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Founded in 2023 by two friends at the University of California, Irvine, Nolan and Nathan, OC Fright Nights started small. Sharing a common passion for themed entertainment, the goal was to create immersive, story-driven haunted experiences. As the years progressed, our volunteer team grew larger. Each season, the attraction has evolved through improved layouts, stronger scare design, and increased production value. Over the past three years, OC Fright Nights has welcomed hundreds of guests - our most recent year surpassing 1,200 guests - and continues to improve its approach to immersive haunt design.
2023 was a rough start for OC Fright Nights. With no venue to create their experience in, the team started asking friends, family, and acquaintances for a location to create the event. Eventually, one friend offered their house, and it was official – the first year of OC Fright Nights would happen. As college students, the budget for the first year was very limited. However, the team wouldn't allow that to stop them from creating immersive, detailed sets. Instead of purchasing large props/animatronics/Halloween sets, the team worked to create custom scenes, custom props, and their own version of "timed scares." While it wasn't anything groundbreaking, the end result was absolutely something to be proud of for a first even year, welcoming in over 150 guests in just 2 days.
2024 was a huge jump for OC Fright Nights. Now, with a brand new location to operate out of, construction and prop design was able to start months in advance. After some inspiration from visiting Midsummer Scream, work on the detailed facade started in August. Additionally – story boards, CAD drawings, layout mapping, and a lot more planning were a huge factor in the construction process. Loosely taking inspiration from one of the team's favorite haunted houses, Scarecrow the Reaping at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights; the maze featured an original storyline with much more detailed sets. With expanded set design, a larger budget due to donations from the previous year, and a larger space, 2024's Scarecrow: Haunted Maze was a huge success. Welcoming in over 500 guests over the course of 5 nights, the overall reception to the event was very positive, with a growing following within the community.
2025 was the year for OC Fright Nights to truly show its capabilities. Starting construction in June, this year's event was over double the size and budget, and extremely ambitious. With the story being the main emphasis of the haunted attraction for the year, the whole process revolved around storytelling and immersion: not just providing a scary experience, but a truly immersive one. The 1400 square foot maze featured extremely detailed sets, timed scares and show scenes, and lore that the guests uncovered throughout the walkthrough. For a more detailed description of the year's event, please check out Scarecrow II: The Curse of Grant Manor under the 'Experiences' tab.
Our Growth
Our Growth
Year 1: First full walkthrough maze and foundational scare design - 150 total guests.
Year 2: Expanded layout, improved lighting, and stronger thematic elements - 500 total guests
Year 3: Polished experience, increased storytelling and immersion, and an established online presence - 1200 total guests.
OC Fright Nights seeks to continue its yearly haunted attraction with a larger venue space, more ambitious budget, and provide an incredible experience for its fanbase for years to come.
Our Vision
Our Vision
OC Fright Nights is entering its next phase of growth. Our long-term vision includes expanding beyond a home-based setup, securing larger venues, and partnering with brands and local businesses to elevate the experience. Our goal is to grow OC Fright Nights into a recognized seasonal attraction while maintaining the creativity and passion that defined our early years.
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