of chocolate chips and sprinkles, this might just be our favorite cookie at the park. Plus, it’s a proven scientific fact that everything’s better with googly eyes, (or in this case candy eyes, but hey, close enough!) So that’s now two of our all-time favorite Silverwood snacks that appear to be October-exclusive.
To sum it all up, we hope this guide helps you get the most out of any single-evening visit to Scarywood. Although we can’t make any guarantees, we believe these tips can give you a decent shot at having the best possible experience at our favorite event of the year.
How do you approach your evening at Scarywood and how would you plan your night differently? What are your best tips for getting the most out of the night? We love hearing from you - whether you agree or disagree - so leave us a comment below!
The official Silverwood Theme Park website can be found at: www.silverwoodthemepark.com. All business-related questions should be directed to this site.
I think Scarywood needs to sell express passes for the 5 haunts. Most haunted attractions offer this and this would significantly increase Scarywood’s revenue.
Thanks for the comment Alex! We agree that’s definitely something that would be a money maker. As you point out, pretty much every other park that does haunts has some sort of “fast pass” upcharge. That said, Silverwood has resisted those type of offerings even during the regular season, so we don’t foresee it as a likely change anytime soon.
Why is Silverwood resisting this? Canobie Lake Park doesn’t offer fast passes but they still offer express passes during Screemfest.
Different philosophy, as far as we can tell. Seem to recall hearing a while back that Gary isn’t a fan of upcharges, and likes to avoid them if at all possible. That likely plays a big factor into it.
However, as a senior who loves haunted houses and scary scenes, I would like the option to e able to have a special pass as a way to avoid the lines. I am unable to stand in long lines but do have a disability pass at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights that makes the evening for me. Just an idea for those who cannot stand in long lines. They also have a RIP tour that you pay for and your host takes you to the front of the line. It would be nice to have an option like that at Silverwood.