5 Reasons to Visit Kennywood’s Top-Rated Phantom Fall Fest This Fall
October 02, 2026
Play All Day. Fright All Night.
Looking for your next Halloween adventure in Pittsburgh? Whether you're bringing the family for trick-or-treating and fall fun, gathering friends for a night of haunted attractions, or looking to combine Halloween thrills with some of Kennywood's biggest rides, Phantom Fall Fest has it all.
There’s a reason Kennywood’s Phantom Fall Fest was voted the #4 Best Theme Park Halloween Event in the country by USA TODAY 10BEST. Kennywood has been a Halloween tradition for generations of families across Western Pennsylvania, and Phantom Fall Fest continues that tradition with something for everyone.
On Saturdays and Sundays, you can experience both sides of Phantom Fall Fest in one day—family-friendly fall activities during the day followed by haunted attractions and scares after dark.
Here are five reasons to make Phantom Fall Fest part of your Halloween plans this season.
Topics
All Posts
1. Play All Day. Fright All Night.
Why choose between a family-friendly fall festival and a Halloween night out when you can do both?
On Saturdays and Sundays, start your visit with family-friendly activities, fall food and rides, then stick around after dark when Kennywood transforms into a Halloween experience filled with haunted attractions and scare zones.
One ticket gets you both experiences, and guests can re-enter the park until 6 p.m., making it easy to take a break and come back for the nighttime scares.
2. Family-Friendly Fall Fun for Everyone
Phantom Fall Fest isn't just about the scares.
During the day, families can enjoy 30+ rides, seasonal entertainment and activities throughout the park. Little ones can trick-or-treat at Ghostwood Estate, get their faces painted and enjoy special Kennywood entertainment.
It's a great option for families looking for kid-friendly Halloween events in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania—with plenty for adults to enjoy, too.
3. Taste Your Way Through Fall Fest
What's fall without great food?
New this year, Kennywood's Fall Fest Tasting Experience lets guests taste their way around the Lagoon with five tasting locations featuring seasonal food, beer and wine.
Pick up a Fall Fest Tasting Card and choose five food or drink samples from the lineup. Season Passholders can enjoy six samples for the same price.
Fall favorites and Pittsburgh-inspired flavors include:
- Apple Grove: Hot Apple Dumpling, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cinnamon Sugar Churro Bites and Hot Apple Cider
- Cinnamon Street: Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Pork Belly Skillet and Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Potatoes & Pints: Kielbasa & Potato Skillet, Pierogies and Apple Cider Cupcake
- Pretzel Bakery: Bavarian Pretzel, Bratwurst & Sauerkraut and Fall Cannoli
- Smokey Hollow: Smoked Mac & Cheese, Chili Boule and Caramel Bacon Brownie
Seasonal beer and wine samplings are also available at select locations.
The Fall Fest Tasting Experience is available during the day until 6 p.m.
4. Seven Haunted Attractions and Four Scare Zones—Included With Admission
Once the sun goes down, the fall fun gives way to Fright All Night.
Kennywood's nighttime Halloween experience is a Pittsburgh tradition now in its 24th year, with seven haunted attractions and four scare zones throughout the park.
And the best part? They're all included with regular park admission. There are no additional charges to enter the haunted attractions or scare zones.
This year's lineup includes the all-new Ghostwood Estate: Open House, where guests venture inside Lord Kenneth Ghostwood's estate, and Detached, returning for its second season with a trip into the Puppet Master's toy shop.
With scare zones throughout the park, the frights continue as you make your way between attractions and rides.
For anyone searching for Halloween haunted houses in Pittsburgh, Phantom Fall Fest offers a full night of scares without having to purchase separate admission for each attraction.
5. It's One of the Best Theme Park Halloween Events in the Country
We'll let USA TODAY 10BEST make this one.
Phantom Fall Fest was voted #4 Best Theme Park Halloween Event in the country, putting Kennywood's Halloween celebration among the top five theme park Halloween events nationwide.
The USA TODAY 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards are determined by public voting, with nominees selected by USA TODAY 10BEST editors and industry experts.
For a Halloween tradition that's been entertaining and frightening Pittsburgh-area guests for more than two decades, earning a spot among the country's best is pretty special.
And it's easy to see why: family fun, fall food, trick-or-treating, seasonal beer and wine, haunted attractions, scare zones and 30+ rides—all in one place.
Ready to Play All Day and Fright All Night?
Whether you're planning a family-friendly Halloween day in Pittsburgh, looking for fall events near Homestead, searching for haunted attractions with friends or simply want an excuse to ride Phantom's Revenge, Phantom Fall Fest has something waiting for you.
Come for the fall fun. Stay for the scares.
And find out why USA TODAY 10BEST readers named Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest one of the top five theme park Halloween events in the country.
Phantom Fall Fest runs select weekends through November 1.
Get your tickets and start planning your visit to Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest today.
Categories
All Posts