Halloween Haunts at theme parks have become a true staple in the industry. Almost every park has its own version, and Silverwood is no different. Once the leaves start to turn, and the days get shorter, Scarywood Theme Park looms ever closer in the distance. And folks, it’s hard to contain our excitement, because this is our favorite time of the year when it comes to our little park in northern Idaho. If you’ve been before, you’ll know what we’re talking about. If not, you NEED to get out there!  In this post, we’ll take you through everything you need to know when planning a trip to Scarywood this year. (Updated September 20, 2023)

We’ve attended Scarywood Haunted Nights every October with the exception of 2016, so we feel that we’ve had plenty of opportunities to get this event down to a fine art. The event has grown from the likes of a corn maze haunted house into a fully-fledged, award-winning experience. It has been so fun to watch the park change bit by bit over the years into what it is now.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the basics to get you started when planning a night at the event. For more info on the specific attractions at Scarywood, click here for our 2023 Scarywood Haunts and Attractions Guide. Also, if you’re interested in what our “perfect night” at the park looks like, check out our Scarywood 1 Night Itinerary.

WHEN SHOULD I ATTEND?

Scarywood is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in October. This year they’re also open the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of September. Thursday hours are 7pm to 11pm, and Fridays and Saturdays it’s 7pm to 12am. If you’ve ever been to any other haunt, you’ll know what we’re about to say: the earlier you go, the better it will be. Crowds at these events always get worse the closer you get to Halloween, and it’s no different for Scarywood. Also, the crowds are increasingly worse the later into the week you get, as are the prices. We find Fridays to be the best sweet spot, as you still get the extra hour that you miss on Thursday, while avoiding the Saturday crowds. And that’s not to mention weather…obviously the later in the year, the colder it will be.

WHO SHOULD I BRING?

DINING

Scarywood doesn’t have as much in the way of food as you’ll find during the regular season. The Pizza place inside the magic theater is open, and can be a good option for grabbing a bite to eat before one of the Magic Shows. Lindy’s is also open, but doesn’t have the full summer menu. You’ll find some great snacks and treats throughout the various food carts in the park, but aside from that there isn’t much to write home about.

And that’s not a bad thing. If you want to get the most out of your Scarywood evening, you don’t want to be wasting time eating at a restaurant! Our advice: Go eat at Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese in CDA before getting to the park, and then grab a caramel apple or funnel cake to get you through the night if you get hungry.

WHAT RIDES SHOULD I GO ON?

We attended Knott’s Scary Farm many years ago, well before Scarywood was ever a thing. During the day, the park was open and we got our fill of coasters in. We talked to several ride ops about what advice they’d offer for getting the most out of the Halloween Haunt that evening. Most of them said the same thing: skip the rides!! Same thing goes for Scarywood. You can go on the tilt-a-whirl any other day of the year. Ironically, it (and all the other rides) always seems to have unusually long lines, and we wonder “why”??? You’re paying for scare zones and haunted attractions, so heed our advice: skip the rides, and focus on the Halloween stuff! The ONE exception to this is Timber Terror Backwards. It only runs backwards during October, so you don’t want to miss out. It’s a blast! If you do find yourself with extra time at the end of your night, the other coasters are fun to ride in the dark as well.

OTHER TIPS

1. The weather can turn very quickly in northern Idaho in October. We’ve seen it all: strangely warm evenings, freezing cold nights, even rain. Watch the forecast, and plan/dress accordingly.

2. We mentioned this in our Silverwood guide, but for Scarywood it’s even more important – if you’re coming from out of town, stay in a hotel that’s as close to the park as possible. With the park open until midnight, you will not want to have a long drive back to Spokane or Kellogg to get to your room.

3. Get to the park early. Like, at least an hour before it opens. Yes, that means you’ll be standing outside the gate for a while, but trust us, it will be worth your while. Scarywood likes to tout that “there are too many frights to fit into one night”. But we have found that, with a little planning, we have always been able to fit everything into one evening every single year. One of the keys to our ‘success’ has been ensuring we are one of the first groups into the gate.