Fright Nights
Thorpe Park's Halloween event, one of the UK's best-known, with multiple scare mazes and live actors.
Thorpe Park
Theme park · Europe
🇬🇧 Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom
Island thrill park half an hour from London
Overall score6.5
Opened
1979
Size
500 acres (203 ha)
Rides
25 attractions
Avg. visit
6 hours
Ticket range
$43–$89 USD
Events & shows
Visual Archive
Thorpe Park was built on former gravel pits, so almost every ride is threaded between lakes and reached over bridges. Stealth still accelerates to 129 km/h in under two seconds, Nemesis Inferno and Colossus deliver ten inversions between them, and Hyperia — the UK's tallest coaster at 72 metres — opened in 2024.
It skews firmly teenage and adult, gets busy on hot weekends, and runs Fright Nights as one of Europe's best Halloween events.
Plan Your Visit
Hours & tickets
- Operating hours
- Typically 10am-5pm, extended to 6pm or later in peak summer and during Fright Nights
- Seasonal closures
- Closed November to mid-March apart from selected event dates
- Queue-skip pass
- Fastrack sold per ride or as a bundle; prices climb sharply on busy dates. From about $45 USD.
- How long to stay
- Full day
- Multi-day tickets
- Short-break tickets bundling a second day with the on-site hotel or Shark Hotel.
- Season pass
- Annual or season pass from about $140 USD.
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- London Heathrow (LHR), ~15 miles; Gatwick (LGW), ~30 miles
- Public transit
- Train to Staines, then the 950 shuttle bus to the park entrance
- Parking
- On-site parking available. Around $8 USD per day.
- Staying over
- Thorpe Shark Hotel and the Thorpe Park Retreat lodges on site
Accessibility
- Accessibility
- Flat island site that is largely step-free, with accessible toilets. Ride Access Pass available for guests unable to queue, and most coasters require independent transfer.
Good to know
- Who it suits
- Aimed squarely at teenagers and young adults; very little for toddlers and small children compared with other UK parks
- Best time to visit
- Weekdays in May, June or September; the park is heaving during English school holidays
- Dining
- Mostly fast food and chain outlets; limited sit-down options
- Outside food
- You can bring your own food and drink.
- Weather cover
- Very little indoor cover on this island site — Derren Brown's Ghost Train and dining are the main shelter, and the big coasters close in high wind.
- Baby care
- Baby changing and feeding facilities available at guest services.
- Rentals on site
- Stroller / pushchair hire and Lockers available on site.
- Currency & payment
- GBP; card and contactless accepted throughout and effectively expected.
- Official app
- Thorpe Park app (iOS/Android): live queue times, map and show information.
Archival records
Tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK (Stealth)