YONGIN, South Korea — What begins as a wildlife expedition at Everland can take a dramatic turn after sunset.
South Korea’s Everland has launched its 2026 autumn lineup, pairing a new walking safari experience with an immersive zombie-themed attraction that transforms part of the theme park into a cinematic horror world.
The seasonal program opened on September 12 and runs through November 22, giving visitors a chance to experience two very different sides of the park in a single day.
Walk among wildlife instead of watching from a vehicle
The daytime centerpiece is Wild Savanna Expedition, which takes visitors into Everland’s Lost Valley ecological safari area on foot.
Unlike the traditional safari experience viewed from a vehicle, the approximately 1-kilometer walking route gives visitors a closer look at wildlife while incorporating commentary from zookeepers.
The expedition features around 15 species, including giraffes, elephants and rhinoceroses. Visitors who complete the course can also receive an expedition certificate.
The walking safari is an expanded version of a trial program Everland operated earlier this year. According to Seoul Economic Daily, that trial attracted roughly 350,000 visitors, encouraging the park to develop the experience further for the autumn season.
Then the park gets a lot darker
After 4 p.m., the atmosphere changes dramatically with Blood City Zero: Hell Gate, Everland’s latest immersive horror attraction.
The experience marks the 10th anniversary of the park’s Blood City horror franchise and was developed in collaboration with Korean film director Lee Seok-hoon, known for films including The Pirates and Confidential Assignment 2: International.
Rather than watching a conventional stage show, visitors become part of the story.
They are cast as White Z operatives attempting to survive a fictional zombie outbreak led by a character known as Dark X. The attraction is divided into five themed areas: Hell Gate, Laboratory Out of Control, Circus of Madness, Bloodstained Schoolyard and Platform of Doom.
The experience also features live performances, interactive missions and large zombie characters, with the entire area functioning as an outdoor performance space.
Samsung C&T describes it as Korea’s first large-scale outdoor immersive horror performance of its kind.
A different kind of theme-park experience
The contrast is what makes Everland’s 2026 autumn lineup stand out.
During daylight hours, visitors can explore a safari environment and observe animals with educational elements. As evening arrives, the same theme park shifts toward theatrical horror, interactive storytelling and live entertainment.
The concept reflects a broader move in theme parks toward experience-driven attractions, where visitors are encouraged to participate in the story rather than simply watch it.
Everland says more than 10 million visitors have experienced its horror programs since their debut in 2017, highlighting the long-running popularity of its seasonal horror offerings.
The park also generated significant online attention ahead of the new attraction: promotional material for Blood City Zero: Hell Gate reportedly surpassed 1 million combined views within three days of its August launch.
For Everland, the result is an autumn attraction with two very different identities: wildlife exploration by day and cinematic horror after dark.
And that transformation may be exactly what turns an ordinary theme-park visit into an all-day adventure.
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