Screams aren't just reserved for horror movie marathons and gory costumes come Halloween. Many of America's favorite theme parks stay open even when summer shuts its doors, offering the same thrills, plus a few new chills, at the hands of Halloween attractions and haunted makeovers. From Magic Kingdom to Universal Studios, these parks pull out all the stops for All Hallow's Eve. Think Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood, a Harvest Festival in Dollywood, and plenty of polished pumpkins in between.
Neon Designs ranked the best theme parks for Halloween in the U.S. based on spooky season-specific reviews and overall ratings of parks with Halloween celebrations or fall festivals in 2026. Here's what they conjured up.
The Scream of the Crop
The Disneyland vs. Disney World debate has been settled—at least when it comes to who wears the pointy hat for Halloween. Here's how the top 10 amusement parks rank for autumn:
Rank | Theme Park | Location | Halloween Rating | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Disneyland Park | Anaheim, CA | 4.44 / 5 | 84.8 |
2 | Magic Kingdom Park | Bay Lake, FL | 4.48 / 5 | 84.1 |
3 | Silver Dollar City | Branson, MO | 4.50 / 5 | 83.2 |
4 | Disney California Adventure | Anaheim, CA | 4.42 / 5 | 79.4 |
5 | Universal Studios Hollywood | Los Angeles, CA | 4.08 / 5 | 77.7 |
6 | Dollywood Theme Park | Pigeon Forge, TN | 4.46 / 5 | 76.8 |
7 | Universal Studios Florida | Orlando, FL | 3.96 / 5 | 72.9 |
8 | SeaWorld Orlando | Orlando, FL | 3.82 / 5 | 58.0 |
9 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, OH | 4.07 / 5 | 52.8 |
10 | Knott’s Berry Farm | Buena Park, CA | 4.17 / 5 | 52.3 |
Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California tops the list as the best park to celebrate spooky season. The park that started it all in 1955 has kept the momentum going, earning an 84.8 total score and a 4.44 Halloween review rating. While smaller than second-place Magic Kingdom Park, Disneyland packs plenty of attractions into its compact layout. Halloween only makes the magic even stronger. Disney fans flock to the park come fall for seasonal attractions like the massive Mickey Jack-o'-Lantern on Main Street U.S.A. and Haunted Mansion Holiday in New Orleans Square. The latter gives the mansion a Nightmare Before Christmas makeover, featuring familiar—and frightful—characters and decorations from Tim Burton's world.
Not far behind Disneyland, Disney's Florida flagship takes second place, averaging a slightly better 4.44 out of five for Halloween reviews than its California counterpart. With the largest number of total reviews in the ranking—69,904 across all languages—Magic Kingdom proves that people from all over the world travel there year-round to experience its iconic fall decor, complete with hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins, and the separately ticketed Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Taking the third spot, Missouri's Silver Dollar City transforms into a full-on fall wonderland during its Harvest Festival. Charming features like kid-friendly craft demonstrations and, at night, glowing pumpkin dance parties with more than 20,000 pumpkins contributed to the park achieving the highest Halloween review score in the study, at 4.50 out of five.
Rounding out the top five, West Coast hotspots prove California knows how to do Halloween right. Disney California Adventure Park takes fourth place, bringing Anaheim back into the picture yet again, followed by Hollywood's less magic, more monsters Universal Studios. Its popular Halloween Horror Nights pulls out all the stops with movie-themed haunted houses and terrifying roaming characters like Art the Clown and Obsession's Nikki.
Tricks and Treats
Tricks like haunted houses and scare zones are a major reason these theme parks made the top 10 for Halloween. But what the Tripadvisor reviews and scores don't show are the trending treats that keep crowds coming back.
Knott's Scary Farm makes a mean Poison Apple Funnel Cake topped with bright green apple mousse, while over at Disneyland Park, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe serves up a savory BooGogi Beef Toasted sandwich with a side of cozy corn soup. Meanwhile, Magic Kingdom's Main Street Confectionery offers Mickey and Minnie Mouse Halloween-themed candy apples and crispy rice treats you can wash down with a Ghoulish Blue Raspberry Slushy during both regular park hours and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
From California to Florida, the scrumptiously spooky bites that come after the frights are the main attraction for many.