Weeki Wachee Springs Sets Halloween Dates: 'Wild 'N Wicked Nights' Returns Oct. 16-17 and 23-24

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has set its dates for this year's Halloween fundraiser, "Wild 'N Wicked Nights," and tickets are already on sale. The event runs four nights, Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 23-24, 2026, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the park's entrance off Commercial Way in Spring Hill.

Admission is $12 per person for anyone age 3 and up. Tickets sell only through Eventbrite. There are no walk-up sales at the gate, and annual passholders do not get free entry or a discount for this one.

What's included

The headline attraction is "The Pumpkin King," an underwater mermaid show staged in the park's famous underwater theater, with performances at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. each night. The story sends the citizens of Halloween Town into the springs below the surface.

On dry land, two haunted attractions open at 7 p.m. and run until 10:45 p.m.: a Toy Factory Haunted House built around the idea of Christmas cheer gone wrong, and Jack's Tree Lot, a haunted maze winding through a twisted Christmas tree lot. Both are marked as not handicapped accessible and are recommended for older children and adults rather than young kids.

For families with younger children, Halloween Town is the non-scary option, open 7 to 10:30 p.m. with a fall carnival, kids' mazes, mermaid photo spots and treats. A costume contest runs there in three age brackets: 7:30 p.m. for ages 0-3, 8:30 p.m. for ages 4-7 and 9:30 p.m. for ages 8-12. There's also a storytelling session, "Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark," at 7:45, 8:45 and 9:45 p.m.

A morning paddle on Halloween itself

The park is also running a "Witches Paddle" on the morning of Oct. 31, with breakfast starting at 7 a.m. and the kayak launch at 8 a.m. Paddlers are asked to show up in a witch or wizard costume. A kayak rental runs $60; bringing your own kayak drops the price to $40. Both options include a breakfast buffet, and every paddler gets a medal, with prizes for the top three best-dressed costumes. Park admission is not included in that ticket price.

Wild 'N Wicked Nights is a fundraiser for the park, put on with the Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, the nonprofit that supports the park's operations and upkeep beyond what state funding covers. The Friends group has not announced whether any of the four nights are expected to sell out, so families planning to go on a specific date may want to buy early rather than wait.

Stay connected with more Hernando County happenings on our Hernando County Community Website and follow us on Facebook for updates. Got thoughts on this year's Halloween lineup at the springs? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and check out more local events coverage for other things to do this fall in Hernando County.

Header photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)