When darkness falls, the scares begin…

Join us at Scott’s of Southend for an evening of spine tingling scares, live entertainment and pumpkin picking after dark. This event is strictly for guests aged 18 and over.

Event Details

Friday 23 October 2026
8pm to 10.30pm
Last admission: 9pm
Location: Scott’s of Southend Garden Centre

Advance booking is essential. Tickets will not be available on the door.

NEW for 2026: The Plagued Parish

A village consumed by plague. A parish abandoned by hope. And you, caught in the middle.

Step inside the garden centre and enter The Plagued Parish, our new immersive scare maze featuring 10 live scare actors. Encounter the desperate inhabitants of this cursed village, where every corner could bring you face to face with something sinister.

Your prayers may not save you. Will you make it out?

What’s Included?

Your admission ticket includes:

• Entry to The Plagued Parish immersive scare maze inside the garden centre
• Access to the Pumpkin Patch for pumpkin picking after dark
• Our skeleton DJ
• Encounters with reptiles, snakes, mammals, birds and bugs
• A spectacular fire performance
• Access to the outdoor Maize Maze at night
• Atmospheric photo opportunities
• The chance to see our baby Highland cows in their paddock

Pumpkins are purchased separately and are not included in your admission ticket.

Additional extras

Make even more of your evening with:

• Food and drink from Essex Foodies Market
• Hair braiding
• Personalised trucker hats
• Pumpkins to take home
• The Shock Chair experience

Additional charges apply to all extras.

T&C's

Scott’s After Dark 2026

Ticket and Entry Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to Scott’s After Dark,
featuring The Plagued Parish indoor live scare attraction, taking place inside
the main Scott’s of Southend Garden Centre on Friday 23 October 2026 from 20:00
until 22:30.

By purchasing or using a ticket, you agree to these Terms
and Conditions. The person making a group booking accepts these conditions on
behalf of everyone included in the booking and must ensure that all guests have
read them before attending.

1. Age restriction

Scott’s After Dark is strictly for guests aged 18 and
over.

All guests must bring an original and valid form of
photographic identification. Accepted identification includes a passport, UK
photocard driving licence or valid PASS-accredited proof-of-age card.

Photographs or copies of identification will not be
accepted.

Anyone unable to provide satisfactory identification will
be refused entry without a refund, regardless of whether they are accompanied
by another adult.

2. Tickets and advance booking

All tickets must be booked online in advance. Tickets
will not be available to purchase at the entrance.

A valid ticket is required for every guest, except an
eligible carer holding a correctly booked complimentary carer ticket.

Tickets are sold in limited price releases. All ticket
releases provide the same event entry and inclusions. The price increases as
each allocation sells out.

Guests are responsible for checking their booking details
before completing their purchase. Booking mistakes cannot always be corrected.

The ticket price and any applicable booking fees will be
displayed before payment is completed.

3. Refunds, transfers and rescheduling

Tickets are sold for a leisure event taking place on a
specific date. There is no statutory 14-day cooling-off period for this type of
booking.

Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be moved to another
event because the customer has changed their mind, can no longer attend,
arrives late, fails to bring valid identification or is refused entry for
breaching these conditions.

Tickets must not be resold for profit or through an
unauthorised resale platform. Any permitted name change or transfer must be
approved by Scott’s in advance.

Nothing in these terms affects the customer’s statutory
rights where Scott’s cancels the event or makes a material change to what was
purchased.

4. Complimentary carer tickets

One complimentary carer ticket may be booked for an
eligible carer accompanying a guest who requires their support.

The person receiving care must have a paid After Dark
ticket in the same booking. Both people must enter the event together.

When booking, the carer must select the form of
supporting identification they intend to bring. The original valid document
selected during booking, such as a recognised carer identification card or
current Disability Living Allowance documentation, must be presented at the
entrance.

The complimentary ticket will not be valid if the
required documentation is not provided or the carer is not accompanying the
paid ticket holder.

A complimentary carer ticket does not include a pumpkin
or any separately charged attraction, product, food or service.

5. Arrival, last entry and admission

Guests should arrive early enough to allow time for
parking, walking to the entrance, identification checks, bag searches and
ticket scanning.

Last entry is strictly 21:00. The entrance will close at
21:00 sharp.

To be admitted, guests must be physically present within
the official event entrance queue before 21:00. Being in the car park,
elsewhere on the site or travelling to the event does not count as being in the
entrance queue.

Guests arriving after 21:00 will not be admitted. Tickets
will not be refunded, transferred or rescheduled where admission is missed
because a guest arrives late.

Guests who joined the official entrance queue before
21:00 may still be admitted after this time while the remaining identification,
security and ticket checks are completed.

Scott’s reserves the right to control admission and
manage queues, capacities and access to individual areas for safety and
operational reasons.

Entry to the event does not guarantee immediate entry to
The Plagued Parish. Guests may be given a timed attraction-entry window, queue
instruction or coloured wristband to control the flow through the attraction.

All instructions given by event staff, security
personnel, attraction operators and emergency services must be followed.

6. Security and prohibited items

All guests may be required to undergo an identification
check and bag search before admission. Refusal to cooperate will result in
entry being refused without a refund.

Security guards, a security dog handler and security dogs
will be present at the event.

The following must not be brought onto the site:

• Weapons or items that could reasonably be used as
weapons

• Illegal drugs or controlled substances

• Alcohol purchased outside the event

• Fireworks, flares, smoke devices or explosives

• Laser pens

• Glass bottles or other dangerous containers

• Replica weapons or realistic imitation weapons

• Any item considered dangerous or inappropriate by security

Illegal or dangerous items may be confiscated and
reported to the police.

7. Behaviour and removal from the event

Scott’s operates a zero-tolerance policy towards
violence, aggression, harassment, abuse, discrimination and threatening or
antisocial behaviour.

Guests must not touch, threaten, deliberately frighten,
obstruct or behave aggressively towards performers, animals, staff, security
personnel or other visitors.

Guests must not damage, climb on, remove or interfere
with displays, scenery, props, barriers, lighting, electrical equipment or
animal enclosures.

Anyone who appears intoxicated, is under the influence of
illegal drugs, behaves dangerously or fails to follow instructions may be
refused entry or removed from the event without a refund.

Serious incidents may be reported to the police.

8. The Plagued Parish indoor scare attraction

The Plagued Parish is an intense live scare attraction
situated inside the main garden centre.

It includes:

• Darkness and low visibility

• Live scare performers

• Sudden and close-range scares

• Loud and unexpected noises

• Strobe and flashing lighting

• Smoke, fog and theatrical effects

• Disturbing characters and imagery

• Confined or enclosed-feeling sections

• Narrow, darkened routes and changes in flooring

• Indoor theatrical sets, props and controlled special effects

The performers may approach guests closely and attempt to
startle them. Guests must not touch, strike, push or deliberately make physical
contact with a performer.

Running, pushing, overtaking, climbing on scenery or
leaving the marked route is prohibited.

Guests must remain with their group and follow all
instructions given by attraction staff and performers.

Scott’s may refuse access to The Plagued Parish where
staff reasonably believe that entry could present a danger to the guest,
performers, staff or other visitors.

9. Health and attraction suitability

The Plagued Parish is designed to be frightening and may
be physically or psychologically demanding.

The attraction may not be suitable for guests with:

• Heart or circulatory conditions

• Epilepsy or sensitivity to flashing lights

• Asthma or respiratory conditions

• Claustrophobia or fear of darkness

• Limited mobility or balance difficulties

• A nervous disposition or severe anxiety

• A condition affected by loud noises, smoke, fog or sudden scares

• Pregnancy

• A recent injury, operation or other relevant medical condition

Guests are responsible for considering their own health
and deciding whether the experience is suitable for them. Anyone uncertain
about their suitability should seek appropriate medical advice before
attending.

Safety warnings and attraction restrictions must be read
and followed. Choosing not to enter The Plagued Parish because of a disclosed
warning or personal condition will not normally qualify the ticket holder for a
refund.

A safe word of MY LITTLE PONY can be communicated to any
of the team, including the scare actors at any time and you will be removed from
the scare zone into a safe zone to be checked over by our first aid team.

Nothing in these terms excludes Scott’s responsibility
where it would be unlawful to do so.

10. Accessibility

The main garden centre is indoors and generally
accessible.

The Plagued Parish takes place indoors within a specially
created, darkened route. Conditions may include low visibility, narrow
sections, theatrical scenery, props, special effects, changes in flooring and
emergency lighting.

The Plagued Parish may not be suitable for every
wheelchair or mobility-aid user. Guests with accessibility requirements are
encouraged to contact Scott’s before booking so that the available access
arrangements and reasonable adjustments can be discussed.

A complimentary carer ticket does not guarantee that
every attraction will be suitable or accessible to the guest receiving care.

11. Weather and attraction availability

Scott’s After Dark and The Plagued Parish take place
inside the main garden centre. Guests may still need to walk outdoors between
the car park and the event entrance and should dress appropriately for the
weather.

The indoor attraction is not normally affected by typical
autumn weather. However, access to the site, any outdoor queueing areas and any
separately advertised outdoor entertainment may be affected by severe weather
or unsafe external conditions.

Scott’s may temporarily delay, alter, restrict or close
an attraction where reasonably necessary because of:

• Severe weather, flooding, thunder, lightning or unsafe
access conditions

• Unsafe conditions in the car park, entrance or external queueing areas

• Fire or another emergency

• Technical or electrical faults

• Performer, animal or supplier availability

• Capacity or crowd-management requirements

• Instructions from the emergency services or another competent authority

• Any other health, safety or operational concern

The temporary closure of one supporting attraction will
not automatically entitle the ticket holder to a refund where the overall event
continues substantially as advertised.

If Scott’s cancels the entire event or makes a material
change to the main experience, affected customers will be contacted and offered
the appropriate remedy in accordance with their legal rights. This may include
transferring the booking where a suitable alternative is available or receiving
a refund.

Scott’s is not responsible for customers’ travel,
accommodation or other personal costs arising from a cancellation or change,
except where the law requires otherwise.

12. Event programme and performers

Published performance times, activities, animals, traders
and entertainment are subject to operational availability.

Scott’s will take reasonable steps to provide the
advertised experience but may substitute or alter supporting entertainment
where necessary.

Fire performances may be delayed or cancelled where
weather or safety conditions make them unsafe.

13. Pumpkins

Pumpkins are not included in the ticket price and can be
bought additionally. 

14. Animals

Highland cows must only be viewed from the designated
public areas.

Guests must not enter an animal enclosure, climb over
barriers, touch an animal without permission or attempt to feed any animal.

Instructions from handlers and event staff must be
followed immediately.

Animal appearances may be changed, interrupted or
cancelled if required for the animal’s health, welfare or safety.

Pets are not permitted at After Dark. Assistance-dog
users should contact Scott’s before booking because the event includes
livestock, wolf dogs, security dogs, loud noises, fire, smoke and scare
performers. Scott’s will discuss available reasonable adjustments and safe
arrangements.

15. Shock Chair experience

The theatrical Shock Chair experience is not included in
the After Dark admission ticket and requires a separate payment.

Participation is subject to the operator’s safety rules,
health restrictions and capacity. The operator may refuse participation where
there is a safety concern.

Guests must read the attraction-specific warnings before
purchasing or participating. Paying for After Dark does not guarantee the
availability or suitability of the Shock Chair experience.

16. Food, drink and additional purchases

Food, drinks, marshmallow roasting, hair braiding, pumpkins,
custom trucker hats, merchandise and other optional products or services carry
an additional charge.

Opening times, menus, products and availability are
controlled by the relevant concession or trader and may change.

Guests must disclose relevant allergies directly to the
food trader before purchasing. Scott’s cannot guarantee that independent
traders operate in an allergen-free environment.

Any alcohol available at the event may only be sold and
consumed in accordance with the premises licence and Challenge 25 requirements.

17. Photography, filming and CCTV

Photography and filming may take place for promotional,
security and operational purposes.

CCTV is in operation across parts of the site.

Guests may take personal photographs in permitted areas
but must not interfere with operations, block routes, use prohibited equipment
or photograph another person in an intrusive or inappropriate manner.

Flash photography, filming or mobile phone use may be
restricted inside The Plagued Parish where it could affect safety, performers
or the experience of other guests.

Anyone who does not wish to appear in identifiable
promotional photography should make a member of staff aware on arrival. Where
reasonably possible, Scott’s will take steps to respect the request.

18. Personal belongings and parking

Guests are responsible for their own belongings. Scott’s
is not responsible for loss, theft or damage except where caused by Scott’s
negligence or where liability cannot legally be excluded.

Parking is provided for event guests, subject to
availability and staff direction. Vehicles and their contents are left at the
owner’s risk, except where loss or damage is caused by Scott’s negligence.

Guests must not leave valuables unattended and must
follow all parking and traffic-management instructions.

19. Emergencies and first aid

Guests who feel unwell, become distressed or wish to
leave an attraction should alert the nearest performer, marshal, security
officer or member of staff.

In an emergency, guests must stop, remain calm and follow
staff or emergency-service instructions.

A safe word of MY LITTLE PONY can be communicated to any
of the team, including the scare actors at any time and you will be removed from
the scare zone into a safe zone to be checked over by our first aid team.

Emergency routes, exits, gates and fire equipment must
not be obstructed or interfered with.

20. Liability and statutory rights

Scott’s will take reasonable steps to operate the event
safely and provide the services purchased with reasonable care and skill.

Guests remain responsible for following warnings,
assessing whether an attraction is suitable for them and taking reasonable care
of themselves and others.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions limits or excludes
liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or any other
liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded.

Nothing in these terms affects the customer’s statutory
rights.

21. Governing law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of
England and Wales.

If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or
unenforceable, the remaining terms will continue to apply.

Scott’s failure to enforce a condition on one occasion
does not prevent it from enforcing that condition on another occasion.

22. Acceptance of the terms

By purchasing or using a ticket for Scott’s After Dark,
the ticket purchaser and every member of their booking confirm that they have
read, understood and accepted these Terms and Conditions.