Kennywood theme park in Pennsylvania is expanding and enhancing its Phantom Fall Fest event for Halloween this year.
The park, now owned by Herschend, has announced plans for its longest Phantom Fall Fest season to date, as well as a new haunted house – its most extreme yet.
Phantom Fall Fest will include six haunted houses and four scare zones, as well as festive F&B and decorations, and family-friendly activities during the day.
Named ‘Detached’, the new haunted house takes guests on a terrifying trip through the Puppet Master’s “world of deranged dolls and manic marionettes”, according to Kennywood’s website.
“The Puppet Master’s delusional quest to put on the perfect show has only led him deeper into madness,” Kennywood says.
“Now, he’s handpicking parts for his puppets from the brave souls who enter his toy shop.”
Phantom Fall Fest: new haunted house
Via CBS News, Kennywood general manager Ricky Spicuzza said the park is “taking terror to a whole new level in 2025 as we debut our newest and most horrifying haunt ever during Phantom Fall Fest”.
He added, “With the longest event run in Kennywood history and the debut of Detached, we’re delivering next-level horror and thrills you won’t find anywhere else in Pittsburgh.”
Fan-favourite haunted houses like ‘mAlice in Wonderland Unleashed’, ‘Shady Grove’, ‘Dark Shadows’, ‘Voodoo Bayou’, and ‘Kennyville Cemetery’ are returning this year.
More and more US theme park operators are expanding their Halloween experiences to capitalise on the growing popularity of spooky season.
Speaking to Reuters last year, IAAPA’s chief executive Jakob Wahl said: “We actually see a growth every year in terms of Halloween events, not only North America, but across the world.”
Edithann Ramey, Six Flags’ chief marketing officer, told the publication: “It’s become this time of the year that’s grown in explosive ways. It’s become a billion-dollar industry in the last five years.”
Phantom Fall Fest will run on select days from 12 September through 1 November.
Images courtesy of Herschend
