Nightfall at Old Tucson Studios

I really like this event and my friends and I go back every year. Depending on the weekend you go they have reviews of the attractions so they get better every year. The main attractions are the shows and how they choose to change them up a bit each year is the reason I go. The railroad event is really cool and I would suggest that even though it is an extra $ 5. Worth the excitement. The drinks and food are overpriced of course but eat before. This has to be the best time for halloween in Tucson.

We went here for the first time and on Halloween night. I am easily scared, so I liked it. Also, I lowered my expectations due to negative reviews. We got in early and went in to the mazes before there were lines. Besides, being in a maze alone can get spooky. We liked the Psychomania and the train ride. The hay ride was nice too. The Nightfall All-​Star Showdown and Fertile Ground shows were okay but can be too graphic. The total cost can be pricey for a family but for a couple it’s about $ 100, which include admission, rides and food. I suggest getting the admission ticket from Costco.

I went for the first time on Sunday with my boyfriend and we weren’t disappointed!!! At first we were skeptical after seeing negative reviews but I wanted to see for myself anyway.
The whole concept of a little Halloween town is so cool!!! The sets, the staff, and the extra shows and activities were amazing! Haunted hay ride was one of my favorites. We went on a Sunday around 8pm and never had to wait in a line longer than 5 minutes too which was awesome.
The only bad thing, I’ll admit, would probably be cost. We spent $ 90 in total, with entry fees, hay ride tickets, and a few drinks. I didn’t care though because we had so much fun and this was an experience unlike any other!
Overall, it’s definitely worth a shot if you haven’t been before, but be prepared to spend a little!

Save your money! Nightfall is a total bust.
I took my teenage stepdaughter to this «haunted town,» thinking it might be good for a few scares. We weren’t expecting much. And not much is exactly what we got. After paying $ 55 for both of us to get in, we finished the three main attractions (The Iron Door Mine, The Bunker, and Psychomania) within 45 minutes and realized we had just completely wasted our money. It was good we’d done them all early though, because the later it got, the longer the lines became.
After completing the three haunted houses, we grudgingly shelled out another $ 10 ($ 5 per person) to go on a «haunted hay ride.» The driver of our wagon was really fun, and the scares on this attraction were pretty good, too. Still, the extra $ 10 stung.
The shows are good, but you have to arrive at least a half hour early for every show if you want decent seats.
If everything was included in the entry fee, Nightfall would be an okay experience at almost $ 30 per person. If you wanted to complete all attractions, most of which cost an additional $ 5, then you would be looking at a cost of at least $ 60 per person. Nightfall is not worth this price AT ALL. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t waste your money.

Super overpriced. First of all Psychomania wasn’t running so we got a discount but it seems that is probably their best feature. Train also wasn’t working. We went in a couple haunted houses which were entertaining for the few minute we were in there. A zombie girl touched my head.
We were going to go to a magic show but they changed the showtime and we didn’t feel like waiting. Went on the haunted hayride which was okay. The food was VERY overpriced — $ 6 for a corn on the cob with cheese and spices on it!

Over priced! Recommended to buy tickets online to avoid ticket booth line. False! You still have to stand in line to «validate» your online ticket. Worse yet, it was raining when we got there and they had discounted tickets because 2 rides would be closed. I was not offered a refund. Guy in ticket both chuckled at suggestion. When you get inside, some of rides cost more money! Comedy show has heavy sexual content, not appropriate for kids. 2 hours, only 4 attractions and $ 95 lighter, we left pretty disappointed

I gave Nightfall another chance last night, and I was not disappointed like I was the first time years ago.
To be clear, my group and I had free passes, so I was not paying the rather jarring entrance fee to get it. If I were, that would have weighed on my opinion more heavily.
As it was, the interactive engagement with scary town citizens was way better last night than it was the first time I visited in 2012. There were a lot more characters milling about and they seemed more energetic than they had previously. The quality of the haunted houses seemed improved as well. We toured the Iron Door Haunted Mine, Psychomania, and The Bunker. All good. I got scared multiple times, being the first female through the door in our small group. If you don’t want to get startled, don’t go in first in your group. My two cents. It’s science.
We also paid $ 5 (yes, an ADDITIONAL $ 5 per person) to watch the Strange Family Circus. It was roughly… 20 minutes long? Not sure, but it was really interesting! The performers were surprisingly good. I expected it to be really hokey and silly, but they were talented and it was quite comical without being corny. They involved a couple members of the audience during the performance and that was amusing. The building that the show is performed in is quite small, which at first is off-​putting and you immediately think «Oh gawd. this is going to be lame…» as you roll your eyes… But just you wait! Soon you’re transported back in time to an early 20^th century sideshow, complete with a hawker to grab your attention outside. I liked everything about the performances and was really impressed with the natural ‘charm’ of Dr. Strange. He handled hecklers like a pro and kept the mood quite light.
On that note, having to pay $ 5 extra dollars per person to experience several of the attractions seems lame. I mean… how much does this event make per year from entrance fees alone? A bunch. How about the drinks and food? A lot. To charge even more once you’re inside the venue… I disagree entirely. However, if the higher-​ups feel that the only option is to charge more for specific features OR increase admission prices $ 10 per person, then the way it is seems the lesser evil. Ho hum.
The gargoyles were cute, not as rough and gruff as expected, but funny enough. The gargoyle skit was a good idea, I like the entire concept. No wonder they’re so popular.
So, my most recent opinion is to give this a shot if you’ve never gone before. Manage your expectations beforehand — the less you expect, the more impressed you’ll be when you actually get there.
Younger kids may find this a bit overwhelming, but 9+ would probably have a lot of fun. Yes, they sell alcohol. Also ice cream, pretzels, barbecue type foods, snow cones… lots of goodies.
I recommend, but would try to get a discount if I were you.

So much fun! Admittedly, it is overpriced ($ 27 admission) but we just had such a great night that I cannot give less than five stars.
For Halloween, Old Tucson apparently gets transformed into a little spooky village. There are haunted houses, a carrousel, a little train, food stands, live shows, weird little ghost installations, and «zombies» walking through the village.
This last feature was actually one of the most fun parts. They have actors in costumes and make up wander around in between visitors. They are dressed up as zombies, chain saw murderers, monsters, etc., approach visitors (often from behind) to scare them or follow them around (super creepy!). I was followed around and roared at by a zombie lady for two minutes, she would not let go of me! They never touch the visitors, though. Phew! Also, if you don’t want to be scared, you can buy a little light stick at the entrance which signals to the actors that you do not want to be messed with.
The haunted houses were pretty cool. We are all easily scared, though, so I am not sure if «tougher» people would like the houses. The scariest one was Psychomania: lots of zombie actors jumping out from behind doors and corners and scaring the shit out of you. Even worse, sometimes, you can see the actors from a distance but you know you now have to PASS that guy with the bloody iron rod who is pointing at you and seemed to just have picked you out as his next victim! Even some of the speaking puppets are actually controlled by actors, so you can get into funny dialogues with them (one of them dared me to come really close and take a selfie with him, but I am too chicken, so I didn’t :P).
We also saw a live magic show in one of the saloons, which was fun. There are other shows as well but we did not see those. Unfortunately, the little train that goes around the village costs extra, so we skipped it.
A couple more things: friendly security everywhere; no opened bottles and food allowed when you enter; not good for very small children, in my opinion (it might be a bit too scary for them).

Boo! Nightfall is expensive and not what it used to be. They charge for everything now, even the train. :*(
This pains me. Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year and I leap at any scary-​themed corn-​maize, haunted-​whatever.
The entry fee is outrageous. If i’m paying almost $ 30 to just get in, why should I pay for anything else (drinks and food aside?) Ridonk.
I do love their haunted houses, and their new Dia De Los Muertos themed one was cute. Do i love it for $ 30? Not so much.
Their live outdoor show with the stunt actors was just terrible this year. Incredibly racist, sexist, homophobic, and just plain not funny. I didn’t see many in the packed audience laughing either. My friends and I got up and left after a few minutes in disgust.

the security was stupid and way over the top. We’ll never go again. Why not trust people? For someplace that’s supposedly celebrates independence, they were awful. John Wayne must be turning over in his grave

OK. So my daughter had to go again after a couple of years and I had to drive them. I decided I may as well go in and see what was new in stead of sitting in my car for a few hours. It did not get any better. It was worse! I think they tried to make it more family friendly but if your going to do so do so in the earlier evening hours or certain nights. I did go in a haunted house «Casa De la Muerte». It was the worst haunted house I ever went in. It was like walking through a fiesta. There was fiesta music playing with bright neon light and colors everywhere with some skeltons in there. Also another big disappointment if you now have to pay extra for the rides such as the train or the cars which have always been included. This place did not fail to disappoint me even more. One positive note is the security guards there were very courteous and helpful!

My first haunted visit to Nightfall. Going with friends and enjoying time under the beautiful dark desert sky is a great way to celebrate Halloween madness. I love visiting Old Tucson and this just gave me another good reason to go.
Being a photographer I was delighted by the spectacle of seeing crazy people running all around. I loved the guy walking around with his vampire girlfriend wrapping around his body and sucking on his neck. Gruesome and funny.
My favorite hauunt was the colorful and cool El Dia De Los Muertos. Hats off to the artists who created this one! Second place goes to Curse of the Blood Witch. Being a bit claustrophobic, I declined doing the Iron Door Mine but my friends told me it was really good and scary.
The Grand Palace had a magic show called «Magic of Macabre» but I didn’t stay long for that one. My iPhone was calling me to go outside and shoot.
$ 25 is the admission price but you can get discounts. Costco offers it for $ 18.95. Lots of eateries are open as well as gift shops.
Bring the kids and have a great time screaming. Halloween only comes once a year.

I love love love love NIGHTFALL!!! I have gone to nightfall every year for the past 7 years. I look forward to it every year. Is it not too scary but its creepy enough. They let you know on the map which things are suitable for kids and which are not. The shows are good. Overall nightfall is always a fun way to get in the Halloween spirit.

Not bad, not bad. Perhaps it’s my old age but instead of screaming like a little girl at something that should scare me… I laugh. Regardless it was a great time.
I suggest not purchasing anything from any of the stores because you can finder it cheaper at the dollar store but if you insist on spending a million dollars on something that will break before you leave, have at it.
Get there early so you can see all the performances without the extreme craziness and this also allows you time to walk around and enjoy all the people that walk around in costume.

My review might be a little biased because I’m am a Halloween freak. It’s my favorite holiday, and October is my favorite month so I’m all about the ghosts and ghouls and all that crazy stuff that comes with Halloween!
I LOVE Nightfall. I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to go hang out with your friends and walk through haunted houses and scream your pants off, whilst drinking a yard of beer. It’s located way past Gates Pass, but the drive doesn’t bother me… it’s actually nice to get into the outskirts of Tucson… plus it makes the experience all the more scary!
Tickets are slightly pricey (around $ 30, I want to say), but they usually offer discounts if you go during the week (I recommend going during the week anyway, as the weekends can get super crowded).
Best of all, it’s located at the infamous studios where old westerns were filmed! (Think John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Tombstone too!)
I can’t wait for Halloweentime, I want to go to Nightfall NOW!