Hersheypark Dark Nights Review and House Walkthrough Videos

Before the fog

How sweet it is! Hersheypark in Hershey, PA is once again offering their signature Haunt event of the season, Dark Nights. This event features a full park makeover for spooky season and an impressive collection of 5 Haunted Houses and 3 scare zones. We had the opportunity to take walk through videos of each of the 5 houses, and are happy to share the videos along with our thoughts on the event as a whole. 

Fall foliage and Storm Runner, what more could you want?

A very important disclaimer for those interested in attending the final two weekends: This event is PACKED. Packed as in, the usual walk-on Lightning Racer was posting a consistent 75 minute wait all day. For those who have an aversion to long lines, I would highly recommend a Friday/Sunday night visit or splurging for a Fast Track, Hersheypark’s skip the line system. We were willing to wait out a few long lines during the day to get on a handful of coasters (I can’t go to Hershey without getting on Wildcat’s Revenge), but did purchase Fast Track for the Haunted Houses. We found that to be a good compromise, as the Haunted House specific Fast Track is significantly less expensive than the one that also includes rides. We also found it to be a very necessary purchase, as all of the houses had a 90 minute wait within a half hour of the event starting. With the Fast Track, we walked almost immediately into the houses with unlimited repeats. 

The daytime ambiance of the park, even with the large crowds, provided an excellent experience. Not every park does this, and I don’t understand why, but there was a constant soundtrack of fun Halloween-centric music playing throughout the day. Maybe I’m just easy to please, but if you blast Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul from Rocky Horror Picture Show while I’m surrounded by spooky decor, I’m quick to forget the crowds around me. There were tons of fun food and beverage options catering to the event, with even permanent food stands around the park getting themed overlays for the season. The abundance of options also meant that lines for food were generally not that bad considering the crowds, and we were never queued up for more than 5-10 minutes at any food or drink location. The only excessive line that we saw for food or drink all night was to get into the themed ”Spirits Rooftop Bar” by the front entrance. Normally, this is just the outside seating for The Chocolatier, so instead of waiting an hour to get a seat, we just went to the Chocolatier and poked our head outside to get a look at it really quick. I can confidently say that it’s a nice view, but probably not worth the long wait if there is one.

Spirits Rooftop Bar

Dark Nights Rises

When the sun went down, the fog came out. And oh boy did the fog come out. I cannot emphasize this enough, this was the most fog I’ve ever experienced at a theme park haunt. We’re talking borderline no visibility at times for extended stretches of pathway. I absolutely loved it, there is such a sense of overwhelming terror when you are pawing ahead of yourself to try and move the fog while scare actors loom in the hazy peripherals of your vision.

Scare Level

For those looking for a “scare level”, this was the scariest Haunt event that we’ve visited this year. The houses are very detailed and immersive, and each one features at least one section of near complete darkness. There are a few chances to get separated from your party within the houses, which left me completely alone on one occasion. Most of the big scares also feature audio and visual effects, not just an actor jumping out and saying “boo!”, so expect flashing lights and loud noises each time you are greeted by a major scene in the houses. 

*Spoiler Warning* From this point on, full walk through videos and my detailed thoughts on each of the houses will be front and center

Haunted Coal Mine: Curse of the Tommyknockers

“Come face to face and shoulder to shoulder with the Tommyknockers and feel their wrath once more. Explore new depths, unveil hidden terrors, and brave the unseen in their haunted mine.”

What a way to start the night. We were BUZZING when we emerged from this haunted mine, so excited for the rest of the night after the high quality of this house.

Entering the mine, it was such a pleasant surprise to be led into a mining elevator. Thanks to some inventive effects, you actually descend down into the mines. Lights move vertically along with the elevator to give the illusion of movement, accompanied by sound effects and a very fun soundtrack where the Tommyknockers slowly overtake the bland elevator instructions. From there, it was a series of expected but very well done sets and scenes displaying the depravity of the Tommyknockers down within the depths of the mine. A few highlights include a “flooded” room using clever lighting and fog effects to make it seem like you are wading through water. There was also a completely pitch black inflated tunnel, where bounce house style material was inflated and pushed in from the sides, making you feel as though you are forcing your way through some nightmarish birth canal (You can hear us in the video going “Oh no” the entire time we pushed through). A large set piece towards the end with a drill crashing through the walls gives a sense of the scale throughout the house, despite how little tends to show up in dark videos. Overall, an excellent way to start the night. 

The Descent: Catacombs of Decay

“A new merchant has reopened the antiquities shop and transformed it into a rare book store filled with ancient and powerful volumes. As Vera’s abilities grow stronger, she pulls unsuspecting souls into the mysterious tunnels below. Be careful not to become part of her collection.” 

While this house had some very ambitious sets and scares, this is the closest to a let down that we experienced throughout the night. Not to say that it was bad, far from it, but this one lacked the coherent story that we felt was present in all of the other houses. The gist is simple, you enter a (very well done) antiquities store which slowly unravels deeper and deeper into the catacombs below. The issue for me was the content within the catacombs. Parts of it felt like we were back in Haunted Coal Mine, parts felt like a post apocalyptic bunker with androids and nuclear fallout. The premise is that the ancient texts in the antiquities store are unlocking spiritual horrors below, so the genre shift into more science fiction just felt out of place. I believe that leaning more into magic/fantasy horror would have made for a more effective story line. I will say, I loved the character of Vera, she was up on a catwalk in one of the final rooms sporting a Mad-Eye Moody style electronic monocle. This house also ended with a pitch black, and I mean pitch black, stretch of tunnel featuring dangling vines and webs. 

Twisted Carnevil

“The nightmare-fueled fun never ends at the Twisted Carnevil. Step beyond the tent and prepare to be mesmerized by a new hypnotic show stopper. This frightening spectacle will turn your reality upside down.”

This was another pure crowd pleaser of a haunted house. Twisted carnival, if done well, is a premise that will always be an easy sell, and they definitely did this one right. It featured a lot of expected elements, fun house tropes like halls of mirrors and optical illusions, but also featured some more ambitious set pieces. I think the standout moment is when you walk down a corridor of tents, each featuring a different scare actor with a different gimmick. My favorite was the woman playing a human puppet in the final tent, she really nailed the uncanny movements. There’s one more major standout element that needs to be mentioned… the smells. There are sections of this house that have tons of popcorn smell pumped in, almost to an overwhelming extent. It’s one of the most effective uses of smell I’ve ever experienced in a haunted house (second only to The Exorcist: Believer from HHN last year. Those who did that one know the… smell… I’m talking about).

Auntie Mortem’s Abattoir

“Step into the back office where the secrets of the Mortem family’s trade are kept hidden in plain sight. Uncover the devious tactics her nephews use to keep the business in the red, but beware - you might just meet Auntie Mortem in the flesh.”

This house rocks. It checks every single box that I look for in an effective haunted house. Clear story, large elaborate sets, tons of blood and gore, and insane character design with committed actors. From the second you see the façade, you know what you’re in for. It feels like an alternate reality version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Sweeney Todd. This demented family is using kidnapped people to butcher and sell to keep costs at the factory low. Again, smells play a big role in my sensory memories from this house, as all of the fog had an old farmhouse charm to it. So much so that we purchased the Auntie Mortem candle from the gift shop before leaving the park for the night.

Every set piece is over the top gore, so it’s hard to pick our favorites. There is one scene where the actors taunt and tease you to walk below a hanging guillotine that syncs up well with a light and sound trigger to really jump scare you while you pass below. We also loved the delousing room, which is excessively white and bright after the dingy dark corridors that you have been met with up until that point. As a warning for those who don’t do well with spinning, the house also featured one of those very disorienting spinning light tunnels, which had me absolutely convinced that the catwalk was rocking back and forth even though I’m fairly certain in hindsight that it was not. Overall, this house just has a lot to offer and does all of it well.

Estate of Evil

“A charming new brownstone has officially hit the market. Wander through the 13 rooms of this spacious mansion and prepare to be captivated by the meticulous care the live-in waitstaff has taken to preserve the past. While exploring, envision yourself tending to the enchanting garden, entertaining inside the lively game room, and raising a glass inside of the private wine cellar. But, be vigilant, or suffer the same fate as the previous owners.” 

I want to start with the warning that this was the house that features a potential separation from your group. You can see in the video, at about 1:20, you enter a pitch black corridor. With no light at all, you need to use your hands to navigate the hallway. It seems like there is more than one option, because I emerged from the darkness completely by myself and met up with my party again in the next room. 

This house had a ton of fun surprises and elements that I was not used to or prepared for, making it a highlight of the night. The concept of a haunted old manor is classic, and they really got creative with how to depict each room. One game room featured a woman with a dart stuck in her head, and they utilized very effective “Indiana Jones” style sound and wind effects to make it feel like darts are swishing around the room. We also loved the parlor room featuring wonderfully campy disco music, and took a moment each time we went through to have a little dance party. 

Nothing to do with the house, but I wanted to comment on what I believe was a missed opportunity with Estate of Evil. We noticed early in the day that there was an “Estate of Evil Bar and Lounge” being advertised back by where the haunted house was located. We were so excited all afternoon for the prospect of a bar being somehow incorporated into a haunted house. It’s nothing that I had ever seen before. Unfortunately, once it was open, we found the “Bar and Lounge” to be a lightly themed bar cart with some high tops outside of the exit to the house. For those aware of last year's Jollywood Nights at Disney World, think of the expectation vs reality with their Tower of Terror bar, it was like that. How cool would it be to actually incorporate it more into the facade or have it highly themed to the estate? It’s one of those things that I didn’t even know I wanted, but once we saw a lackluster version compared to our imagination, it made me realize how good that idea would be if done with commitment!

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to fault an event for being very popular. Do I wish they would have capped ticket sales to make it so that Fast Track wasn’t a necessity? Absolutely. But even though lines were far beyond what I would consider reasonable, there were no incidents or safety issues from our perspective. Everyone seemed to be having a great time despite the lines, which I believe speaks for the quality of what was offered. We absolutely will be back next year, but probably on a Friday or Sunday evening.