The Forbidden Forest Experience returns to Yorktown Heights, NY, on October 16 with new spells and a Patronus. Get dates, prices, and tips.

Dust off your wand and dig out a warm jacket, the Forbidden Forest is open for business again, and this time nobody needs detention to get in. Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience returns to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown Heights, New York, on Friday, October 16, about an hour north of New York City. The nighttime woodland trail returns for the first time since its 2022 run and runs select nights through Sunday, November 29. The state parks listing says this year’s trail adds new magical moments inspired by the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, including a new chronological journey through the story, more interactive stops, and spell casting. NY State Parks has the official event page. Variety reports this is the first time in four years the attraction has been back in New York, and it is open to visitors of all ages

What Is the Forbidden Forest Experience?

Think of it as a lit walking trail through the woods after dark, built around scenes and creatures from the films. You walk it at your own pace, so no tour group and no one herding you along like a nervous first year. Expect Hippogriffs, unicorns, Nifflers, and centaurs, plus stops where you cast spells of your own.

Fever’s ticket page lists the following for this year’s trail:

• More than 4,000 lights
• More than 20 life sized magical creatures in the trees
• More than 15 film recreations
• 6 interactive spell moments, plus a Patronus moment
• More than 50 food and drink options, including themed treats
• More than 100 exclusive merchandise items at the on site shop

That Patronus moment is the one to watch for. Casting one in the forest is easily the most “I am definitely a Gryffindor” thing you can do in Westchester County.

A Quick Look Back

The Forbidden Forest Experience first launched in 2021 at Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire, England. It was developed by Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment with experiential companies Thinkwell and Unify and ticketing platform Fever. It came to the U.S. in 2022, with a run at this same Westchester park and another installation in Leesburg, Virginia, and has since traveled to Belgium, France, Australia, and Singapore. So if this one feels familiar, that is because FDR State Park was one of its earliest U.S. stops.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience: Dates, Times, and Where to Go

The event runs on select nights from Friday, October 16, through Sunday, November 29, at FDR State Park, 2957 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights. Entry times run every 15 minutes, with first entries between 5:30 and 7:15 p.m. depending on the night and last entries between 8:30 and 9:45 p.m. No tickets are available on October 17, 26, and 27, or on November 3, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, and 26.

One logistics note that could save your night: enter only through the Taconic State Parkway entrance. The Route 202 and Crompond Road entrance is closed, so double-check that your GPS is not sending you the wrong way. Parking is $15 if you book online ahead of time and $20 at the gate. No car? Take Metro-North’s Hudson Line from Grand Central to Peekskill or Croton-Harmon, then grab a cab or rideshare to the park

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Ticket Prices

Timed entry tickets start at $35.90 for adults and $28.90 for kids. Prices drop as the night goes on, so the earliest entries cost the most and the last entries cost the least.

Entry time	Adult	Child (3 to 16)	Senior, student, military	Deluxe
Earliest entries	$69.90	$55.90	$59.90	$103.90
Early entries	$57.90	$45.90	$48.90	$89.90
Later entries	$46.90	$37.90	$39.90	$75.90
Last entries	$35.90	$28.90	$30.90	$62.90

Tickets went on sale September 17 at hpforbiddenforestexperience.com. Kids under 3 get in free, and family bundles are available for groups of four or more with no more than two adults. Deluxe tickets add skip-the-line access at select interactive stops, a light-up lanyard, and some exclusive merch. Haunted Attraction Network reports opening night is mostly sold out, and while the on-site box office is card-only, tickets may be gone by the time you arrive.

Tips Before You Go

• Plan for 60 to 90 minutes. That covers the trail plus time for food, drinks, and the shop. Arrive about 15 minutes early to check in.
• Dress for the woods. The trail is outdoors and mostly unpaved, so wear sturdy shoes and warm layers.
• Bring a card. Food, drinks, and merchandise are cashless.
• Rain happens. Small personal umbrellas are allowed, but golf umbrellas are not.
• Know your tickets. Refunds and date changes are allowed up to 48 hours before your entry time.

Is It Worth It?

If you love the films, the creature moments, and the Patronus alone make this a solid fall night out, and a last entry on a weeknight is the cheapest way to do it. If you are a Halloween weekend person, just know that is where the prices climb. Either way, it is hard to beat a lit forest, a few spells, and a themed village snack at the end. This may not be Harry Potter Abu Dhabi, but it sounds like a fun time for witches, wizards, and muggles.

For more theme park-related news and information, visit MSM News.

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