The Halloween season at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois is drawing to a close. The park’s annual Fright Fest event—running on select nights from September 13 through November 2, 2025—has transformed the resort into a sprawling realm of scares, thrills and seasonal fun. As the final weekend approaches, visitors have one last chance to experience the full spectacle.
A Transformation of Day and Night
During the daylight hours, the park maintains its reputation as a family-friendly amusement destination. Bright colours, cheerful décor and familiar rides dominate as guests of all ages enjoy coasters, games and autumnal flair. As dusk falls, the park morphs. Fog drifts along pathways, scare actors roam the midways, and rides familiar by day take on a darker, more suspense-filled persona. The result is a dual-mood experience: lively and accessible by day, frightening and atmospheric by night.
Haunted houses, themed mazes and scare zones are the heart of this transformation. This year, among the new additions was a maze inspired by the “The Conjuring” film universe—boosting the event’s horror credentials and offering even more intense thrills for visitors seeking the adrenaline rush.
Haunted Mazes and Scare Zones
Fright Fest’s haunted houses are built around immersive experiences. Guests navigate labyrinthine passages, confront special effects, and contend with jump-scares, strobe lighting and ominous audio. The haunted-maze lineup becomes a central draw for older teens and adults—especially as darkness deepens and the mood intensifies. Guests report that even casual walks across the park after sunset can feel like entering another dimension.
Scare zones further amplify the experience—costumed actors emerge from hidden corners, creeping past groups, stalking ride queues and weaving in and out of crowds. The ambiance captures that hybrid of fear and excitement: guests laugh while they scream, often in the same moment. These zones and haunts, paired with nighttime rides through unfamiliar light and shadows, turn the park into a full-scale Halloween spectacle.
Family-Friendly by Day, Fear-Friendly by Night
One of Fright Fest’s strengths has been its ability to cater to both family audiences and hardcore thrill-seekers. Early in the evening, children and parents can enjoy rides and simpler decorations in more relaxed zones. As the night progresses, the mood shifts—to scarier features and the dedicated “after-dark” experience. This layered programming allows families to tailor their visit and gives younger guests the option to leave before the most intense scares begin.
Final Weekend—One Last Run
With the event ending on Sunday, November 2, this final weekend is expected to bring larger crowds as visitors seek one last chance to walk the fog-filled avenues, face the mazes and experience the park in its spookiest iteration. Staff and performers are preparing a strong closing run: haunted houses will operate at full intensity, scare actors will increase presence, and the overall atmosphere will lean even more into the Halloween theme than early in the season. Planning ahead—arriving early and being ready for evening crowds—can help guests make the most of their visit.
What This Means for Visitors
If you’ve yet to make your way to Fright Fest this year, now is the time. Whether you’re chasing high-adrenaline scares, themed entertainment, or just a festive night out with rides and friends, this event offers a unique seasonal spin on the usual amusement-park visit. For families with younger children, the earlier hours offer gentler Halloween fun before the scarier elements ramp up. For thrill-seekers, night-time visits deliver an immersive horror experience wrapped in the ride thrills of one of the Midwest’s major theme parks.
Preparing for the Experience
Visitors planning their visit for this final weekend should note a few tips. Arrive earlier in the day to secure good parking, explore the coasters while daylight still lingers, and enjoy the family-friendly side before the scarier elements take over. As night falls, shift into full Halloween-mode—expect fog, actors, shadows and a heavier sensory experience. If haunted mazes are a priority, plan accordingly (some may require additional passes or have longer waits). Also consider that the biggest crowds often occur during the final weekend, so lines may be longer and expect some wait time for major attractions.
Looking Ahead
As Sunday night draws to a close, the park will revert to its regular schedule—lights, themes and decorations will revert, and the Fright Fest chapter will end until next year. But for those who make the trip this weekend, the memory of strolling under fog-lit pathways, riding coasters through darkness and being surprised around every corner will linger. The event continues to prove that a Halloween-themed amusement park experience can be more than just rides—it can be immersive theatre, seasonal celebration and adrenaline fun in one package.
Closing Thoughts
Fright Fest 2025 at Six Flags Great America has been a vivid demonstration of how seasonal programming in theme parks can combine spectacle with emotion, thrill with fun, and scare with shared experience. As the final guest rides the roller coaster under the night sky, one last scream will echo through the park—and the ghosts, ghouls and scare actors will disappear until next year. For now, however, they own the night.
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