FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Holiday Hollow and what is there to do?

How long will we stay?

What ages will enjoy Holiday Hollow?

What are the show times?

Is it scary?

Are you open at night?

Is Holiday Hollow accessible to the handicapped?

Can we come in costume?

What’s included in the admission price?

Are there extra charges?

How do I use the coupon?

Are there group rates and senior rates?

What’s the best day to come?

What’s the best time to arrive?

What if it rains?

Are you open for other holidays?

You didn’t list my question!

What is Holiday Hollow and What Is There To Do?

Holiday Hollow is America’s ONLY "Halloween Shire."  In a Renaissance-Festival setting you’ll find hours of shows, comedy, action, magic, sword fights, clever games, festival foods, elaborate costumes, and fantastic stages -- to fill your day with the GREATEST Halloween outing in Western New York!  It’s not the same old Halloween corn maze, haunted house, or hayride here!  We offer something you’ve never experienced - a complete Halloween "shire" full of entertaining characters and shows to delight people of ALL AGES – NOT JUST CHILDREN and NOT JUST ADULTS, but ALL AGES!  Described as a “poor man’s Disney World,” Holiday Hollow is truly fun for all!  You can spend the day in our village, experiencing:

• Our famous Captain Hook comedy/action Pirate Show
• Our new Forest Adventure (The Hunt for Jekyll & Hyde)
• Our Talking Pumpkins Show in Sir Timothy’s Theater
• Our Haunted Parlor
• The Gypsy Séance
• The new Wacky Witch Magical Cooking Show
• The new Brew & Bellow show
• The new "Fairy Tale -- Of Sorts" Show
• 7 shows in all! 
• But there’s even more:  Hook’s Hideout; The Halloween Riddle Experience, refreshments, gifts, photo spots, caricature art, a riddle trail, clever games (at a modest extra charge), and of course, pumpkins for sale!
• And, finally, we're OPEN RAIN or SHINE, with the construction of our new, heated and air conditioned THEATER. Most shows move indoors to the theater during inclement weather. So come any day, any weather, and SPEND THE DAY!

Holiday Hollow has been featured in many Buffalo, Batavia, and Rochester media, as well as the CBS Morning Show and HGTV!  Click here to check out our Praise and Reviews.

How long will we stay?

Much like going to an amusement park or festival, you can stay as long as you like!  In order to see all the shows, visit the gift shop, have something to eat, and play the games, you could easily spend four hours or more. We're open from 11:00 -- 5:00, but we recommend arriving by Noon if you want to experience all that Holiday Hollow has to offer. In inclement weather, when our shows move into our new theater, guests move in and out of the theater between shows, to visit the small "Sir Timothy's Theater" for the Talking Pumkins Show and visit our "Haunted Parlor," "Hook's Hideout Maze," and Cricket Cottage Gift Shop, which are also indoor attractions.

What ages will enjoy Holiday Hollow’s Halloween & Pirate Festival?

We say all ages and we mean it – all ages – NOT JUST CHILDREN and NOT JUST ADULTS.  We’re a family attraction that truly seeks to reach audiences at many levels, from 5 year olds to adults.  However, we’re not “a Barney place.”  In other words, very little ones will love the colors, the costumes, the excitement, but will not understand the jokes or the shows.  Every year, more and more adults and even senior citizens come to our Halloween & Pirate Festival, without children in tow.  Please remember that this is an outdoor, country attraction with some hilly terrain and uneven ground.  We candidly call Holiday Hollow “stroller challenging,” but many families bring strollers and navigate our terrain successfully.  Please see also our section on accessibility, and remember, in inclement weather, nearly all our shows move into our heated and air conditioned theater.

What are the show times?

Shows rotate on a schedule you will receive when you purchase your tickets.  Remember, Holiday Hollow is not a brief corn maze or a 20 minute Haunted House.  You can easily spend hours experiencing everything Holiday Hollow’s Halloween and Pirate Festival has to offer.  Come early and spend the day!

Is it scary?

Holiday Hollow is the happy October and Halloween family destination.  No blood and gore, no one jumping out and grabbing you.  No cheesy horror or screaming.  Some very small children have vivid imaginations and we can’t guarantee that no small child would ever find Holiday Hollow scary.  But it’s not our goal to frighten people of any age.  It’s about pirates, comedy, adventure, and fun!

Are you open at night?

No, Holiday Hollow is the happy, comical, adventurous Halloween and Pirate Festival attraction and is a daytime place.  Our hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., every weekend in October and on Columbus Day.  When Halloween Day (October 31st) falls on a Saturday or Sunday, we are not open that day, since most families are getting ready for their Trick or Treating and their own parties.  When October 1st falls on a Sunday, we do not open until the following weekend. Opening day is October 6th in 2007.

Is Holiday Hollow accessible to the handicapped?

Many individuals in wheelchairs and with other disabilities have enjoyed Holiday Hollow.  The Captain Hook Pirate Show, Talking Pumpkins Show, Fortune Telling Show, Wacky Witch Show, Brew & Bellow Show, Fairy Tale of Sorts, and games and food service are accessible.  The Pirates “Tavern” is accessible, with one shallow step.  Although we hope to accommodate wheelchairs on the Hunt for Jekyll & Hyde show in the future, it is not currently safe for wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, etc.  Cricket Cottage and the Haunted Parlor are not accessible at this time.  We strive to make our handicapped guests feel welcome.  If a wheelchair member of a party needs to wait while others go on the Hunt For Jekyll & Hyde or elsewhere, they can enjoy a free soft drink and popcorn while they’re waiting.  It is our goal, as the years go by, to provide more and more accessible entertainment for our handicapped guests.  Holiday Hall, the theater we use on rainy days, is accessible.

Can we come in costume?

Absolutely!  We’d love it!  We especially enjoy people of all ages who come as pirates!

What’s included in the admission price?

George & Barbara Walker, the owners of Holiday Hollow, remember when they were young parents with four children, trying to find affordable entertainment for the whole family.  They have built a complete "Halloween shire" for you to enter and enjoy without needing to pay anything beyond the admission price.  All of the shows are included!  Parking is free!  (In fact, a single admission to Holiday Hollow is not much more than what some attractions charge for parking.)  Please also see “Are There Extra Charges?”

Are there extra charges?

Depending on your budget, you might enjoy shopping at “Cricket Cottage” or “Treasure Island;” buying lunch or snacks at Admiral Portley’s; having a caricature drawn; purchasing a pumpkin; or playing some of those hilariously creative games.  These are the only extra-charge items!  Again, if you compare us to other theme parks and similar events, we think you’ll be very surprised at how hard we’ve worked to keep our prices for food, games, gifts, etc. very reasonable! 

How do I use the coupon?

Just print out the Prices page that has the coupon on it.  You don’t have to print out the entire website.  (On most computers, you can go to File; then Print; and then select “Current Page,” or just do a “print screen.”)  Coupons cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts. 

Are there group rates and senior rates?

Group and senior discounts vary according to group size.
Please call (585-762-8160) or e-mail us for details.

What’s the best day to come?

It’s GREAT to come early in October, when the crowds are smaller and the fall colors are beautiful.  But at Holiday Hollow, we work hard to make any day a wonderful day and with our new theater, we even do this in rainy weather!

What’s the best time to arrive?

Early!  Please see How Long Will We Stay?, above.  We open at 11:00.  Mid to late afternoon arrivals are not likely to be able to see all the shows and attractions.

What if it rains?

Holiday Hollow is open rain or shine!  Most shows and attractions run regardless of the weather, and in 2006 we built “Holiday Hall,” our first indoor facility, so that most shows can be performed there, including our famous Captain Hook Pirate Show!   In 2004, we built “The Tavern,” across from Admiral Portley’s galley, to provide additional indoor eating spaces. (No alcohol is served.)  Games and "Hunt for Jekyll and Hyde -- an outdoor forest adventure -- may not run in rainy weather. 

Are you open for other holidays?

Actually, that’s why we call it HOLIDAY Hollow.  We will be opening our
CHRISTMAS SHOW in 2009 and hope to open for other holidays in the years ahead. To be added to the mailing list so you’re the first to know the Christmas Show dates, click here and send us your e-mail address and the words “Christmas Show.” (We expect it to sell out early!)  And of course, we will not share your e-mail address with anyone!

You didn’t list my question!

We’re sorry.  We tried to think of everything!  If we haven’t answered your question, please e-mail us at gw3@rochester.rr.com or call us at 585-762-8160.  We’d love to talk with you!