Review: Warwick Castle’s Halloween frights are great fun but crowded

‘SCARY ain’t it?’ These three words, whispered into the ear of my wife by a blood-splattered scarecrow sent her running for the hills.

We were in a Halloween scare zone, surrounded by straw walls and rusty farm machinery as spooky music added to the atmosphere.

In small groups, we crept through this scare zone knowing there would be surprises, screams and chilling words, timed to get the biggest scare from the victim.

This was almost 20 years ago at a theme park in Ohio - it’s called Cedar Point for anyone who knows it - and was one of the many Halloween scare zones that had two naive Brits enthralled, screaming and laughing.

Like many, many American ideas, the scare zones and mazes have ended up on our shores and we have been to quite a few, including those at Warwick Castle.

For the past few years, accompanied by two children, we’ve visited the castle’s Halloween events - and enjoyed the experience, which offers both family-friendly frights during the day and something a bit more chilling for when the sun has slipped past the horizon.

The Castle After Dark event is the one to head to if you have older children and want a more ‘grown-up’ nighttime event, especially if you add the optional extra (£15 per person) of the Dungeon scare zone into the mix.

The gates open at 6pm and with the sky inky black, Warwick Castle is beautifully lit in green while across the lawn, in front of those thick stone walls, moves a headless horseman. A solid start. But what else is on the scary agenda? Warwick Castle has created a series of spooky experiences: Pestilence, the Haunted Hallows and, new for 2025, a Hunted: Game On.

Let’s start below ground with Pestilence (10+) - a walk through the subterranean world of the castle where those suffering from the plague lurk. Billowing white sheets, subtle lighting and a brooding atmosphere set the scene for an encounter with the infected. Walking in a line, this ‘fearful conga’ went through the very dark passages while the ‘infected’ jumped out at them from hidden depths.

At the Haunted Hallows visitors wander around a range of themed areas where they encounter grey-faced men and women who are there to scare… but they do so with judgement so as not to traumatise the children. In fact, the characters will have a nice not-too-frightening chat with children rather than trying to send them screaming from the castle grounds.

We love this area, but with a proviso, which I’ll come to in a bit.

Another hit with families was the silent disco - which is also new for this year. Grab the headphones, choose from three channels to find your preferred music, and dance underneath some large and wonderfully lit trees and take in some great views over Warwick.

All very wholesome fun, as is the Dead Centre Stage where there is live music and magic shows. However, we wanted some big scares which in the past Warwick has provided with the only scare zone that requires a ticket for entrance - you pick one up and head there at your allotted time.

Last year the Glass Coffin had visitors on the trail of some paranormal activity… with scares, shouts and frightening stares in abundance. This had even the coolest of teenagers in our group crashing into furniture in their frantic haste to escape from an experience with an electric chair…

This year’s was, as already mentioned, Hunted: Game On. The concept was that you’re in a game show where contestants are being hunted and need to get through a maze to escape with their lives. The reality is a series of rooms - some decorated to camouflage the ‘hunter’ - where a range of frightening characters lurk.

It should be good. But here’s the problem - too many people are going through the area at once. A few steps ahead of you, the camouflaged hunter reveals their position to scare another visitor. The element of surprise, for you, disappears.

Because of this, the scare factor dwindles, which is a shame. In truth, the concept was also not as good as the Glass Coffin which kept a storyline going from room to room. The Hunted: Game On concept was weak in comparison.

The crowd issue continued in the Haunted Hollows - the experience is diluted because of the number of people going through the scare zones.

The top tip is to wait for a break in the crowds, create a bit of space around your group and enjoy. No one will hear you scream… but that’s the point.

Tickets to the Castle After Dark are from £23. It continues on 29th-31st October and 1st November. There is also a dungeon scare experience aimed at older children and adults, which costs an extra £15. Find out more at www.warwick-castle.com.