The scares make it worth it, but the park is crying out for some cheaper food options
A scare actor in the ‘Dark Hollow’ scare zone at Alton Towers(Image: Alton Towers Resort)
In my opinion, Halloween is, without a doubt, one of, if not the best, time of the year.
The crisp autumnal air and watching the leaves elegantly fall from the trees is like food for the soul.
Then there is the build-up to Halloween itself.
The mass-produced, (definitely not) knock-off of famous Halloween icon masks on the shelves of budget retailers.
The films, including classics like ‘Scream’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, occupy our screens, itching for us to squirm and check anxiously behind the shower curtain.
I could go on, but I think one of the most fun parts of the Halloween period is how most of Britain’s theme parks transform into terrifying scare playgrounds every year.
Thorpe Park has ‘fright nights’, but today, I’m taking you through my journey at Alton Towers’ Scarefest (insert creepy laugh that goes on just long enough to make you feel uncomfortable here).
Now, for context, I’m a huge fan of the park.
I’ve only been once before, and that was in 2019, also for their Scarefest.
It was spectacular then, but I was only 14 with less knowledge of what makes a proper good scare event than I do now.
So I wanted to return to see if they’d upped their game, as I’ve witnessed an unfortunate decline in some scare events near my home over the years.
The thing that drew me in most this year, though, was their brand-new for 2026 scare maze, ‘Final Exhibit’.
Alton Towers describe it as the following: “What started as an innocent display of historical Alton Towers artefacts quickly turned into a nightmare in Final Exhibit.
“Visitors are lured into the secret archive of The Curator, a terrifying figure who hypnotised guests into silent servants known as ‘The Archivists’.
“Those who failed to escape were transformed into living display pieces, trapped within the collection forever.”
It’s an intriguing concept for a scare maze, and I was keen to find out how they’d explore it.
While queuing, my party and I were greeted by smiling Vice President Howard Ebison, who seemed very passionate about the maze and how frightening it would be (which really helped my nerves, so thanks, mate).
My only fear (no pun intended) was that the dark environment of a maze would overshadow the attention to detail that I’m sure was poured into ‘Final Exhibit’.
However, I’m pleased to say I was only half wrong.
The maze itself was nothing short of thrilling.
It had its fair share of classic jump scares, including one very creatively designed fright involving a fur suit, which I will not spoil.
The exhibit’s lore is also explored sufficiently, presented as a theme park attraction, and I liked the pre-show, which confidently sums it up in the first couple of minutes.
The thing that stood out for me was the set design, the costumes and the layout of the maze itself, something I feel the park has upped its game on since my last visit.
It felt premium, and Alton Towers’ investment speaks very loudly here.
But I definitely feel it lacked a solid climax, unlike ‘Edge of the Forest’, another maze this year, which I feel really nailed that aspect.
I’m sure this attraction will stick around, and I think I’d score it an eight out of ten.
After the scares, we looked for something to eat. Peckish and somewhat dehydrated after a thrilling ride on the Smiler, I headed over to the ‘Just Chicken’ restaurant nearby, only to be terrified by the prices.
£15 for a chicken burger meal with fries seemed a bit much, especially since this excluded a drink, which was around £4 on its own.
Feeling kind of trapped and limited for options, I caved in.
I received a burger and what appeared to be a toddler’s portion of fries served in a small cardboard tray.
Luckily (very luckily), the burger was enjoyable with a sweet brioche bun and a juicy breast in the middle.
I understand that these businesses rely on sales of consumables like food and drink, but I feel that these prices are very unfair.
But anyway, back to the scares.
I mentioned ‘Edge of the Forest’, another maze located near the historic towers area of the park, earlier, and it’s an attraction I feel very strongly about.
I’ve seen many online call it ‘the weakest maze of the bunch’, which I think is quite an impulsive label which doesn’t account for its terrific concept and design.
The layout and concept very much reminded me of a Black Mirror episode, where rooms repeat themself and slowly become more fractured and tormented over time.
This maze also featured a brilliant climactic sequence, reminiscent of a horror movie, which I thoroughly appreciated.
Maybe I look for different things than other people in scare mazes, something Howard also mentioned in our chat.
Different people appreciate different aspects of scare mazes, and I think I like those that nail a simple but unnerving concept. Edge of the Forest executed that with confidence.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s ‘Compound’, a maze that appears to have garnered a very positive reception from fans online.
In this maze, guests descend into the unsettling depths of a secretive scientific facility and become unwilling participants in a twisted experiment.
I remember braving this one in 2019.
It felt radioactive, tormenting and otherworldly back then, but years later, it felt average.
The story, design and overall art design of this attraction felt basic, and whilst every actor gave it their all, I think this was my least favourite of the four.
‘Altonville Mine Tours’ was the final scare maze I entered during my visit.
Describing it online, Alton Towers states: “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?”
I enjoyed this attraction.
The story was well set up at the beginning, and the actor we first encountered delivered a particularly strong performance.
I think this maze was let down by the lack of scare actors.
I appreciate that I entered the mine tours half an hour before the park’s closure, and actors would have been understandably fatigued.
However, I do feel this lack of actors and energy contributed to a weaker maze experience, something I think an earlier slot would have avoided.
Again, the actors gave their all, and there were still some great scares.
The park closing at 9pm also allows guests the opportunity to ride in the dark, something I took full advantage of.
‘The Smiler’ in the dark was a phenomenal experience; the hypnotically fun vibe of the coaster is all the more pronounced in darker conditions, and I feel the attraction is truly allowed to shine.
I also stopped off at the Alton Towers Hotel, and had a (very) much-needed hay hitting session after an exhausting day of scares.
It’s a well-themed hotel, and this ginormous teddy bear that joined me for my sleep made it worthwhile.
However, the buffet breakfast in the Secret Garden restaurant the next morning unfortunately fell flat.
The cheap, catering-style sausages and hard-yolked eggs didn’t scream luxury, contrary to the price tag, which I found somewhat unpleasant after an otherwise fantastic weekend.
Overall, Alton Towers Scarefest remains one of Britain’s best spooky days out.
The Halloween theme, paired with the resort’s stunning landscapes and mysterious ancient theme, goes together like clockwork.
