Preston Castle Haunt 2026 runs October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 in Ione, CA. Tickets, what the nighttime walkthrough is like, and how to make a night of it.
The essentials: dates, tickets, location
The Preston Castle Haunt returns for six nights in 2026: Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10; October 16 and 17; and October 23 and 24. It takes place at Preston Castle, the 1890s Romanesque landmark just outside downtown Ione. General admission is $35 and VIP tickets are $50. The Haunt is run by the Preston Castle Foundation, and tickets are booked through their events page at prestoncastle.org/events/. Evenings run roughly 7 to 10 PM, and this is the castle's biggest annual event, so weekend nights sell out.
What the Haunt actually is
Preston Castle was built in the 1890s as the Preston School of Industry, a reform school that operated for decades before sitting abandoned. The foundation has spent years restoring it, and the building's gothic look plus a long reputation for ghost stories make it a natural fit for Halloween. The Haunt is a nighttime walkthrough: you move through the castle's halls and rooms in the dark, with the architecture and the setting doing most of the work. If you have only seen the castle by day, the night version is a completely different experience.
Tickets: what $35 and $50 get you
General admission ($35) covers the walkthrough itself. VIP tickets ($50) are the upgrade for visitors who want the premium experience; check the foundation's events page for exactly what VIP includes this year, since perks can change between seasons. There is no mention of tickets at the door, so the safe move is booking ahead online, especially for the October 9 and 10 opening weekend and the October 23 and 24 closing weekend. Prices and availability are set by the Preston Castle Foundation, not by Explore Amador.
Know before you go
This is an evening event in an old, unheated stone building in October, so bring a layer even if the day was warm. Wear comfortable shoes; the castle has stairs and uneven floors. The walkthrough is not ideal for very young kids, and the atmosphere is genuinely spooky rather than a kid-friendly pumpkin patch. Parking is on-site at the castle, which sits just north of downtown Ione. Arrive a little early for your night, since the grounds themselves are worth seeing as it gets dark.
Make a night of it in Ione
The Haunt starts in the evening, which leaves the afternoon free. Ione is a 10-minute drive from the castle: grab dinner downtown, stroll Main Street, and you are at the gates by dark. Pairing the Haunt with a winery stop earlier in the day is an easy way to build a full Saturday. For the full rundown of the town, see our Ione guide, and check the events calendar for other October happenings around the county.