Buffalo, NY — The Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park has announced Nightmare Wharf, a new large-scale Halloween event coming to the Buffalo waterfront for 16 operating nights in October and early November 2026.
Set among the historic ships and industrial waterfront of the Naval Park campus, Nightmare Wharf will feature multiple walkthrough attractions, outdoor scare zones, roaming characters, themed photo opportunities, live entertainment, a full bar, and guest gathering areas. The event will operate on weekends and select nights in October, beginning October 2, and will conclude with a premium “Lights Off” finale on Sunday, November 1, featuring an extreme blackout experience.
The Buffalo Naval Park is the nation’s largest inland naval park, home to four U.S. Naval vessels: USS The Sullivans, USS Little Rock, USS Croaker, and PTF-17. The park’s website describes Nightmare Wharf as taking place partially on “nationally significant, protected historic U.S. Navy vessels,” adding what it calls “a unique layer of authenticity while requiring preservation-sensitive operations.”
A Fundraiser During a Critical Period
The announcement comes as the Naval Park continues remediation work in coordination with a multi-agency Unified Command, which includes the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Coast Guard. The park is preparing to send both USS The Sullivans and USS Croaker to Donjon Shipbuilders in Erie, Pennsylvania, for dry dock repairs. The $21 million preservation effort has been years in the making, following the partial sinking of USS The Sullivans in April 2022 and repeated hull breaches on both vessels.
Nightmare Wharf is being developed as a fundraiser to help sustain operations and the park’s nonprofit mission during a period when those vessels will be unavailable to the public.
“Our mission is preservation, and we take that responsibility seriously every day,” said Brian Luallen, President and CEO of the Buffalo Naval Park. “At the same time, a preservation organization must stay active and resilient, especially as we head into long-term repairs and dry docking in the months ahead. Nightmare Wharf is a new program designed to bring people to the waterfront, generate critical earned income, and help sustain the work of caring for these ships and honoring the men and women who served aboard them.”
Luallen Brings Cultural Attractions Background
Luallen joined the Buffalo Naval Park as President and CEO in August 2025. His background is in cultural attractions and in the management of historic venues. He previously served as the inaugural chief executive of Fair Park First, the 501(c)(3) public-private partnership with the City of Dallas that manages and activates the 277-acre Fair Park campus, a National Historic Landmark that draws over six million visitors annually and hosts the State Fair of Texas. Before that, he spent more than five years at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, where he served as Director of Attractions and Engagement and later Director of Entertainment Events, overseeing attractions, tours, and a year-round calendar of public events at the historic ocean liner. He also currently serves as CEO and consultant for the Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa, another National Historic Landmark.
“This is an idea the Naval Park has looked at for some time, and we have seen the results other museum ships have achieved through high-quality Halloween events,” said Bob Pecoraro, Board Chair of the Buffalo Naval Park. “With Brian’s expertise running some of the largest Halloween events in the nation, moving forward with Nightmare Wharf was a no-brainer for the Naval Park.”
Buffalo Fillmore District Council Member Mitch Nowakowski also voiced support for the project: “The Naval Park is one of Buffalo’s most important historic destinations, and it’s exciting to see creative programming like this bring new life to the waterfront. Nightmare Wharf will bring new energy to the site while giving visitors a unique way to experience Buffalo’s iconic waterfront.”
Event Details
Additional event details and the themes for the main attractions will be announced in May 2026. Dates, ticket information, and operational updates will be shared at nightmarewharf.com. Guests can join the Nightmare Wharf mailing list for early access announcements and first notice when tickets go on sale.
Proceeds from Nightmare Wharf will support the Buffalo Naval Park’s nonprofit mission and the preservation and restoration of its historic vessels, exhibits, and educational programming.
