Troy, N.Y. — Field of Horrors opened its 2026 season on September 26, nine weeks after a July 20 fire destroyed three of its haunted houses, with two entirely new attractions built from the ground up. The Troy haunt is also bringing back the volunteer fire departments that saved the rest of the property, hosting them as guests for a Fire Department Appreciation Night on October 11.
The 2026 Season
Field of Horrors runs select nights from September 26 through November 7, its 12th season at 100 Farrell Road in Brunswick, just north of Troy. General admission is $45 and admits one guest to all of the attraction’s haunted houses. The season opened with a Sneak Peek on September 26 from 7 to 11 p.m. and closes with Extreme Scare Night on November 7, an 18-and-over event that sends guests through the property in near darkness with only a glow stick. Halloween weekend runs Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31, from 6 to 11 p.m. Opening times vary by date, and the full schedule and tickets are at fieldofhorrors.com or at the gate.
Two New Houses, and Three That Won’t Return
The fire destroyed a connected structure that housed three of the haunt’s houses: Condemned Manor, Return of Mummy’s Curse, and Insanity. All three are gone and will not return. In their place, Field of Horrors built two entirely new attractions for opening night, with the names held back until closer to September 26 and revealed on the haunt’s social media.
“I stood there and watched it burn, and I already knew we were opening. I didn’t know how. I just knew we weren’t going to be dark in October. That was never on the table,” said David Mulinio, the owner of Field of Horrors.
Fire Department Appreciation Night
Nine volunteer fire departments responded to the July 20 fire and kept it from spreading to the rest of the property. On Sunday, October 11, from 7 to 11 p.m., those departments are invited back to Field of Horrors as guests for a Fire Department Appreciation Night.
“We could have called it a year, taken the loss, and come back in 2027. Nobody would have blamed us. But the crew showed up the next morning without anybody asking them to, and once I saw that, I wasn’t going to be the one who told them no,” Mulinio said.
What Burned
The July 20 fire was electrical. It started during routine July maintenance, in a building full of burlap, three weeks before the annual fire-retardant treatment. Every July, Mulinio told the Times Union, an employee repairs wiring that mice have chewed through during the off-season, and he believes a spark from a generator caught the untreated burlap inside the 150-foot building. About a dozen fire departments fought it against extreme heat, a collapsed metal roof, and a limited water supply, and more than 20 mutual-aid partners responded. No one was in the building, and no one was injured.
The destroyed buildings carried no insurance, Mulinio told the Times Union, and he has acknowledged the rebuild was expensive. Field of Horrors opened on its original September target regardless.
Why This Keeps Happening to Independent Haunts
Buildings and insurance are the two existential threats for independent haunts, and Field of Horrors faced both at once. We wrote in July, covering The Nightmare Realm’s departure from Ireland after 16 years, that an award-winning, profitable attraction still could not secure a permanent home after a four-year search. A week earlier, FrightWorks announced an indefinite closure in East Tennessee after 27 years when its leased building sold.
On insurance, in our conversation with Cameron Annas of Granite Insurance, he described reviewing a liability policy that specifically excluded haunted houses, and said that after reviewing roughly 25 policies, “people would be significantly disappointed if/and when they have a claim.” Field of Horrors owns its structures and carried nothing on them. The other 2026 building-and-insurance stories we covered ended in closures or departures. Field of Horrors reopened nine weeks later, on its original September date.
More HAN Coverage
- Haunted Houses in New York 2026: NYC, Long Island, and Upstate’s Best Haunts
- The Nightmare Realm Leaves Ireland After 16 Years, Citing Building Crisis
- FrightWorks Announces Indefinite Closure After Building Sale
- Granite Insurance for Haunted Attractions
- Haunt Extreme Disaster Preparedness and Survival
- When Do Haunted Houses Open in 2026?
Reopening details from Field of Horrors’ September 14 press release. Fire cause and rebuild details reported by the Times Union, News10 ABC, and WRGB. The haunt’s original statement was posted to its Facebook page on July 20, 2026.
