Cedar Point has officially revealed what’s coming to HalloWeekends 2026, and there are some pretty significant changes this year — including a brand-new IP haunted house, an early preview weekend, new family activities, new entertainment and some important changes to how the haunted attraction passes work.
HalloWeekends presented by SNICKERS runs select days and nights September 17 through November 1, 2026, but this year the scares actually begin one week earlier with the brand-new Scream Peek Weekend.
And while HalloWeekends gets plenty of attention for its haunted houses and scare zones, one of the things we love most about the event is that Cedar Point still remains very family-friendly — even after dark.
Diablo: The Infernal Path Replaces Bloodbath
The biggest addition for 2026 is easily Diablo: The Infernal Path, bringing Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo franchise to Cedar Point.
The new indoor haunted maze will be located near Steel Vengeance in Frontier Town, taking over the space previously occupied by Bloodbath.
Bloodbath was actually a relatively recent HalloWeekends addition and received updates during its run, but it never seemed to gain the same traction with guests as some of Cedar Point’s other haunted houses.
Because of that, this feels like a pretty logical location for something new.
Rather than removing one of the event’s most established or popular houses, Cedar Point can take a space that hasn’t become a must-do attraction and turn it into what could easily become one of the biggest draws of HalloWeekends.
Guests entering Diablo: The Infernal Path will step into the dark gothic world of Diablo and encounter characters including Diablo, Lilith, Mephisto and Baal while traveling through cursed cathedrals, ancient rituals and plenty of nightmare fuel.
For HalloWeekends, getting a recognizable IP like Diablo is a pretty big deal, and we’re very interested to see just how immersive Cedar Point makes this experience.
Like Cedar Point’s other indoor haunted houses, Diablo requires a Haunted Attractions Pass in addition to park admission.
Scream Peek Weekend Starts the Scares Early
One of the announcements we’re most excited about is the new Scream Peek Weekend, happening September 10-13, one week before HalloWeekends officially begins.
During Scream Peek, guests will be able to experience four returning indoor haunted houses:
- Midnight
- Fearground Freak Show
- The Haunting of Eerie Estate
- Slaughterhouse
This could be a fantastic opportunity to knock out some of the classic HalloWeekends haunted houses before the huge October crowds arrive.
There are two notable attractions not included during Scream Peek: the new Diablo house and The Conjuring: Beyond Fear.
Still, getting four haunted houses during an entire preview weekend sounds like a great excuse for an early September Cedar Point trip.
There’s also a nice bonus for passholders: guests who purchase or renew a 2027 Cedar Point Season Pass by September 7 will receive a free single-day Haunted Attractions Pass that can be used to experience those four Scream Peek mazes.
If You Skipped The Conjuring Last Year, Do It This Year
The Conjuring: Beyond Fear is returning for 2026, and if you didn’t get a chance to experience it last season, I really think this should be the year you do it.
This isn’t just another Cedar Point haunted house.
The Conjuring is much closer to an immersive horror experience, putting guests into the role of paranormal investigators as you encounter characters and artifacts from The Conjuring Universe, including Annabelle.
It was easily one of the most ambitious Halloween experiences Cedar Point has ever created.
There is one catch: The Conjuring costs extra even if you already have a Haunted Attractions Pass.
But there’s actually one change this year that I think is a big win.
The Conjuring Is No Longer Included With Haunted Attractions Express
Last season, guests purchasing Haunted Attractions Express could also use that access for The Conjuring.
That created an interesting capacity problem.
The Conjuring operates differently from a traditional haunted maze and has limited availability, so reservations could disappear surprisingly quickly — especially when a large number of guests with Express were trying to experience it.
For 2026, The Conjuring is no longer bundled into the Haunted Attractions Express product.
Personally, I really like this change.
It should prevent Express Pass sales from consuming a disproportionate amount of The Conjuring’s limited capacity and hopefully give guests buying the separately ticketed experience a better opportunity to actually get in.
If The Conjuring is high on your HalloWeekends list, though, don’t wait until late in the evening to figure it out.
Unfortunately, The Haunted Attractions Pass Is Back
Here’s the part of HalloWeekends that we’re still not thrilled about.
The Haunted Attractions Pass is back for 2026, meaning the indoor haunted houses are once again not included with regular Cedar Point admission.
You’ll need the pass to enter attractions like Midnight, Slaughterhouse, Eerie Estate, Fearground Freak Show and Diablo.
If you’re planning multiple HalloWeekends visits, though, there’s a much better option.
At the time of this announcement, Cedar Point is offering an All Season Haunted Attractions Pass for $35, giving you unlimited access throughout the season.
If you know you’re going more than once, I would grab that sooner rather than later.
Last year, I also didn’t think Haunted Attractions Express was particularly worthwhile for most guests.
Once Cedar Point moved the indoor houses behind a separate paid pass, we noticed a lot of guests seemed perfectly content sticking with the outdoor scare zones and included attractions instead. That made the indoor maze lines far more manageable than the legendary HalloWeekends waits we remember from years past.
That could change this year — especially with Diablo being brand-new — but I’d personally see how crowds look before immediately spending the extra money on Express.
CornStalkers Is Now Included With Admission
One of the biggest changes for the outdoor haunted attractions this year is that CornStalkers 2.0 is now included with regular park admission.
Last season, CornStalkers required the Haunted Attractions Pass, so this is a great change for guests who don’t want to pay extra for the indoor haunted houses.
There is probably going to be one pretty obvious trade-off, though:
Expect a line.
CornStalkers has always been one of HalloWeekends’ most recognizable haunted attractions, and opening it up to everyone in the park could mean some very big waits on busy Friday and Saturday nights.
The outdoor haunted attractions included with admission this year include:
- NEW! Crystal Rock Massacre
- Cut Throat Cove
- Tombstone Terror-tory: Doc McCoffer’s Evil Elixir
- CornStalkers 2.0
- Clownz: Hall of Infamy Tour
Crystal Rock Massacre Sounds Like an Evolution of One of Our Favorites
One of the outdoor attractions we’re most interested in this year is Crystal Rock Massacre.
This area was Blood on the Bayou before being reworked last season with much more of a summer-camp, Camp Crystal Lake-style vibe.
That reworked version quickly became our favorite outdoor haunted maze at HalloWeekends.
With the new Crystal Rock Massacre name and Cedar Point specifically describing the attraction as a terrifying summer camp with dark secrets, it sounds like they’re not moving away from that concept at all.
Instead, it feels like they’re fully committing to the camp-horror theme.
And we’re absolutely here for it.
If you’re only planning to do a few outdoor haunted attractions during your visit, Crystal Rock Massacre should be near the top of your list.
For us, this is a must-do.
HalloWeekends Is Still Family-Friendly — Even After Dark
This is one of the biggest misconceptions we hear about HalloWeekends.
Cedar Point does not suddenly become one giant scare zone when the sun goes down.
The heavier scares are concentrated toward the back of the park, particularly around Frontier Town and the areas hosting Cedar Point’s major scare zones and haunted attractions.
The front portion of Cedar Point remains much more family-friendly, which means families with younger children don’t necessarily need to run for the exit as soon as night falls.
That’s something we’ve always appreciated about HalloWeekends.
You can spend the afternoon doing the kids’ Halloween activities, grab dinner, watch some shows and continue enjoying rides into the evening without having to intentionally walk your kids through the biggest scare zones.
If you’re visiting with younger kids who aren’t ready for monsters jumping out at them, just be aware of where the major scare zones are located as you move deeper into the park.
HalloWeekends can absolutely still be a family event after dark.
HalloWeekends With Kids Is One of Our Favorite Cedar Point Traditions
During the day, HalloWeekends is fantastic for younger kids.
There are more than 20 family Halloween activities and attractions planned for 2026.
One of our family’s favorite traditions is dressing the kids up and taking them through the Trick-or-Treat Trail.
They get to wear their Halloween costumes around Cedar Point, collect treats and participate in an event that feels completely designed for them.
It’s one of those simple traditions that has become one of our favorite parts of HalloWeekends every year.
Another family favorite is The Magical House on Boo Hill.
Parents sometimes see “haunted house” and understandably wonder whether their younger kids are going to be terrified.
Boo Hill is not scary.
The lights stay mostly on, there aren’t scare actors jumping out at the kids and the entire experience is designed around silly Halloween fun rather than actual scares.
It’s one of the first attractions we’d recommend to families visiting HalloWeekends with younger children.
New Creation Station for Kids
There’s also something completely new for families this year: Creation Station.
The new area will give kids a place to make Halloween crafts during their visit, adding another hands-on activity to the daytime lineup.
Add that to returning activities like pumpkin decorating, pumpkin patch picking, the Howlin’ Hay Maze, Tricky Corn Maze, Harvest Tractors, costume contests, PEANUTS character meet-and-greets and Snoopy Tricks and Treats Adventure, and you could genuinely spend a huge portion of your HalloWeekends visit doing Halloween activities without ever stepping inside a haunted attraction.
That’s one reason HalloWeekends works so well for our family.
The kids get their version of Halloween during the day, and then we can decide how much of the nighttime HalloWeekends experience we want to explore.
Skeleton Crew Is an Absolute Must-See for Families
While Cedar Point has a lot of entertainment during HalloWeekends, there is one show we absolutely don’t want families to skip:
Skeleton Crew on The Boardwalk.
This was one of our absolute favorite shows at HalloWeekends last season.
It’s energetic, incredibly fun to watch and one of those shows that works just as well for adults as it does for kids.
If you’re visiting HalloWeekends as a family, put Skeleton Crew on your itinerary.
Seriously.
This is a must-see show and an absolute must for families.
It also gives families another great reason to spend some time around The Boardwalk in the evening, away from the more intense scare zones deeper inside the park.
Skeleton Crew returns in 2026 alongside The SKA-letons!, giving The Bonewalk — Cedar Point’s Halloween transformation of The Boardwalk — its own entertainment lineup.
Butchers of Rock Feels Like a Full Concert
Another show we absolutely recommend is Butchers of Rock on the Gemini Midway.
Don’t think of this as just another small theme-park Halloween show.
Butchers of Rock is basically a great ’80s cover band inside Cedar Point.
The show has the energy of a live concert, and it’s one of those HalloWeekends experiences where you can stop for a song and suddenly realize you’ve stayed for most of the set.
If you love live music — especially ’80s rock — definitely make time for this one.
Between Skeleton Crew and Butchers of Rock, Cedar Point’s entertainment lineup is honestly one of the reasons we enjoy HalloWeekends as much as we do.
You could have a great evening just riding coasters, catching live shows and enjoying the atmosphere without ever stepping inside a haunted house.
New Show: Midnight’s Mythmakers
Cedar Point is adding several new shows this season, including Midnight’s Mythmakers.
The interactive show features Mr. Midnight’s three mysterious storytellers, with guests helping create Halloween tales and even customizing how scary the stories become.
That sounds like a really fun concept, particularly for families with slightly older kids who want something spooky without necessarily jumping straight into a full haunted house.
We’ll definitely check it out.
But I still have to say it:
We miss the Witch Sisters on the Frontier Trail.
They added so much personality to daytime HalloWeekends and were one of those little pieces of entertainment that made walking through Frontier Town feel special.
We’d love to see them — or something carrying that same style of quirky family Halloween entertainment — return someday.
Other entertainment this season includes:
- NEW! Fangs: Eternal
- Opening SCARYmoanies
- The Shrieks! Contamination
- Wake the Dead: Til Death Do Us Part
- Butchers of Rock
- Skeleton Crew
- The SKA-letons!
Halloween Ride Overlays Are Expanding Too
Cedar Point is also continuing its Halloween ride overlays, giving several familiar attractions temporary spooky identities.
For 2026, you’ll find:
GateKreeper – GateKeeper
RougaBOO – Rougarou
MaverEEK! – Maverick
Midway Scare-ousel – Midway Carousel
Boo Streak – Blue Streak
Ocean Potion – Ocean Motion
And yes, the Midway Carousel actually runs backward during HalloWeekends.
It’s a small detail, but these little touches are part of what makes Cedar Point feel completely different during the fall.
Our Biggest HalloWeekends 2026 Takeaways
There are a lot of changes this season, but these are the things we’d keep an eye on:
Diablo is the big new addition. Bloodbath was still a relatively recent and updated attraction, but it never seemed to become a major guest favorite. Turning that location into a Diablo IP experience makes a lot of sense and gives HalloWeekends a potentially huge new headliner.
Scream Peek Weekend could be one of the best weekends of the season. Getting four indoor houses September 10-13 before HalloWeekends officially begins could be a great opportunity to get some classics done early.
Do The Conjuring this year if you skipped it last year. It’s a different level of experience compared with Cedar Point’s traditional haunted houses.
Grab the $35 All Season Haunted Attractions Pass if you’re making multiple visits. Unlimited maze access at that price is hard to argue with.
Don’t automatically buy Haunted Attractions Express. Based on our experience last season, we’d wait to see how the indoor maze lines actually develop.
CornStalkers is now included with admission. That’s a win for guests, but it could also mean some massive waits.
Crystal Rock Massacre should be a must-do. We loved last year’s camp-themed evolution of the former Blood on the Bayou, and it sounds like Cedar Point is leaning even harder into that concept this year.
Don’t skip Skeleton Crew. For families especially, this is one of our favorite pieces of HalloWeekends entertainment.
And if you love live music, see Butchers of Rock. It feels more like an ’80s rock concert than a traditional theme-park show.
Most importantly, don’t assume HalloWeekends isn’t for families once the sun goes down.
Cedar Point does a great job separating the more intense Halloween experiences toward the back of the park while keeping the front much more approachable for families.
Between Trick-or-Treat Trail, House on Boo Hill, Creation Station, PEANUTS activities, rides, Skeleton Crew and live music, there is plenty to do without ever needing to venture directly into Cedar Point’s scariest areas.
HalloWeekends 2026 Dates
Scream Peek Weekend: September 10-13, 2026
HalloWeekends: Select days and nights September 17-November 1, 2026
Cedar Point’s 2027 Gold Pass also includes visits for the remainder of 2026, including HalloWeekends. Gold Passes currently start at $115, with renewals starting at $99, through September 7.
We’ll have plenty more from Cedar Point as HalloWeekends gets closer — including a look at Diablo, The Conjuring, the family activities, shows, food and which haunted attractions are actually worth your time.
What are you most excited for this year — Diablo, The Conjuring, Scream Peek Weekend, Crystal Rock Massacre, Skeleton Crew, or Butchers of Rock?
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