COTTAGE GROVE, MN – September 02, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
The Haunting Experience has released its 2026 season calendar, with evening operations scheduled to begin September 25. The announcement confirms dates for the 40th season of the family-owned attraction, which opened in 1986 and continues to operate a haunted house, a haunted hayride, and related seasonal programming for visitors from the Twin Cities area.
The calendar covers late September through early November, aligning the property with regional Halloween traditions. Opening night falls on a Friday, followed by a mix of midweek and weekend evenings. The attraction has historically operated rain or shine, with covered waiting areas available as weather changes.
The Haunted House remains a walkthrough attraction built around winding corridors, sensory effects, and live performers. Website descriptions of the house include scenes set in the remains of an abandoned hospital, along with redesigned rooms that change from season to season. General admission and Fast Pass tickets are structured with two punches, allowing guests to combine one pass through the house and one ride on the hayride, or to repeat either attraction.
The Haunted Hayride, described by the company as Minnesota’s longest-running of its kind, travels through wooded trails and the fictional Wilhelm Steelworks. The outdoor route has been expanded this year to 1.5 miles. Massacre, a more intense cornfield walkthrough with permitted light physical contact from performers, remains limited to guests ages 13 and older and is included with VIP tickets.
Daytime Fall Fun Fest dates continue on selected days. Those sessions include art activities, pumpkin painting, free hayrides without actors, lights-on tours of the Haunted House, and goat petting. The split between daytime and evening programming is intended to serve families and first-time visitors as well as guests seeking a higher scare level.
Bill Zywiec, Owner of The Haunting Experience, said: “Publishing the calendar gives groups and returning guests time to plan. Forty seasons of work go into getting the house, the hayride, and the rest of the property ready before the first night.”
Ticket options include general admission, Fast Pass, and VIP. Group rates remain available for parties of 20, 50, and 100. The company estimates that moving through the house and hayride takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and recommends allowing two to three hours for waiting, concessions, and the full visit. A gift shop and on-site concessions operate during evening hours.
The FAQ on the company website recommends general admission and Fast Pass for ages 12 and up, with the decision left to parents based on a child’s comfort with live actors, strobe lighting, and intense scenes. VIP tickets require guests to be 13 or older. Safety rules prohibit running and interfering with performers.
The attraction sits on a working farm property along Highway 61 and is operated by the Zywiec Family alongside their landscape and garden center business. Company pages also note a USA TODAY 10Best reader ranking among national haunted attractions. Seasonal preparation includes new sets and scene updates from a crew of builders, artists, and scare actors.
The 2026 calendar release marks the final stretch of off-season construction before public nights begin. The combination of a published schedule, established ticket types, and dual daytime and evening programming frames the season as both a planning milestone and a continuation of a long-running local fall event.
The Haunting Experience is a family-owned haunted attraction in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Established in 1986 by the Zywiec Family, it features a Haunted House, Minnesota’s longest-running Haunted Hayride, the Massacre cornfield experience, and daytime Fall Fun Fest activities, serving visitors from the Twin Cities metropolitan area with seasonal Halloween entertainment.
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For more information about The Haunting Experience, contact the company here:
The Haunting Experience
Zywiec Family
651-459-3001
info@hauntingexperience.com
10900 E Point Douglas Rd S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016
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