Most Common Questions:

Q. What is The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze?

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a walk-through experience of thousands of hand-carved pumpkins in elaborate displays that light up the night at two historic locations in New York. At Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson and Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, larger-than-life installations, along with synchronized lighting, create a magical, family-friendly experience for all ages.

Q. How long have you been doing this?

Blaze began in 2005 and has gotten bigger and better every fall.

Q. What time can I arrive?

Visitors can park in our free parking lots 30 minutes before their ticketed time. Please do not arrive earlier than this. You will be turned away.

Q. Where do I park?

There is safe, secure, and free parking on-site at our events.

Q. What’s your exchange policy?

Tickets are exchangeable to another date/time slot if that date/time has availability, up to 24 hours in advance of your reserved time slot. There is a $2.50 per ticket exchange fee.

More details: Historic Hudson Valley’s Ticket Refund and Exchange Policy

Q. What if there’s bad weather?

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is held rain or shine! If you elect not to attend, your tickets are neither refundable nor exchangeable. In poor weather, ticket holders should consult local weather forecasts for their own area and make their own determination about whether to set out for the evening’s event. An event may be canceled by Historic Hudson Valley if, in its sole judgment, extreme weather or other conditions could jeopardize the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff. If Historic Hudson Valley cancels before the event, we will issue refunds, exchanges, or vouchers to those who purchased tickets for the affected day and time.

More details: Weather Policy

Q. What’s a FLEX ticket?

Exclusive and in very short supply, these VIP tickets get you access to Blaze on ANY night, EVEN if the event is SOLD OUT! You can walk right in with these one-time use tickets, but the benefits don’t stop there. At Blaze: Hudson Valley, enjoy a complimentary alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink of your choice PLUS a snack. At Blaze: Long Island, take home complimentary souvenirs available exclusively for FLEX ticket holders!

Q. Is Blaze accessible?

Blaze is handicapped accessible, as there are no stairs to negotiate through the installation. However, there are some narrow and sloped paths and it is a walk-through experience along uneven, unpaved, soft-surface terrain, which may feature gravel or woodchips.

Handicapped parking is available, but your car must display a handicapped placard or plate.

Q. Are strollers allowed?

Strollers are permitted, but keep in mind that strollers which are particularly wide may not fit through some of the site’s more narrow passageways.

Q. How long is the Blaze experience?

Most visitors take about 45 minutes to walk through the experience.

Q. How many jack o’lanterns are there?

You’ll find more than 7,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns lit up throughout the landscape.

Q. Are those real pumpkins?

Many are real and some are Funkin “art pumpkins.” But every single jack o’lantern is individually hand-carved on site by our team.

Q. Does Blaze have an official soundtrack?

Yes! In fact, two volumes of soundtrack! Blaze: The Soundtrack, Volume I and II both feature more than 60 minutes of music from, about, and inspired by Blaze, created by recording artist, radio personality and Halloween fanatic Richard Christy. You’ll hear all original music throughout the experience

Q. Are pets allowed?

Sorry, but no. Blaze is for humans only. Service animals will be accommodated.

Q. Is this event appropriate for my young child? How scary is it?

Blaze is suitable for a general audience. While there are some elements that are spooky, this is not a haunted tour, so there will be no goblins or ghouls jumping out to scare the wits out of the youngsters. Families with young children may want to choose an earlier time slot, when it’s not so dark.

Q. Can I take pictures?

Photography and video recording for personal use are permitted. No tripods, monopods, or drones are allowed on the site and NO storage is available for these items. You will not be allowed to enter with these items so you must leave them in your car or at home.

Q. Who does The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze benefit?

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a fund-raiser for Historic Hudson Valley, a not-for-profit cultural and educational organization based in the Hudson Valley. Proceeds from Blaze ticket sales support our educational programs, which you can learn more about here.