Scare City is back at the old Camelot theme park site in Chorley, Lancashire, for 2026, with eight new horror zones and an age restriction that signals a seriously scary experience. Only over-16s are allowed, and kids aged 14 plus need an adult with them.
The attraction is located in a different part of the site this year, following a fire that ripped through the remaining castle building earlier in 2026. The scares have stepped up a level, or several, according to a review by the Manchester Family / MEN.
New zones and returning favourites
Groups make their way from one zone to another, encountering real-life actors, some in your face and others lurking in the shadows. Visitors can't touch the actors, and they can't touch visitors, but some get close enough that their breath can be felt.
Some characters and zones will be familiar to returning visitors. The giant bunny is back, as well as the colourful characters of CarniValley, which this year takes on the world of the 'grotesque'. New elements include a slide exit from Victorian barbers Cutthroat & Co, inspired by Sweeney Todd; the chilling echoes of children's laughter and nursery rhymes inside The Devil's Orphanage; and The Skinning Shed, which takes visitors into the 'disturbing' Blackroot Farm, where the Hargreaves family continue their work after dark.
Experience details and practicalities
The Correction Facility plunges guests into the abandoned Camelot Asylum and is perhaps the most memorable part. With smoke, strobe lighting and 'intense audio and lighting', it's not for the fainthearted, and if you're a tad claustrophobic, it's probably not for you.
There are more outdoor areas, including a cursed forest, but there are still narrow indoor passageways to navigate, including one with fabric walls you have to push your way through. At one point, the reviewer was made to crawl through a wood chipper when the group was split up. The experience is not accessible to wheelchairs or those with limited mobility, and it felt bumpier underfoot than on previous visits, with more stairs than before.
The full experience usually lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. At the halfway point, visitors can take a break at 'Restbite', the food and drink area which has been redesigned and is undercover this year. It features a bar and food stalls selling burgers, chicken, waffles and crepes, plus freaky entertainment.
Dates, tickets and getting there
Scare City launches on Saturday, September 26 and will run until November 7. General tickets are priced at £32.50 plus a £2.45 booking fee, whilst Gold Entry tickets, which include fast track entry inside and at all zones, cost £45 per person before a £2.45 booking fee. Fans can get a 20% discount on tickets when they stay at the nearby Park Hall Hotel, by using the discount code SCARE20 at check-out. Tickets are available via the Scare City website. Tickets are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another Scare City Experience event in 2026 by giving at least 14 days' notice.
The event is designed for an audience of 16 years and up. Young people between 14 and 16 are permitted as long as they are accompanied by an adult (over 18) at a ratio of 1:6 maximum. Nobody under the age of 14 is permitted, and proof of age may be requested. The postcode for Camelot Theme Park is Charnock Richard, Chorley, PR7 5LP. It is roughly a 50-minute car journey from Manchester, whilst trains to Chorley take about 35 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly station, followed by a short bus or taxi ride to the attraction.
