From now until Oct. 30, Old Tucson will be littered with a cast of spooky characters.

Nightfall, the annual fright-fest experience held at Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road, has returned after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic and the subsequent closing of the Old West theme park.

Now under new management, American Heritage Railways, the park relaunched Nightfall on Oct. 6, with a new format that’s “fully immersive,” according to the event’s website, nightfallaz.com.

From now until Oct. 30, the 77-acre park will be littered with a cast of spooky, interactive characters straight out of the 1880s.

“There’s a 250-page script,” said General Manager Kiki Keefner when discussing, alongside production director Michael Thomas-Visgar, the preparation that went into this year’s event.

Goyle, top left, played by Cadin Gamblin, and Gar, played by Austin Buchanan, pick on guests by promising a secret gargoyle show during Nightfall at Old Tucson's opening night outside of Tucson, Ariz. on Oct. 6, 2022. Nightfall returned to Old Tucson after a two-year hiatus.

Each Nightfall actor has been given sections of that script that set up their characters and define how they interact with one another and with guests.

“Each character has relationships with everyone in the town,” Thomas-Visgar said. “There are also scripted scenes that will happen at various points throughout the night between characters. Those happen all over the park.”

This is a very different experience compared to past Nightfalls.

“My boss and I did all the research on all the years past and we asked ourselves what can we do better than any other haunt,” Thomas-Visgar said. “We have a fully functional Wild West town. Let’s make it a fully functional Wild West town.”

Keefner and Thomas-Visgar emphasized that this year’s Nightfall will be family-friendly and that families with small children should feel comfortable staying well into the evening.

There will be kid-friendly “haunts,” such as little mazes, shows in the Grand Palace, as well as stunt shows geared toward all ages.

Keefner said this year’s Nightfall was pulled together in a much shorter timeframe because the lease for American Heritage Railways to operate the park wasn’t approved until earlier this year. The team only had a few months to prepare.

Old Tucson will open back up for other seasonal activities after Nightfall, including its Christmas-time YuleTide event, Keefner said.

Nightfall is open Thursdays-Sundays starting at 5:30 p.m. through Oct. 30. Ticket prices vary depending on the day. Visit night

fallaz.com for more info.

Other Halloween treats

The Slaughterhouse

1102 W. Grant Road, slaughterhousetucson.com

Located in the old Farmer John meat-packing plant, The Slaughterhouse has been scaring the hell out of Tucsonans for 13 seasons now. Its website said the venue has reworked some of its biggest attractions this year, with new haunts and effects. The Slaughterhouse is open Thursdays-Sundays through Oct. 30. It will also be open on Halloween and on Nov. 4. Tickets range from $25-$70.



The Marana Pumpkin Patch

14950 N. Trico Road, maranapumpkinpatch.com

This popular patch, located on 50 acres of land at 14950 N. Trico Road, opened its doors on Oct. 1.

Admission to the patch includes access to a miniature train ride, a corn maze, fairground rides and play areas and an up-close look at the patch’s family of farm animals. Its open from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $18 online and $19 at the gate for Thursdays-Fridays. They are $20 online and $21 at the gate Saturdays-Sundays.

Boo at the Zoo

Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, reidparkzoo.org

This family-friendly event allows the kiddos a chance to walk amongst princesses, pirates and superheroes. They can roam scenes of skeletons, watch an illusionist and fill their Halloween sacks with treats from candy stations set up throughout the zoo. The event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21-23, Oct. 29 and 30. Tickets are $13 and must be purchased in advance through the website.


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