I go to SCarowinds pretty much every year, and I was back at Carowinds for opening weekend in 2026. One of the things I enjoy about returning is seeing what has changed. Over the past couple of seasons, the event has felt increasingly ambitious, and this year gives regulars quite a bit to explore: a new Friday the 13th maze, three new scare zones, and four new entertainment offerings. The Conjuring experience that arrived last season is back, too.

SCarowinds is also a lot more than a checklist of haunted houses. You can spend an evening weaving through foggy midways, stopping for a show, running into scare actors and riding coasters in the dark. I have a hard time fitting in everything I want to do on a single visit. If you enjoy the atmosphere as much as the mazes, it’s easy to see why people go back more than once.

If you’re deciding whether to make the trip to Charlotte this fall, here’s what’s new at SCarowinds in 2026, what’s returning, and what you should know before you buy tickets.

Jason: Blood Reign is the big new attraction

The headline addition is Jason: Blood Reign, a haunted maze built around Friday the 13th. Carowinds invites guests into the woods surrounding the franchise’s infamous summer camp and into Jason Voorhees’s story. For horror fans, seeing a character this recognizable at SCarowinds is an immediate draw. It also marks the event’s second attraction based on a major horror film franchise, following the arrival of The Conjuring: Beyond Fear in 2025.

Jason is one of five haunted mazes in this year’s lineup. The other four are Paranormal Inc., set inside the troubled Hayden Hill hospital; Slaughterhouse, which takes you into a shuttered meatpacking plant; Silver Scream Studios: Director’s Cut, with its movie-studio horror theme; and The Toothfairy, which turns childhood imagery into something considerably less comforting. If you’re planning your night around the mazes, look at the full lineup before you arrive. There’s enough variety here that I wouldn’t want to spend my entire visit standing in line for just one attraction.

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Three new scare zones change the walk through the park

The scare zones are a big part of why SCarowinds feels like an event rather than a collection of separate haunted houses. You can come out of a maze, think you’re getting a break, and find the next stretch of the midway full of characters and fog. For 2026, Carowinds has added three new zones:

• Carnevil – Midway of Mayhem fills its area with a sinister carnival cast.
• Lost Souls centers on outcasts who have formed a cult devoted to a demon.
• Restricted takes its premise from a 1959 government weapons test that brought test mannequins to life.

Restricted is such a strange, fun concept for a scare zone. It has a pulpy science-fiction angle that gives it a different flavor from the carnival and cult themes. The two returning zones are The Hollow and Grave Garden, bringing the total to five. You don’t need a Haunted Attractions Pass to walk through the scare zones; they’re part of park admission on SCarowinds nights.

There’s more to do between the mazes

Carowinds lists six entertainment offerings for SCarowinds 2026, four of them new. The Resurgence opens the evening with the Mendax. Blade Drummers – The Sacrifice pairs live percussion with fire elements, while Sinister Slide Squad brings roaming performers into the action. Incantations with the Enchantress takes place in the Sinner’s Lounge. Returning this year are The Spectral Sisters and Wake the Dead.

I like having shows in the mix because they give you a reason to slow down and spend time somewhere other than a queue. If one is on your must-see list, check its time in the Six Flags app when you arrive. Showtimes can change, and it’s easy to miss one while you’re crossing the park or waiting for a maze.

The Conjuring is back, with its own ticket

The Conjuring: Beyond Fear returned for 2026 after debuting at SCarowinds last year. It’s an interactive experience set in The Conjuring universe: guests take on a paranormal investigation involving cursed artifacts and Annabelle. It sits alongside the rest of the Halloween lineup, but its ticketing works differently.

Park admission does not include The Conjuring, and neither does the Haunted Attractions Pass.

You need a separate, date-specific entry for it. Carowinds says the experience can sell out, so if it’s one of the main reasons you’re going, check availability before the night of your visit.

Don’t forget: you’re still at Carowinds

Part of the appeal for me has always been the combination of haunted attractions and nighttime rides. A coaster feels different when the park is lit for Halloween and the midway below you has disappeared into fog. Fury 325 after dark is one of my favorite things to do during SCarowinds. The event includes Carowinds thrill rides alongside its Halloween attractions, although individual ride availability can change with operations and weather. Check the app on the night you go instead of building your whole plan around one coaster.

This is where a repeat visit starts to sound pretty good. On one night, you could focus on the five mazes and Jason in particular. On another, you could take more time with the scare zones, catch the shows and get in a few night rides. There’s plenty here for either kind of evening.

SCarowinds 2026 tickets: what’s included?

The ticket distinction is the most useful thing to understand before you go. Regular Carowinds admission on a SCarowinds date includes the scare zones, six entertainment offerings and available rides. It does not include the five haunted mazes. For those, you need a Haunted Attractions Pass in addition to park admission, or a bundle that includes both. The Conjuring: Beyond Fear requires its own separate purchase.

Carowinds currently lists the Haunted Attractions Pass starting at $10 and an admission-plus-mazes bundle starting at $55, before applicable fees and taxes. Those are starting prices, so select your date and compare the current ticket options before purchasing. A standard ride Fast Lane purchase should not be assumed to cover haunted maze access.

A few things to know before you go

Dates and location: SCarowinds runs on select nights from September 11 through November 1, 2026, at 14523 Carowinds Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina. Check the official event calendar for your particular date and hours.

Age guidance: Carowinds does not recommend SCarowinds for children under 13. Families looking for a gentler Halloween visit can check out Tricks and Treats, the park’s separate daytime fall event on select dates.

Chaperones and ID: Guests 15 and younger must be accompanied by someone 21 or older under the park’s chaperone policy, which takes effect by 2 p.m. and may be enforced earlier. Bring a government-issued photo ID if the policy could apply to your group, and check Carowinds’ current rules before leaving home.

Re-entry: Once the SCarowinds no-re-entry rule is in effect, you cannot leave the park and come back for a forgotten jacket or something in your car. Bring what you need with you, subject to the park’s bag and item rules.

Costumes and filming: SCarowinds has restrictions on guest costumes, masks and face paint. Photography and video recording are prohibited inside haunted mazes, and the park restricts recording on rides. If you’re making your own recap, save the camera for places where filming is permitted.

Scare actors: Carowinds says more than 300 monsters work the event. A No-Boo Necklace is available for guests who want the atmosphere without being targeted by roaming monsters, but it does not apply inside a haunted maze.

Planning your route: The Six Flags app has the event map, attraction locations, ride wait times and showtimes. The park is cashless, with cash-to-card kiosks available. Those two little details are useful to sort out before you’re standing in a foggy midway trying to decide where to go next.

Is SCarowinds worth visiting in 2026?

For me, yes. I’ve gone for years, and the additions over the past couple of seasons have given regular visitors more reasons to return. This year has a strong hook in Jason: Blood Reign, but I wouldn’t treat SCarowinds as a one-maze trip. The new scare zones, the shows, The Conjuring and the chance to ride Carowinds coasters at night all make up the experience.

If you’re going for the first time, pick a few priorities and give yourself room to wander. If you’ve been before, there’s enough new in the 2026 lineup to make another visit worthwhile. And if you finish the night realizing you still have things you wanted to see, I know the feeling.

Event details, policies and prices can change. Check Carowinds’ SCarowinds page, ticket page and park policies before your visit.