Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026. In Mandan, most of the candy has already moved to Friday. The Morton Mandan Law Enforcement Center Trunk or Treat, Edgewood Mandan's trick-or-treating and the trick-or-treat at Dialectic Brewing & Ciderhouse are all on Friday, Oct. 30. Saturday the 31st has the last night of the Haunted Fort and a yard haunt on 34th Avenue NW.
That split matches how Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park has set up the whole month, with separate nights for separate scare levels. Once you see the pattern, October in Mandan stops being one long list. It becomes a choice of which night fits which people in your house.
The Fort Splits October Into Three Scare Levels
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, at 4480 Fort Lincoln Rd, runs three separate Halloween experiences this season. Each one is built for a different tolerance.
- Spookless Nights, Oct. 2 and 3. The Haunted Fort sets were fully open with the lights up and no jump scares, monsters or live actors. Those two nights have already passed, so the gentlest walk-through option is over for 2026.
- Halloween Kids Bash & Little Monsters Hike, Sunday, Oct. 18. The park calls this afternoon "spooky, but not scary."
- Haunted Fort, Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 9 through 31. This is the full-intensity version, recommended for guests 13 and older.
The Haunted Fort ticket page points anyone "not ready for the full scare" toward the Kids Bash or Spookless Night. The fort sorts its visitors by fear level before they arrive, and the rest of Mandan's October calendar ends up sorted the same way.
The Haunted Fort, Read Closely
This is the 24th season. Haunted Fort started in 2002, inspired by reports of unexplained activity that have surrounded the fort since reconstruction of the Custer House began in 1989. This year runs across five weekends: Oct. 9–10, 16–17, 23–24 and 30–31.
The new piece for 2026 is Phantom Battalion Laser Tag, which North Dakota Parks and Recreation calls an "all-new experience." Sessions last 20 minutes, hold up to 20 players and are recommended from age 7. That age line matters. A 9-year-old who is too young for the haunt itself can still play laser tag at the fort on the same night.
Here's what one Friday looked like on the ticket calendar. These are the prices for Oct. 9, and other nights may differ.
| Ticket, Friday, Oct. 9 | Listed price |
|---|---|
| General Admission, 7:30 p.m. entry | $20, shown as $21.85 at checkout |
| Friday Fast Pass General Admission | $39 |
| Ultimate Fear Experience, the VIP tier | $63 |
| Phantom Battalion Laser Tag | $20, shown as $21.85 at checkout |
| Fast Pass plus laser tag combo | $55 |
| Ultimate Fear plus laser tag combo | $78 |
On the Oct. 9 calendar, general admission entry windows ran hourly from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Ultimate Fear window covered 7 to 11 p.m., and laser tag slots began at 7:15 p.m. The VIP tier adds unlimited re-entry for your ticketed evening, priority access and 20% off Haunted Fort merchandise.
There's also a cost the ticket page doesn't list. Every vehicle entering a North Dakota state park needs a valid entrance permit. The daily fee is $7, and an annual permit is $35 for one vehicle. The Haunted Fort ticket description doesn't say whether the permit is included, so ask before you buy.
Read the rules before you buy, too. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable, including for anyone who decides not to go in or leaves early. Children under 6 are not recommended. Halloween masks, full-head coverings, flashlights and phones used for photos or video are all prohibited inside the attractions. The attractions are not wheelchair accessible. A teenager who shows up in a full rubber mask will be taking it off at the gate.
Oct. 18 Is the Family Afternoon at the Fort
Three weeks into the month, the same park runs its family event. The Halloween Kids Bash & Little Monsters Hike goes from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, with last entry at 4:30 p.m.
The lineup:
- A first responders meet and greet with Halloween safety tips and emergency vehicles
- Carnival-style games with candy prizes
- Haunted Custer House tours led by "Custer's ghostly butler," billed as light-hearted and family-friendly
- The Little Monsters Hike, a 2-mile costume walk that meets outside the Commissary at 2 p.m.
Admission and park entrance are both free for families attending, thanks to Marathon Mandan Refinery. That also takes care of the $7 vehicle permit for the day. If you're bringing a toddler, know that the park notes the hike is not stroller-friendly.
In Town, the Lead-Up Runs on Weeknights
Back across the river, Mandan's October calendar fills on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Mandan Cruise Night Car Show runs 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, at Dakota Kustomz.
The next night, Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Mandan Fire Department holds its annual open house with a fire truck parade. The trucks leave the Mandan Rural Fire Station at 34th Street NW at 6:30 p.m. They follow Old Red Trail to Sixth Avenue NW, turn onto Main Street, then take Sixth Avenue NE back to Station 1 on First Street NE. The open house runs 7 to 9 p.m. at Mandan Fire Department Station #1, 110 Collins Ave. Anyone along Old Red Trail or Main Street can watch the parade from the curb before heading to the station.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, OctoberWest, a fundraiser for the Morton Mandan Public Library, starts at 4:30 p.m. at the library.
Friday, Oct. 30, Hour by Hour
This is the day the Saturday Halloween reshuffles. Four events start or run within a few hours of each other, and a fifth picks up at the fort after dark.
- 4 to 6 p.m., Law Enforcement Center Trunk or Treat. This free event at the Morton Mandan Law Enforcement Center has trunks staffed by first responders, agencies and businesses, with candy and emergency vehicles to explore. The 2026 visitors guide lists it on Oct. 31, but the city's dated announcement and its events calendar both say Friday, Oct. 30.
- 4 to 6 p.m., trick-or-treating at Edgewood Mandan. The listing invites guests to come in costume for festive activities, treats and socializing.
- 4 to 8 p.m., Trick or Treat at Dialectic Brewing & Ciderhouse. This one has the longest window of the afternoon, so it fits after either of the first two.
- 7 p.m. on, Haunted Fort. The second-to-last night of the season opens at the state park, so the 13-and-up crowd can head out after the early trick-or-treat events.
- 8 to 11 p.m., Open Dance Night Halloween party at Central Station Bar & Events.
A family with kids of different ages can split this evening. Younger kids hit the 4 p.m. events, and older siblings go to the fort after dinner. All of it happens on a Friday, a night that would normally just be the start of the weekend.
Saturday Belongs to the Older Crowd
Halloween night is the Haunted Fort's final night of 2026. In town, the city calendar lists the Red Trail House of Terrors from 5 to 10 p.m. at 4521 34th Ave NW. Its event listing describes a "spooky trail around the house" and a "haunted garage if you dare," and calls it family fun. The listing doesn't name an organizer or a price, and it tells visitors to sign up for notifications to find out whether tickets are needed. Check that before you go.
If you want dinner before a night at the fort, Chopsticks and Fries opened recently at 4524 Memorial Highway, Suite 108, in the former Grand Junction space. The menu pairs sushi and sashimi with burgers and sandwiches, and the restaurant is closed Sundays. That works for Friday and Saturday fort nights. It doesn't work for the Sunday Kids Bash.
Patrick grew up in Bismarck and keeps track of Mandan's calendar the same way he tracks its streets, block by block and week by week. If Halloween errands have you thinking about which side of the river your next home should be on, Patrick Koski offers a free home valuation and consultation whenever you're ready, after the costumes are put away.
