Scarefest is back at Alton Towers Resort in 2025 featuring two new scare attractions, alongside returning scare mazes, spooktacular family walkthroughs and family-friendly entertainment.
Key Information
Dates: 27th-28th September, 3rd-5th, 10-12th, 17th October – 2nd November 2025
Opening Times: 10am – 9pm
Attractions
Thrill Attractions
Edge of the Forest
COMPOUND
Altonville Mine Tours – Tiny’s Revenge
Dark Hollow
Burial Grounds
Family Attractions
Amigos in the Afterlife
Trick O’ Treat Town
Freaky Fun Zone
Alton Ancestors
CBeebies Land Monster Ball
Scare mazes and both Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O’ Treat Town are not included in regular theme park admission.
A Thrills Combi ticket provides access to Edge of the Forest, COMPOUND and Altonville Mine Tours, and is priced at £38pp for both Early and Late slots. Passholder discount is only available on Early time slots, reducing the price to £30.40pp.
Early slots are between 3pm and 5pm Sunday-Friday or 1pm and 5pm on Saturday. Late slots are between 5pm and 9pm.
A Family Duo ticket is priced at £16pp (or £12.80pp for passholders), providing access to Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O Treat Town.
An All Maze Ticket provides access to all five attractions for a flat price of £55pp (or £44pp for passholders) – this permits guest access once to each attraction at any time during their opening hours.
Unlimited Thrills Passes are available exclusively to passholders. Priced at £99, these grant unlimited entry to the three ‘Thrills’ attractions throughout Scarefest 2025!
One-shot Tickets can also be purchased for all attractions. These are £16pp (or £12.80 for passholders) for Edge of the Forest, £14pp (or £11.20 for passholders) for COMPOUND and Altonville Mine Tours, and £10pp (or £8pp for passholders) for Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O Treat Town.
One-shot Fastrack can be purchased for Edge of the Forest, COMPOUND and Altonville Mine Tours, and is priced at £5pp per attraction.
Scare zones Dark Hollow and Burial Grounds, as well as all family entertainment, are included with admission to the theme park.
For all ticket queries and for booking we recommend checking out the official Alton Towers Resort website.
COMPOUND Behind the Scenes is available on select Scarefest dates, priced at £60pp (or £48pp for passholders), which includes:
- A guided lights-on behind the scenes tour of COMPOUND
- One COMPOUND Solo Maze Ticket (to experience the maze in full operation)
- An exclusive COMPOUND Behind the Scenes VIP pin badge
The Alton Towers Ghost Tour is available on select Scarefest dates, priced at £50pp (or £40pp for passholders), which includes:
- 90-minute storytelling journey through the eerie ruins of the iconic Towers
- A chance to use ghost hunting tools like EMF meters and dowsing rods along the way
- Exclusive Alton Towers Ghost Tour VIP Pin Badge
A Scarefest VIP package is available throughout the event, which includes:
- Front of the line access and choose your seat on selected rides
- Unlimited Family & Thrills maze access with Fastrack entry
- Personal VIP host for up to 10 hours.
- Meal, snack and drink voucher
- All-day soft drink refills in a Coca-Cola Freestyle cup
- Exclusive VIP merchandise
- Unlimited Digital Photos
- Express parking
A package including theme park admission is £390pp, while excluding theme park admission it is £355pp.
For all ticket queries and for booking we recommend checking out the official Alton Towers Resort website.
On Sundays-Fridays during Scarefest, the scare mazes open at 3pm and remain open until park close, while Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O’ Treat Town open 11am-4:30pm. On Saturdays, the scare mazes open at 1pm and remain open until park close, while Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O’ Treat Town open 10:30am-6pm.
Dark Hollow and Burial Grounds open at 5pm on all Scarefest dates and remains open until 30 minutes after the ride close time. All other attractions will have varying opening and show times throughout the day.
Ride and attractions will open from 10am until 9pm during Scarefest. However, all CBeebies Land attractions will close at the earlier time of 5pm. Due to low lighting, the Gardens will close to guests at dusk. Note that Congo River Rapids is closed from 15th September for rest of the 2025 season.
Queuing
Please be aware that Scarefest is likely to be very busy and queues will be large for many of the rides and attractions.
It is always advisable to ride the most popular rides (such as Wicker Man and The Smiler) at the very start and end of the day. You will also find that the park gets gradually quieter from 4pm onwards as guests decide to leave the park. Queue times for rides may also drop when the scare mazes open early afternoon.
Other methods and tips to avoid large queues are available on the Queue Busters page.
Handy Hints
- Temperatures will drop as the park gets dark so remember to wrap up warm.
- Prepare to see Forbidden Valley transform at night with lighting throughout the area, alongside synchronised lighting around Nemesis Reborn and the Waspirium-holding silos of Toxicator!
- Scarefest is your chance to ride Wicker Man in the dark – the ceremony’s flames look even more intense at night!
- Spinball Whizzer is generally much quieter in the afternoon and evening as many guests rush to ride it first in the morning.
- Make sure to ride Oblivion to get a a great view of X Sector and The Smiler at night!
- Riding TH13TEEN at night brings a whole new meaning to the Dark Forest, with there being next to no lighting around the ride’s circuit.
- Buy your parking ticket from a machine or ticket booth at the start of the day to beat the queues when leaving the park.
- Leave the theme park via the Galactica Gates to avoid the queues for the Monorail.
Scare Attractions
Edge of the Forest
Type: Scare Maze | Location: Near Dark Forest | Age Recommendation: 12+
Whispers wind through the withered woods at the edge of the Dark Forest, where a forgotten cottage stands as the last remnant of a forgotten time. Locals speak of the Leshwall, a lurking presence that twists the trees and plays tricks on the mind. Ignore the warnings and step inside this new for 2025 live-action scare maze, but be warned – the vines twist, the forest shifts with every step, and you’re never alone.
COMPOUND
Type: Scare Maze | Location: Building off pathway to Forbidden Valley | Age Recommendation: 12+
Prepare to find yourself a subject of the Phalanx in this live-action scare maze. Based on the story of Nemesis Reborn, guests will enter a Phalanx facility (also used to house the Nemesis younglings), featuring dark and claustrophobic environments amongst the hallways and chambers of their labs. Guarded by their Operatives, you’re plunged into a sinister sci-fi experiment where your DNA is the next weapon. Can you escape, or will you become the next target for the experiments lurking within?
Altonville Mine Tours – Tiny’s Revenge
Type: Scare Maze | Location: The Towers (enter near X-Sector) | Age Recommendation: 12+
Rumours are afoot that the old Altonville Mines are alive with activity once again. Following a breakthrough from local law enforcers, the notorious Skin Snatchers have been detained. However, the ironically named Tiny has evaded capture and is believed to still reside within the Mines – explore at your peril and risk the adventure, if you dare.
Dark Hollow
Type: Scare Zone | Location: Dark Forest | Age Recommendation: 12+
This new for 2025 free-flowing outdoor scare zone is set to stir the spirits of Dark Forest once more. The forest breathes, its ancient roots stirring restless and shadows flicker between hollow trees. A chilling presence watches, waiting to draw you deeper into the darkness. Can you escape the forest’s grasp before it claims you too?
Burial Grounds
Type: Scare Zone | Location: Next to Wicker Man | Age Recommendation: 12+
This free-flowing outdoor scare zone is shadowed by the mighty Wicker Man. The Unchosen, a cult of modern-day fanatics obsessed with the lore of the Beornen invite guests to their sacred sanctum of ancient burial grounds – be warned that those who stay too long in the desecrated realm of unearthed bodies, flaming shrines and monstrous deities risk being chosen too!
Family Attractions
Amigos in the Afterlife
Type: Walkthrough | Location: The Alton Towers Dungeon building | Age Recommendation: 6+
This interactive family walkthrough, inspired by Dia de los Muertos, will see guests venture into a vibrant world where the gap between this life and the next is at its thinnest and cross through a portal into the afterlife. Guided by friendly spirits, guests must find your way back to the world of the living, encountering mischievous characters along the way who will challenge you with tasks to earn your passage back to the living realm!
Trick O’ Treat Town
Type: Walkthrough | Location: Left-hand side of The Alton Towers Dungeon building | Age Recommendation: 6+
This interactive, family walkthrough attraction is back. Guests will be given a tote bag upon entering the indoor attraction and start by taking a walk down Spooky Avenue before moving onto houses in Treat Street, Witchy Woods, The Graveyard and The Hill. Knock on the doors to collect lots of HARIBO & MAOAM treats and other spooky surprises but be careful as there will be tricks a plenty.
Freaky Fun Zone
Type: Live Shows | Location: Mutiny Bay Courtyard
Franklyn, Skelvin, Patch, Phil, Gretyl, Zombob and Vampurr are back for another Scarefest to present a colourful Halloween playland filled with spooky attractions and activities that are perfect for young families and all included with your theme park admission.
Alton Ancestors
Type: Roaming Characters + Dance Troupe | Location: Towers Street, Fountain Square + Mutiny Bay Courtyard
Meet the friendly ghoulish characters who once used to roam the grounds of Alton Towers Resort, and have now risen from the grave in time for another Halloween. Prepare to dance as the Alton Ancestors are ready to celebrate the spooky season with flash mobs on Towers Street and Fountain Square, before performing their ‘Final Haunt’ dance on the Courtyard stage in the evening.
