Festival Fright Nights Returns to Historic Winchester Mystery House
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
This fall, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, in partnership with Winchester Mystery House, invites guests back to Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House, for a reimagined Halloween festival experience unfolding throughout the historic San Jose estate. Running select nights from September 18 through November 1, the 2026 season introduces three terrifying attractions, new interactive experiences, games, and returning favorites that draw guests deeper into the mysteries surrounding the mansion. Tickets are on sale now and start at $60.99 on select nights.
New this season, The House of Spirits follows Sarah Winchester’s loyal butler following her death as he desperately attempts to care for the sprawling estate as strange activity spreads through the halls.. Armed with ghost traps and unwavering determination, he struggles to contain the spirits as whispers, shadows and unsettling encounters suggest the house is slipping far beyond his control.
The estate’s story grows darker in The Final Descent: No Escape, where the staff who once cared for the mansion have been consumed by the darkness beneath the grounds. What remains now stalks the halls as guests fight to escape a house fully surrendered to evil. In The Root of All Evil, something ancient stirs beneath the estate. Inside the greenhouse, twisted roots, corrupted growth and strange creatures reveal an evil lurking in the soil that has been feeding on the property since long before Sarah Winchester arrived.
“Festival Fright Nights gives guests a completely different way to experience Winchester Mystery House after dark, combining the estate’s history and legends with theatrical storytelling and immersive scares,” said Ashley Hill, General Manager of Festival Fright Nights. “This year’s attractions expand the story across the mansion and grounds, while new games and add-on experiences give guests even more to discover throughout the night.”
Guests can extend their visit with a collection of interactive add-ons and seasonal experiences. Like the new Hide & Seek: The Lost Children experience, which leads guests into the mansion’s attic, a space rarely open to visitors,, where laughter echoes and unseen children dart through the shadows, always just out of reach. The game continues deeper into the attic, where the children have been waiting a very long time for new playmates.
Additional 2026 add-on lineup also includes:
Orchard Axe – Test your aim with an axe-throwing challenge on the estate grounds.
The Seance Society Speakeasy – This hidden watering hole tucked behind Houdini’s traveling camp is where skeptics, socialites, and spiritualists gather after dark to trade tales of the supernatural. Included with VIP Admission.
The Underhouse: The Collector’s Secret – Descend beneath the mansion and uncover a new secret hidden in the darkness below.
Harry Houdini Presents: Do Spirits Exist? – Witness Harry Houdini’s bold live séance as the world-famous skeptic challenges the supernatural inside the Winchester estate. Included with VIP Admission.
Combo Pack. Includes The Underhouse: The Collector’s Secret and Harry Houdini Presents: Do Spirits Exist?
Gourd Horde– New! Feed the hungry Gourd Horde by landing pumpkin balls into their chomping mouths before they turn their attention to you.
Skeptics Shot Shooting Gallery. New! – Step up to the midway and prove your aim in this vintage shooting gallery inspired by Houdini’s greatest skeptics.
Cider Mill Experience. New! Take a break from the scares with a seasonal autumn experience on the estate grounds.
Game Pass – New and available online only! Includes Orchard Axe and the Gourd Horde.
Roast Your Own S’mores. New! Gather around the fire and roast a classic fall treat before jumping back into the fog.
Additionally, guests can enjoy a variety of seasonal treats, while those 21 and over can sip on specialty cocktails before or after braving the horrors of the Winchester estate.
For more information please visit festivalfrightnights.com and follow @festivalfrightnights on Instagram. Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House is located at 525 Winchester Blvd., San Jose, CA 95128.
