Back to Halloween 2026
26th year Sept. 11 to Nov. 1, 2026 Carowinds, Charlotte NC Not recommended under 13 Updated

SCarowinds 2026: Dates, Mazes & What Your Ticket Actually Covers

SCarowinds opened September 11 and runs through Sunday, November 1, with 21 nights left from September 25: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus Thursdays October 15, 22 and 29. This is the biggest lineup Carowinds has ever run: six haunted mazes, five scare zones, and six live shows, with eight of those brand new. The headliner is Jason: Blood Reign, a licensed Friday the 13th maze. Here's the full picture, including the part every other guide buries: which pieces cost extra.

What's confirmed for 2026

The full picture, straight from Carowinds' event pages

Event
SCarowinds presented by SNICKERS, in its 26th year
Dates
September 11 through November 1, 2026. From September 25 on, 21 nights are left: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus Thursdays October 15, 22 and 29.
Typical night hours
Fridays and late-season Thursdays, 6 p.m. to midnight. Saturdays, 6 p.m. to midnight, after Tricks and Treats ends at 6 p.m. Sundays, 6 to 11 p.m. Mazes and scare zones open at 7 p.m. every night. Every night is listed below.
Daytime family side
Tricks and Treats runs Saturdays and Sundays, September 12 through November 1, included with admission
Included with admission
Rides, all five scare zones, all six shows, street entertainment, and Tricks and Treats
Costs extra
Five of the six mazes need a Haunted Attractions Pass, from $10 a night or $49 all season. The sixth, The Conjuring: Beyond Fear, needs its own separate reservation.
Age guidance
Not recommended for children under 13. Chaperone policy: 15 and under need a 21+ chaperone from 2 p.m. daily.
The thing that trips everyone up: a park ticket or season pass gets you into the event, but not into the mazes. Everyone buys the maze pass, passholders included. Carowinds also sells a SCarowinds bundle from $55 that combines admission with maze access, which usually beats buying the pieces separately.

Last checked September 20, 2026, against Carowinds' official SCarowinds page and park calendar. Prices are online prices before processing fees.

The calendar

SCarowinds 2026 dates and hours, night by night

SCarowinds opened September 11, and 21 nights are left from September 25 through Sunday, November 1: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus Thursdays October 15, 22 and 29. Fridays and those Thursdays are SCarowinds only, with the park opening at 6 p.m. and running to midnight. Saturdays and Sundays the park opens at 11 a.m. for Tricks and Treats, then SCarowinds takes over at 6 p.m., running to midnight on Saturdays and 11 p.m. on Sundays.

DatePark hoursWhat's on
Fri, Sept. 256 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Sept. 2611 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Sept. 2711 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 26 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Oct. 311 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Oct. 411 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 96 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Oct. 1011 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Oct. 1111 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 156 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Fri, Oct. 166 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Oct. 1711 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Oct. 1811 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 226 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Fri, Oct. 236 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Oct. 2411 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Oct. 2511 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 296 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Fri, Oct. 306 p.m. to midnightSCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sat, Oct. 3111 a.m. to midnightTricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 p.m. to midnight
Sun, Nov. 111 a.m. to 11 p.m.Tricks and Treats 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SCarowinds 6 to 11 p.m.

SCarowinds starts at 6 p.m., but the haunted mazes and scare zones are scheduled to open at 7. They run to close: midnight most nights, 11 p.m. on Sundays.

Hours are from Carowinds' operating calendar as of September 20, 2026. Parks do adjust hours, so check the official calendar the week you go.

The mazes

All 6 haunted mazes, plus The Conjuring

Six mazes make up the lineup. Five are on the Haunted Attractions Pass; the sixth, The Conjuring, sells separately:

  1. 1 Jason: Blood Reign New for 2026. A licensed Friday the 13th maze, and the first time Jason Voorhees has stalked the Carolinas like this.
  2. 2 Paranormal Inc. The forsaken Hayden Hill hospital, staffed by doctors and nurses who never checked out.
  3. 3 Slaughterhouse A shuttered meatpacking plant that never really shut down.
  4. 4 Silver Scream Studios: Director's Cut A movie backlot where the horror props aren't props.
  5. 5 The Toothfairy A decaying dreamworld built from twisted nursery rhymes.
  6. 6 The Conjuring: Beyond Fear The 20-minute premium Conjuring Universe walkthrough with Annabelle. Separate reservation, not on the maze pass.
Between the mazes

Scare zones and shows (no extra charge)

Five scare zones come with admission, three of them new: Carnevil (sadistic carnival performers), Lost Souls (a vengeful cult of outcasts), Restricted (animated test mannequins with a taste for blood), plus returning zones The Hollow and Grave Garden.

Six live shows are included too, four of them new for 2026: The Resurgence opening show, Blade Drummers: The Sacrifice, Sinister Slide Squad, and Incantations with the Enchantress, alongside returning favorites The Spectral Sisters and Wake the Dead. If scare actors aren't your thing, the park sells a No Boo glowing necklace (around $16 to $19) that tells them to skip you in the zones. It doesn't work inside mazes.

Two events in one weekend

Family daytime vs. scary night

Daytime (Sat–Sun)

Tricks and Treats

Trick-or-treat trail, costume contest, free pumpkins for kids under 12 at Patch's Pumpkin Patch, a foam pit, and a Camp Snoopy dance party. All-ages, no scares, included with admission.

Nighttime

SCarowinds

Six mazes, five scare zones, and six shows aimed at 13 and up. Coasters run in the dark the whole time.

One rule to know before a night visit: re-entry is blocked after 7 p.m. on SCarowinds days, so a dinner run off-property ends your night.

Pricing

What everything costs

These were the online prices on Carowinds' official pages as of September 20, 2026. Everything excludes processing fees and tax, and maze pass pricing moves with the night.

Single-day park admission
From $45 online. Covers rides, scare zones, shows, and Tricks and Treats.
Haunted Attractions Pass
From $10 a night, climbing toward $30 on peak nights. Covers five mazes: Jason: Blood Reign, Paranormal Inc., Slaughterhouse, Silver Scream Studios, and The Toothfairy.
All-Season Haunted Attractions Pass
$49 for maze access every night of the season.
SCarowinds Bundle
From $55 for admission plus maze access in one ticket.
The Conjuring: Beyond Fear
Separate paid reservation, from $25. Not covered by any pass.

We don't sell tickets or passes, and we don't do affiliate links. This is what Carowinds offers so you know your options before you buy from them.

Know before you go

The chaperone policy is real and enforced from 2 p.m.

15 and under need a 21+ chaperone. The policy kicks in daily at 2 p.m., one chaperone covers up to 5 minors, and chaperones have to enter with the group and stay in the park. Guests 16 and up can go alone but need photo ID at the gate.
Planning

How to pick your night

October Saturdays are the crunch nights, and the closer to Halloween, the heavier they get. Sundays close earlier, at 11 p.m. instead of midnight, which is worth knowing if a shorter night suits your group. The three Thursdays (October 15, 22, 29) run the full 6 p.m. to midnight. The maze pass works the same any night: it's per night, so pick one and go all in.

Carowinds runs its regular ride lineup during the event, so check the crowd calendar for the daytime picture on your date before you commit.

Crowd calendar
Carowinds Crowd Calendar
Daily crowd levels for the park's regular daytime hours. →
Quick answers

SCarowinds 2026 FAQ

Is SCarowinds included with admission or a season pass?

The event is, the mazes aren't. Rides, scare zones, shows, and street entertainment come with any admission. Five of the six mazes need the Haunted Attractions Pass, from $10 a night or $49 all season, and that applies to season passholders too. The sixth, The Conjuring: Beyond Fear, is a separate reservation on top.

Is SCarowinds scary for kids?

Carowinds says it's not recommended under 13, and the chaperone policy backs that up. The family play is Tricks and Treats on Saturday and Sunday daytimes: costume contest, trick-or-treat trail, free pumpkins for the under-12s, zero scares, all included.

Can teens go alone?

Guests 16 and up can, as long as they carry photo ID. Everyone 15 and under needs a chaperone who's at least 21, enforced daily starting at 2 p.m.

What's new for 2026?

Eight new experiences: the Jason: Blood Reign maze, three new scare zones (Carnevil, Lost Souls, Restricted), and four new shows. It's the biggest SCarowinds lineup yet.

When does SCarowinds start in 2026, and what nights is it open?

SCarowinds opened Sept. 11, 2026 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. From Sept. 25 on, that's 21 nights: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus Thursdays Oct. 15, 22 and 29.

What time does SCarowinds start and end?

Fridays and those three Thursdays, the park opens at 6 p.m. and runs to midnight. Saturdays the park opens at 11 a.m. for Tricks and Treats, then SCarowinds runs 6 p.m. to midnight. Sundays SCarowinds runs 6 to 11 p.m. The haunted mazes and scare zones open later, at 7 p.m., every night.

The coasters don't stop for spooky season

Your SCarowinds night includes Fury 325 in the dark. The app tracks Carowinds' ride waits live and flags the drops, so you can time your coaster laps between mazes. Get it on the App Store before you go.

Get Ride Ready