Disclosure: Expedia partnered with us to present this Halloween travel adventure. Visit their Viewfinder travel blog for more insider tips and tricks.
During the month of October, Knott’s Berry Farm transforms the park into what is probably the most well-known Halloween events in all of Southern California ~ Knott’s Scary Farm. But what many might NOT know, is Knott’s Berry Farm also hosts an equally NOT so scary Halloween event for kids 3 – 11 on weekends in October when the popular kids’ area, Camp Snoopy is transformed into Camp Spooky.
Last weekend we had the opportunity (compliments of Expedia) to visit Camp Spooky and report back with our experience and tips on how to get the most out of your visit.
Camp Spooky
This daytime family event happens every weekend in October and on Halloween Day from 10am – 5:30pm and Camp Spooky attractions and activities are included with your general admission.
If you take advantage of their 3-Day Advance Ticket Purchase for a one day admission ticket, you can purchase an adult ticket for only $39 (kids 3 – 11 are $35.) So for a family of 4, our one day ticket total was roughly $155. A great deal in my opinion!
Geared towards kids ages 3 – 11, your little ghosts and goblins (or in my case matching marathon runners) can dress up in their costumes and enjoy Halloween festivities like a Mini Monster Maze, Peanuts costume parade, “The Monsters are Coming Charlie Brown” show on the Camp Snoopy Theatre, and a Potion Parlour where little ones can make their own magic potions.
Halloween Fun at Camp Spooky
When you first walk into Camp Spooky, immediately to the right past the Woodstock’s Airmail Ride, you can find the Monster Mini Maze, a cute little maze full of fun photo opps and a little trick-or-treat candy station at the end.
At the main stage, the Camp Snoopy Theatre puts on a very cute musical show at various times thoughout the day full of Halloween-themed songs like Ghostbusters (dare you to not have that stuck in your head all day) and Weird Science. It was nice to take a break and sit in the shade to watch your favorite Peanuts characters sing and dance.
One of my kids’ favorite Camp Spooky activity was the super darling “Potion Parlour” located inside the Grizzly Creek Lodge restaurant. For $2 / potion, kids are given a little bottle and directed downstairs to create their magic concoction.
Camp Spooky employees are there to help assist with the potion making, which included choosing from a variety of mixtures (Kool-Aid and Sierra Mist?!) to create their color potion of choice. Kids could pick their potion name from choices like “Bug Me Not”.
My little one felt the need to display her magic potion’s power by putting it on her runner’s vision.
Knott’s Berry Farm Rides for Kids
One of the things I love most about taking my kids to Knott’s Berry Farm is the wide variety of rides available, especially for little ones.
Camp Snoopy rides cater to wee ones, with prime ages for in that area being around 2 – 7, however even my 8 year old had fun on some of the rides. And so did we! The area is fairly small, so it is the perfect place to take toddlers and young kids without having to do a lot of walking.
BUT, there are also a lot of rides for older kids. It’s nice the park map is easily marked with ride codes based on “thrill factor” so you know what you are getting into. We were able to take my oldest on mid-sized roller coasters and of course, our favorite, the Log Ride.
Knott’s Berry Farm Camp Spooky Tips
1. Have your kids wear their costume. It’s a great excuse to get an extra wear out of it – plus makes the experience feel more festive.
2. Keep your eye out for the Mini Monster Maze. It’s easy to miss but can be found right in front of the Camp Snoopy Theatre to the right when walking in.
3. Go early. The earlier in the day, the less crowded, and we were able to go from ride to ride with little to minimal wait.
4. Check the weather! We have been having CRAZY hot weather this fall in So Cal, so check the forecast and make sure you dress appropriately. The day we went it was 95 degrees, so we even brought a little spray bottle to mist ourselves while walking around.
5. Check show times when you arrive. Plan to attend a show somewhere in the middle of the day when you could all use a little rest, and arrive at least 10 minutes early to get a good seat in the shade.
6. Buy your tickets online at least 3+ days in advance. This saves a LOT of money!
7. Bring a stroller if you have kids 5 or under. My girls are 5 and 8 and we even brought a jogger, even though they are far beyond stroller age. I like bringing a stroller to a theme park. It’s a good place to store extra stuff, and when the kids get tired, it’s nice to stick them in it to get from Point A to Point B much faster!
Knott’s is Great for Kids!
Knott’s Berry Farm really is a great place to take kids of all ages. I love the ease of it. Parking is easy (no shuttles), and it was not very crowded. Even the Log Ride, which is a main attraction was only about a 15 minute wait.
Camp Snoopy rides were all 5 minutes or under. It’s so nice to not have little ones wait in long lines.
I hope this has been helpful if you plan to take your children to Knott’s Berry Farm to experience Camp Spooky. I guarantee it will be a not-so-scary fun time!
