Xtreme Scream Park 2026
We were very kindly gifted tickets and fast track for our night, however we retain editorial control of what the review says.
Our Slasher Review
Just outside of Melton Mowbray, you will find Twinlakes Family Theme Park, but come October it is home to one of the best scare events in the UK, Xtreme Scream Park and on the 25th of October we headed over to experience the 2026 offering. While there is no new scare attraction this year, all of the mazes have had changes and tweaks to keep them fresh, some more than others. Xtreme Scream Park isn't just about the mazes; they have a full Halloween festival vibe to experience. With Excalibur and Jesters Revenge, two of the park's actual rides on offer, they now have 4 travelling rides: a Miami, Paratrooper, Twist and a Waltzer. The site also features a large selection of food, drink and merchandise options and indoor and outdoor seating, the perfect place to catch one of the many shows on offer, watch the fantastic street team or watch someone attempting the shock chair. Combine that with some of the most impressive animatronics, some even 20ft tall, and it's easy to see just why Xtreme Scream Park is award-winning.
Now on to the main event, which is the scare attractions. These are some of the longest scare mazes in the country, yet never feel like they go on too long. Xtreme Scream Park has hit a sweet spot with maze length and some of the best theming, costumes and set design too. Xtreme Scream Park hosts 7 scare mazes. The Pie Factory, The Witches of Hard Luck Wood, Blutlust, Spores, The Village, Circus vs Circursed and Ash Hell Penitentiary and Institute, which received the addition of the Institute for the 2026 season. On our night and through our respective runs of the attractions. Ash Hell took the top spot with Circus vs Circursed and Witches of Hard Luck Wood coming joint second. While none of our runs was bad, quite the opposite actually- it's just our run through The Pie Factory unfortunately didn't shine just as much as those above.
Now we will go into detail in the stalker review, but to summarise this section, if you are a horror fan and love scares, this is the place for you, and Ash Hell Penitentiary and Institute is an absolute triumph and could very possibly be one of the best scare attractions in the country in a Scream Park that sets a very high standard of what to expect from a scare season attraction.
Top Tips-Arrive dead on opening; the gates open at 6:30. With the attractions opening by 7:00 pm, there is a lot to get in as well, so if you really want to experience everything, we do recommend fast track too.
Things that bite-Based on this year's event, and it is rare we say this, we actually can't find fault. If we have to split hairs, the megaphone being used in the church scene could do with some hessian dressing and a bit more explanation of the story in Spores, but that is literally it.
Value for Money-For everything on offer, absolutely value for money.
Scare Rating- It has to be a rare but totally justified 5/5!
Do we recommend?-Put it this way, if we had the time this year, we would be visiting again.
Our Stalker Review
On the 25th of October, we headed to Twinlakes Park for Xtreme Scream Park for some of the longest mazes in the country that Xtreme Scream is known for. From the German vampire nightlife of Blutlust and the scarecrows of The Village to the clowns of Circus vs Circursed and the infected of Spores, and of course the eagerly anticipated new overlay of Ash Hell Penitentiary, to name a few, Xtreme Scream Park has a wide range of themes and stories to get fully immersed in, all with a healthy dose of fear, dread, gore and scares which make the scare attractions in this scream park some of the best the UK has to offer.
We arrived just after opening, and it seemed everyone else had the same idea. It was soon clear we would be in for a busy night, not that it hindered the proceedings in any way. The parking process was quick and efficient, and before long we were heading through the gates under a new sign for Xtreme Scream, which looks fantastic at night. Ticket collection was smooth and easy, and the girl at the gate was polite and cheery yet professional. We collected our tickets and headed into the park to start our night, and after a quick toilet stop, it was time for maze one of the seven on offer.
We started with the park's longest-running attraction, The Pie Factory. This attraction has always been a firm favourite at the park, and like we said last year, there is a reason it has claimed a status at the event. The queue line winds through the woodland, and there is a great feeling of trepidation in the cold autumnal air. The Pie Factory is a hive of tongue-in-cheek humour and has always been grounds for innuendo and double entendres, plenty of sausage meat gags as you can imagine. But as old as the attraction is, it doesn't feel out of place with the newer attractions. It has a dark, bacon-scented charm, which the theme is often replicated but rarely achieved to this standard. The Pie Factory takes you in and out of buildings, some extremely claustrophobic areas and some others that will make you gag. The smells in here are very strong, and you are not likely to miss them. After being sized up by Mrs Shuvitt (apparently I was too tall and need to be cut up to fit) and being told that we are part of her order but some looked better in the catalogue, we started our journey into the factory, but first up is the Shuvitt's House, where the team delivered some great scares and, like a lot of attractions at Xtreme Scream, they master a good sustained scare, which I love to see. While there are the traditional jump/impact scares, it's these moments where you can truly take in a cast member's performance. As you make your way through The Pie Factory, you go through a collection of different sets and rooms, from the expected butchery scenes to more of a production line further in, meat chillers and even an oven. The Pie Factory also has some very strobe-heavy moments, but nothing too long either. The finale room and the "hands" room are two of these areas. As we worked our way through the various scenes and claustrophobic corridors, the scares came fast and from unexpected areas; it is also great to see the airbag run back up and operational. The finale scene is a strobe-lit assault on the senses as you weave your way through the scene, ending with a traditional chainsaw run out. I actually think an extra chainsaw moment as a sort of tag team effort would work wonders, maybe using the first as more of a distraction scare and then that would give a chance for another cast member to land the second. But we are splitting hairs because we have to, and it was another successful run of The Pie Factory completed.
Next up it was time for Circus Vs Circursed. As you can imagine this is parks clown based attraction, After a brief wait we headed into the attraction and was met with the Ringmaster, he told us of his show and that he hoped we survive it all the way to end. Right from the start, this attraction is absolutely bonkers; the sets work so well, from the abandoned soft play centre right through to a neon UV junkyard. The attraction starts light-hearted with happier clowns and playful scares, but the further you get into this one, it starts to get darker in tone and lighting; the juxtaposition of these contrasting themes works heavily in the maze's favour, almost like luring you into a false sense of security with the creepily upbeat start, and the more you progress, the more it feels like it was a trap leading you to your doom. The scares in here were all on point and utilised several props too to make a loud and chaotic experience from start to finish. The cast in here understand the brief of a good mix of humour and fear, which is what you need in a clown attraction, and all work the set with great timing. Any scare actor worth their merit knows that if you can't scare someone, then make them laugh instead, and that is the thing that this attraction has worked out so well; we were going from moments of belly laughs, completely distracted and then all of a sudden being hit by a scare that landed perfectly every time.
Another addition that we might not have remembered from last year, but I'm pretty sure is new, is the mirror maze section. It added a great sense of disorientation within the lights, colours and chaos of the attraction. Another section of the maze that is great to see and worked out some great scares was the curtain section, which I believe might be a nod to an older attraction, Curtains Chaos. This simple but clever area let us get lost and become victims of some great stalking and pop-out scares. The finale is simple in design but works unbelievably well, giving the cast members in this area multiple chances for quick-succession scares that got multiple good reactions from our group. Two mazes down and great runs in both.
Next on the lineup was The Village. Now, these scarecrows are no stranger to me, having a past with a certain scene. The first thing we noticed and appreciated was that The Village now has its own self-contained queue line rather than a long line up the path that always felt a little unfinished, but now we have a cattle pen area adorned with scarecrows (not living ones) and flame torches, which ties everything together nicely. The attraction still enters the same way over the bridge and has the original sign still in place. The first scene or section is the house; this area remains relatively unchanged. However, the cast in here this year seems to be playing a more sinister role rather than the fearful residents of the past. But it works well for the scene and delivers some great storytelling moments that set up the rest of the attraction ahead. The Scarecrow in the cage was the highest energy I've seen in this role, which was great to see. Out of the house, it was time to enter the garage. While we did have a little bit of a backup in here, it was soon resolved, but the actors in this area used the extra floor time to really stare down the guests and cause some intimidation. What was also great to see across the whole of the areas of The Village is the different reactions to saying "praise the harvest". I love these special little interactions that allow you to immerse yourself in the story of the attraction. Next up was the long outdoor section to the school scene; there were some great scares in the woodland section, again using distraction to great effect. The school is where things start to get really creepy, especially the classroom with the sheet-covered pupils. The cast members in this area really sold the role while getting some good sustained scares in for good measure. Exiting through the toilet block, it was time for another woodland walk with some impressive animatronics along the way. Then it was time for the lab. The lab has some very strong strobe sections, so be aware of that if you are not a fan of strobes. The lab is where things get a bit more claustrophobic, with tighter corridors and set pieces to navigate, again the cast in here, just like the others before, landed scares with precision while being in full sight, that is a great scare skill to have. Professor Crow is a formidable character, and the costuming of this character is fantastic, and it is amazing how just a stare can make people want to run. With one building left to enter, it was time for the grand finale of The Village, that being the church scene. In the past, the priest character has used a small microphone for the sermon over the congregation, but tonight it was a megaphone. Now, this is only a small point, but a little set dressing of some hessian over the megaphone would allow this to blend in more. Because while I understand the practicality of its use, it did stick out like a sore thumb; other than that, all the scares landed as we walked around the pews. As we exited through the vestry, it was great to see another scare back in action again, which gained quite a few screams from unsuspecting guests on our run. Another successful attraction, and the harvest was praised.
Next up, it was The Witches of Hard Luck Wood. Now, in the past, this hasn't been our favourite attraction, but this year things changed for the better. The Witches of Hard Luck Wood is very dark in certain sections, and your only source of light is a glowstick; this setup this time round led to some absolutely fantastic scares, with the cast members working the dark with absolute precision. As you make your way through the woods, you start to get lost in the green ethereal glow of the set lighting and/or your glowstick. This attraction also features a brilliantly executed laser swamp scene complete with thick vines that hang from the ceiling, which is a very strange experience in the dark. One of the best scares of the attraction came from whoever was in the camouflage/ghillie suit; they blended in perfectly and landed the scare with such timing that it got one hell of a scream from Abby. They then proceeded to follow Abby for a good stalking moment. As you get to the halfway point, you surrender your glowstick and head off out of the woodland setting and into cabins and UV-lit scenes, with more perfectly timed scares coming from all directions. As I said before, in the past this attraction was known for being one of the weaker attractions at the park, but this year the Witches have come back with a vengeance, and we love it. Another noted change I'm pretty sure has happened is a route change. With either crossing the bridges early or a whole new set, I thought I knew the attraction pretty well, but this time round it threw me, and that was wonderful to happen. In a year with no new scare attraction (technically), each attraction felt like it was a slightly new experience, which really shows how much Xtreme Scream cares about their attractions. But one thing we never saw coming was the Witches' all-out final attack on its victims in a finale that really has to be seen firsthand. In the past, this was a bit of a fall-flat section, which was sad as it was your final room and therefore your last impression; now this is so far from its past reputation. The finale scene is visually impressive, with animatronics that support the scene while allowing the actors to take centre stage and deliver the final blow, and all I will say is fair play to a certain cast member; your stamina is applauded. When doing that kind of scare from a distance, it can be hard to pull off, but your speed, facial expressions and physicality left us stunned.
We then took a moment to watch one of the fire shows. Xtreme Scream has really expanded on the show elements with freak shows, Cyr Wheels, Whips and Hula, Aerial shows, and of course the Fire shows too, which are all available to see the times via the app or on boards around the park. We didn't get a chance to see all the show offerings, but what we did see was fantastic. We also took a moment to take some zaps on the Shock Chair, which I survived all 3 rounds. It would have been nice to have a small prize for completing the 3 rounds, maybe a small keyring, but again this is just a small thing to note.
Back to the mazes, it was our time to go through Blutlust, which is the Xtreme Scream's unique take on a vampire attraction. Before entering the attraction, you are met with one of the vampires who sets the scene perfectly and says you should ask for the "Special Sauce" with your order. This interaction is a great mix of intimidation and strangely welcoming at the same time. The opening of Blutlust has you entering a German kebab shop with questionable food safety shall we say, and the natural scent of onion will stick with you, as will the addition of the Special Sauce. This is a truly gross-out moment which sets the story that little bit more, along with a few extra surprises along the way. Leaving the kebab shop through the walk-in chiller area, you find yourself in a visually stunning back alley area complete with neon signs, closed shops and of course, more neo-gothic vampires to set you up for the separation section of the attraction, which is cleverly disguised as blood groups such as O, A and B. There may have been more, but there is so much going on that it is hard to take it all in, in the best possible way that is. Last year there was a bit of hands-on interaction in this section, but we believe that the touching may have gone now, which is fine. Not all guests are comfortable with being handled, but this doesn't stop the cast of Blutlust and the rest of Xtreme Scream from delivering some great scares. As the attraction progresses, you find yourself in the vampire nightclub scene. This is another stunning set with cast members on raised platforms, a pulsing yet dark club beat and atmosphere and even a pole-dancing vampire on the centre stage; it is scenes like this that really cement the narrative and story of the attraction, which we love to see. Yes, it might not be a big area for scares, but neither do I think it is meant to be. More of a small immersive section to sell the theme before heading into Blutlust's depths.
As you leave the club scene, you start to enter into the more intimidating sections of the attraction: a mirror maze that genuinely can leave you lost, dark claustrophobic catacombs of the vampires' lair and caves lined with coffins. These winding paths get tighter and darker the further you go on, and it works so well as you work your way through the depths of the attraction. The finale is a bit of a strange one if we are honest. A final separation scene with our Abby being chosen to go through the coffin. We did meet up with her very quickly, which was a bit of an odd moment; I think a cage maze where the vampires are rounding you up would work well in this section, with some great distraction and impact scares to finish off. But that aside, Blutlust is still a fantastic attraction with a killer cast and some of the best theming to date.
We then took this moment to grab some, to be honest, reasonably priced food. I had the loaded "Hellfire" fries complete with lashings of nacho cheese sauce, jalapeños, and crispy onions. No complaints about the food options at all. The park does in fact, have a great selection of food available, from the mentioned loaded fries to hot dogs and burgers, Greek gyros, sweets, donuts, pizza and chicken options; the site also has 3 bars. Also, in between scares, be sure to interact with the Street Team, which has honestly gone from strength to strength over the years, and this year has one of its best casts yet. From the S&M Character with their keeper, who were both creepy and awesome in equal measure, to Bad Santa with much disdain for the guests, which was brilliant, A giant walking candelabra and cheeky and sinfully fantastic Lucifer, a popcorn seller with a superb accent that will stick with me while telling us all about her love life, a set of masked twins on a bike with creepily good synchronicity, a clown whose laugh is beyond infectious with dark charm, a chainsaw-wielding sack bunny scarecrow hybrid and even a robotic zombie pig called Pork Chop. There may be even more, but these are the main collection we interacted with on the night.
After food, it was time to enter Spores, the 6th attraction of the night for us. Spores is lightly inspired by a Last of Us-style theme. Set in North Carolina in 1987, the story centres around a distillery where something has infiltrated the brewing process, and that is some kind of ancient organism that infected all who came into contact with it. Turning them into parasitically infected hosts. Spores has a fantastic start with an opening scene that should tell this story. Our only critique is that, unless you read the backstory, you might not get what you are going into, as the bus tour guide mainly talks about UFOs and Paranormal Activity in the area. This is a small issue, but with such an immersive attraction ahead, it would be nice to have a pre-story that explains a bit about the brewery. The bus scene itself is a fantastic moment of the attraction, and the cast members in this scene delivered some simple but effective scares along the way. After a short and bumpy ride that comes to an abrupt end, shall we say, it's time to enter the world of Spores. The set design in this attraction is fantastic, with all attention to detail fully realised. The cast is kind of broken up into two sections: those who are infected and those trying to help you escape. This works so well and doesn't create convoluted characters that deviate from the story. Again, like all the other attractions, Spores has been cast so well, with scares coming from all angles and in a range of styles too. The vortex tunnel remains, but luckily it wasn't as nauseating as the last time we went through it last year. As you delve deeper into the depths of Spores, the infection spreads further than just the humans and into the environment as well, Such as "nests" of the vines and overgrowth that take over the areas within. It is also in these areas where you will see the end result and grisly fate of some of the humans fully taken over by the parasitic infection. We do have to mention that the "nest scene" didn't feel as chaotic as last year, but this could have been simply due to us actually working our way out pretty quickly and not getting lost like last time. The chainsaw finale was stronger this time round, which is great to see, and it was getting some good scares from the other guests, but over time we have become a little immune to these kinds of interactions. I actually think some kind of "decontamination" scene as you exit could be fun, but again, other than that, we had an absolutely stellar run through this very long attraction.
And so it was time for the final maze of the night and possibly the most anticipated maze of the night, that is, of course, Ash Hell Penitentiary and Institute(Disembodiment of Justice). Ash Hell is arguably the darkest and most intense attraction at Xtreme Scream Park, opening back in 2015. I believe. Back then, it was a very hands-on attraction and gained quite an intense reputation. Since then, Ash Hell has been terrifying guests ever since. This year, however, the prison attraction has undergone a dramatic refresh with the addition of the Institute and a tagline of Execution or Rehabilitation. I purposely avoided the spoilers for this, and let's just say it was worth the wait. Ash Hell starts pretty much the same with the entrance to the prison and the dingy lights that go out every few seconds; the first notable interaction was a one-two combination of scares from the inmate with the spark bar (which is great to see back again)using this tool to great effect, and the prison check-in desk, where the actor in this scene delivered high-impact scares but was still totally in check with the theme of the area. Ash Hell is all about creating a feeling of impending doom, dread and intimidation and still, to this day, it works. As you make your way through the attraction, you are treated to crawl spaces, light water effects and even vibrating floors that put you on edge as you make your way through the gloom of the prison. After heading through the ward scenes of old Ash Hell with some new additions, including the creepy-as-hell nurses that provided some great scares out of the dark corners. Then, just when you think you know Ash Hell Penitentiary, you enter into the main event: The Institute itself. This is where the attraction really ramps up the notches of intensity, providing scare after scare after scare. It really doesn't hold back and at the same time showcases some of the best scare maze theming in the country. I won't go into masses of detail because I really think this is something you should experience pretty blind, but the screen room is delightfully unhinged and twisted. The padded cell is a great example of Xtreme Scream's astounding ingenuity, and the scenes ahead with the doctors and nurses really take you into the twisted new level of Ash Hell. The scares were nonstop on our run, and I've never heard Abby scream so much in one attraction, so congratulations to the cast for that. The attraction delves deep into psychological fear and features an array of scenes that have to be witnessed, possibly more than once, to fully take in all the details within. Ash Hell has always been a favourite amongst scare-goers at the park, but with this new Institute overlay of the second half, it is honestly practically impossible to tell where the old Ash Hell cells once were, and we commend all the team and creatives for the impressive spectacle it has become. Ash Hell had a reputation as one of the best at Xtreme Scream; Ash Hell Penitentiary and Institute might be one of the best in the country. If there was one complaint that we have, it's that we wish we could go round more than once.
And so we come to the end of our Xtreme Scream journey, and what a journey it has been. We want to give a huge thank you to all the team, creatives, general workers and ofcourse the fantastic scare actors that bring the scares to life. This year you all made a fantastic impression on us; the scares were all on point. Each attraction is absolutely stunning and a testament to the talent of the creative team for bringing all these dark and twisted worlds to life. And if you want one reason to go to Xtreme Scream Park this year, Ash Hell Penitentiary and Institute is that reason. Not that we are forgetting the other 6 attractions, which all stand on their own merit in different forms of dark excellence. Xtreme Scream Park might not have had a technically new attraction, but you know what, it doesn't matter. What they have done with the park as a whole, from the mazes to the atmosphere, is something so special, and we can't wait to see what 2027 brings if 2026 is anything to go by. We would like to give our heartiest congratulations to Xtreme Scream Park for such a successful night and wish you all the best for the final nights of this scare season.
Also one final mention is of the on-site accommodation that Xtreme Scream and Twinlakes have to offer, that being the Luxury Lodges, which are large glamping pods with all the amenities you could hope for. We stayed in one of these pods and were very impressed with the accommodation
on offer; the only critique we had was it would be nice to have a corkscrew, as that was literally the only thing lacking. Other than that, it was a perfect way to wind down after a night of scares and would highly recommend them for future visits.
If you wish to visit Xtreme Scream Park, you can do so at the link below. Also included are the final dates for this phenomenal attraction, which are 29th, 30th and 31st of October and November 1st
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