As in previous years, the park is open 10am-9pm every day throughout the event, giving you plenty of time to experience everything that the park has to offer. After sunset it's a valuable opportunity to experience the best rides at Alton Towers in the dark, including all of the big roller coasters.
The theme park has something for the whole family, with a mixture of family friendly spooky activities suitable for younger guests, to their newest and most intense scare mazes for only the bravest. When added to the impressive line-up of brilliant rides and attractions, it makes Alton Towers Scarefest the perfect destination for your Halloween fix.
Towers Street looks splendid again this year and it's always great to see the Alton Ancestors performing their dance routines. The lighting of the Towers has also been improved for 2023.
This year, there are a total of six scare attractions, a family-friendly walkthrough experience, and plenty of live entertainment:
Daz Games: PANIC (New for 2023)
Daz Games dares you to take on the first adrenaline-inducing escape room meets live action scare maze for the ultimate horror experience. Plunged into darkness, your mission is simple – you have just seven minutes to take on an intense series of tests that will challenge the mind and body as you try to locate the symbols and escape…. all whilst evading capture from the inhabitants within. Racing against the clock you'll have to think fast and stay calm as you take on an AI-themed assault of the senses… all before the game strikes back and traps you within. Forever.
A brilliant addition to the event, that brings together elements of a scare maze with escape room type challenges. It was tremendously exciting from start to finish, frantically searching for our designated symbols amongst all of the chaos. Several scare actors physically tried to prevent us from being able to complete our mission, pulling us back or blocking our way out.
We escaped in just under 5 minutes, and what a WILD few minutes that was! If anything, we would have liked the experience to go on for longer as it was just so much fun.
Burial Grounds (New for 2023)
The Unchosen, a cult obsessive of modern-day fanatics obsessed with the lore of the Beornen invite you to their sacred sanctum of ancient burial grounds. Keep your pace amongst the desecrated realm of unearthed bodies, flaming shrines and monstrous deities. Stay too long and they will choose you too - are you ready? Burial Grounds is a free-flowing outdoor scare zone shadowed by the mighty Wicker Man where you'll encounter the rejectors of modern-day society fulfilling their terrifying primal instincts.
A proper immersive scare zone has been sorely missed from Scarefest in recent years, so it was fantastic to see Alton Towers had created a brand new one for 2023. It gives all guests an opportunity to sample the kind of scares offered in the five paid-for scare mazes but it's included in admission.
The length of the scare zone, quality and quantity of theming was great, and there were plenty of scare actors throughout. Hopefully we'll see it return next year, and it might even encourage the resort to invest in creating further scare zones as part of the event line-up.
The Invitation (Updated for 2023)
The Lakeside Cemetery invites you to join them for a grave experience that will live with you for eternity. Their friendly funeral director is dying to assist you as you descend into the burial chamber, where you can choose your final resting place. Some caskets have already been filled, but there are others, still empty, waiting for you…
The entrance to the attraction resembles a graveyard, with some nicely themed elements and the costumed cast were excellent.
Unfortunately, very little effort has been made to disguise when you're entering a large black shipping container, which rather spoils the immersion. After a brief elevator ride down to the burial chamber, guests are seated in booths and put on headphones. Shortly after, the lights go out and the audio scare experience begins.
Created in partnership with DARKFIELD, the binaural audio experience itself is well produced and will probably be terrifying for those scared of the dark with some effective jump scares. It demonstrates how incredibly effective audio alone can be, enveloping guests in an immersive soundscape that triggers your imagination into visualising a series of disturbing happenings all around you.
Some additional practical effects and live actors have enhanced the experience for 2023, with the attraction much stronger overall.
The Attic: Terror of the Towers (Updated for 2023)
Around here, people talk of the Governess – how she’s haunted by the death of her young charges, how she wants revenge, and how she’ll take it by seizing the spirits of the living in retribution. They say her ghost haunts The Attic. That’s where you’re headed. Dare you risk your immortal soul?
The haunting stories and legends of the Towers themselves return this year, with this scare maze taking place inside the park's iconic landmark.
Guests are greeted during a pre-show where the legend of 'The Governess' is explained, then climb a number of flights of stairs towards the attic. Once there, you'll encounter a number of 'children' delighted to meet you, but all may not be as it seems and the further you venture into the attic the more you will discover before coming face to face with 'The Governess'. You then find yourself climbing into a fireplace and will encounter the dark and terrifying secret beyond.
This is the fifth year that The Attic: Terror of the Towers has been part of the Scarefest line-up, and it continues to be an effective scare maze, with some updated scenes for 2023.
Altonville Mine Tours: Tiny’s Revenge (Updated for 2023)
Rumours are afoot that the old Altonville Mines are alive with activity once again. Following a breakthrough from local law enforcers, the notorious Skin Snatchers have been detained...but for how long? The ironically named Tiny, however, has evaded capture and is believed to still reside within the Mines. Explore at your peril and risk the adventure, if you dare.
Also located within the Towers, this returning scare maze has been updated for 2023, with new themed elements and characters to bring the new storyline to life.
The hard hats with lamps are no longer part of the experience, so you really do descend into the darkness this year! With unexpected events at every turn and highly detailed scenes, this scare maze is not to be missed.
The use of lighting, smells, props and effective scares, all make for a reliable scare attraction. However, now in its eighth year at the event, it may be time to make way for something new.
Darkest Depths
Get ready for a terrifying new adventure aboard ‘The Mutiny’, a notoriously spine-chilling ghost ship. You’ll truly earn your golden piece of eight by venturing into the darkest depths, avoiding the hazardous calls of the treacherous Sirens, dodging the swords of terrifyingly ghoulish pirate mutineers and coming face to face with the Kraken – the legendary monster of the seas!
This returning attraction, now in its fifth year, brings you face to face with treacherous sirens, pirate mutineers and the huge tentacles of the Kraken!
Trick O Treat Town with HARIBO
This Scarefest get ready to explore a special town where every day is Halloween! And do you know what’s the townsfolk’s favourite past time? Yes, you got it! It’s to host Trick-or-Treating for the town visitors! So, muster up your courage and prepare to knock on doors from Spooky Avenue all the way up to the Witchy Woods but be careful! As well as treats there are tricks aplenty!
Returning for its third year, once again in association with HARIBO, this brilliant interactive walkthrough attraction is perfect for families, or anyone that fancies a bit of Halloween fun and plenty of sweets!
The premise is simple, explore the colourful town meeting friendly residents along the way and do a bit of Trick-or-Treating.
From the beautifully themed sets and wonderful costumes, to the enthusiastic cast and the yummy treats, it really was absolute perfection. We had so much fun exploring the town and interacting with the characters, and the sweets kept on coming.
Freaky Fun Zone
This family area has returned to the lawns at the bottom of Towers Street, with various food and drink stalls repurposed from the Oktoberfest event.
The entertaining shows include Patch's Trick or Treat Party and Phil's Halloween Dance Party.
CBeebies fans can also dress up and join all their favourite characters for a Halloween Party at the CBeebies Land Monsters’ Ball in Big Fun Showtime.
The Curse at Alton Manor
Recently awarded 'Best Reimagined Attraction' at the UK Theme Park Awards, the impressive dark ride The Curse at Alton Manor is perfectly suited to Alton Towers Scarefest. What's more, it has just received a raft of upgrades to further enhance this immersive 'ghost train' type ride that's packed with impressive effects.
Nemesis Sub-Terra
Another 'must do' on your visit to Alton Towers Scarefest is the recently reimagined Nemesis Sub-Terra, which is essentially a scare attraction on par with The Invitation, delivering a highly themed actor led experience that also includes a ride element.
Alton Towers Scarefest continues until 31st October 2023.
For a first time visitor, both the scale and quality of the event are sure to impress and the returning scare mazes are once again some of the best in the UK. Daz Games: PANIC and Burial Grounds are excellent additions to the line-up this year, offering something new for repeat visitors.
The event still offers by far the widest range of Halloween activities at a UK theme park, with something for everyone.
The '4 Scare Attractions' combo ticket includes The Invitation, The Attic, Altonville Mine Tours and Darkest Depths for £34 in advance. Daz Games: PANIC is £10 extra. Trick O Treat Town is £12. Tickets for the theme park are also required and are from £36 in advance.
