BUENA PARK, Calif. — Knott's Berry Farm is giving curious visitors a chance to go beyond the fog of Knott's Scary Farm.

For the first time, a new Knott's Berry Farm tour offers visitors a behind-the-scenes tour that lifts the curtain of the scares, blood and guts that make Knott's Scary Farm one of the world's preeminent haunted Halloween events.

What You Need To Know

  • For the first time, Knott's Berry Farm is offering a behind-the-scenes tour of the making of Knott's Scary Farm

  • The cost of the three-hour walking tour is $80 and does not include admission to Knott's Scary Farm or Knott's Berry Farm

  • Knott's Berry Farm started Knott's Scary Farm in 1973

  • During the tour, visitors will have a chance to explore three mazes and look at storyboards

On select days, and for $80 each, visitors will learn about the history of Knott's Scary Farm, which started in 1973, and go behind the scenes of three scare mazes — with the lights on. Admission to Knott's Scary Farm is not included in the price.

"We've had fans request it for years," said Eric Nix, director of creative productions at Knott's Berry Farm, to Spectrum News. "It was finally time for us to do it. It's time to lift the veil."

The Beyond the Fog tour comes as the Buena Park theme park celebrates the 49th year of its annual seasonal transformation into Knott's Scary Farm. 

Knott's Berry Farm was the first theme park to offer a separate ticketed Halloween event in 1973, when it was Knott's Halloween haunt. And now, those are as ubiquitous at theme parks and elsewhere as the costumed monsters that lurk beyond Knott's Scary Farm's fog. 

Throughout the years, the scare mazes have grown more complex and grotesque. The scare zones and costumed monsters are more elaborate.  

But not many are willing to share how the sausage gets made. 

Nix said he and his team decided to offer the three-hour walking tour to celebrate and show off the hard work it takes to pull off this month-and-a-half-long seasonal event. 

"Whenever I meet with the media, I love telling people how proud I am of our team," said Nix. "So much of our stuff is produced in-house and built in-house."

Nix said during the tour, a tour guide would discuss what the Knott's Berry Farm carpentry team does, the scenic designer's role and the importance of lighting from the lighting team. 

Visitors will also have a chance to look at storyboards of certain mazes and hear explanations of how the Knott's Scary Farm team executes them. Additionally, visitors can ask questions to learn more about everything behind the scenes at Knott's Scary Farm. 

Nix didn't divulge the maze part of the daytime tour. The mazes will rotate, so there's a chance that no one will get to experience the same thing twice. 

The scare mazes available for the tour include Dark Entities, Dark Ride, The Depths, Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind, Origins: The Curse of Calico, Pumpkin Eater and Wax Works. 

Nix said that new mazes, Grimoire and Bloodline 1842, are not part of the tour. 

"We don't want to spoil it," he said of the new mazes. 

Nix said he's not concerned about giving too much away or sharing trade secrets. Knott's has been the leader in this field for so long. 

"I think it's going to be fascinating for folks to see all the discipline and craft that come together to create these experiences," he said.