Theme Park Report
A Petrified Forest will add “Psychosis,” an immersive horror experience centered on therapy, trauma and manifestations of the mind, when the Altamonte Springs, Florida, haunt begins its 19th season on Oct. 2, 2026.
Attractions Magazine reported after attending a preview and behind-the-scenes media event that the experience will begin by asking guests whether they want to be placed inside an enclosed box and sent along an 85-foot track into darkness. The box will then deliver participants into a maze featuring characters and scenes representing trauma and mental disorders.
The experience includes a character named Dr. Draft, who continues the therapy-based storyline. Promotional material says guests will be pursued and tormented by the traumas that shaped them, while representatives at the preview described the different disorders as characters that interact with participants.
“Psychosis” will differ from A Petrified Forest’s traditional outdoor scare trails in several ways. Guests may be touched, grabbed or moved by performers, and groups may be separated during the experience. Participants must sign a waiver, and the attraction will provide a safe word. It is not recommended for guests younger than 13.
Tickets for “Psychosis” will be sold only at the event, and capacity will be limited. The attraction’s name and subject matter also engage with horror’s long-standing use of psychiatric imagery and terminology, including portrayals of mental illness as dangerous. That association was part of the discussion during the preview, according to Attractions Magazine.
The new experience is one of several additions or returning offerings planned for A Petrified Forest’s 2026 season. “Dark Road Riders: The Keeper’s Offering” will bring back the haunt’s interactive escape-ride format with a new storyline. The season’s three main scare trails will be “Drawn to Death,” “The Craving” and “Last Responders.”
A Petrified Forest’s 2026 event will run on select nights from Oct. 2 through Halloween in Altamonte Springs.
