Haunted Hayride kicks off in Los Angeles with fresh scares
The 15th annual Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is now open select evenings through Oct. 31 in Griffith Park with new mazes, attractions and an upgraded hayride.
People hide from one of the characters on the prowl to scare patrons during the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The town of Midnight Falls is once again filled with monsters, zombies, chainsaw-wielding maniacs and hungry cannibals who are terrorizing visitors at the long-running Los Angeles Haunted Hayride.
“This is pretty much a tradition for us. We already got chased by the crazy chainsaw guy and got lost in the hillbilly house. It’s fun, it’s like a party atmosphere here,” said North Hollywood resident Josh Avanessian, as he exited one or the haunts at the annual event.
The Hayride, which is marking its 15th anniversary this year, opened in late September and runs through Oct. 31 at Griffith Park. It’s a Halloween celebration made up of a trio of mazes that include a walk through a morbid mortuary, a tense stroll through a horrifying neighborhood where there are more tricks than treats and a new haunt that takes people into the home of cannibals.
A character on the prowl to scare patrons during the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrons try their hand at the the Zombie Splat game at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Young horror fans try their hand at axe throwing at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrons navigate through the Midnight Mortuary maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
One of many actors ready to scare patrons in the HellBilly maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrons ride the Haunted Hayride at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Russell Nordstedt, 49, leads Riley Nordstedt, 13, far left, and Lotus Robson, 13, through the Trick or Treat maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
A prop hangs from a tree in the middle of the Midnight Mortuary maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Fans of frights and Halloween gathered at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
A character looks down at patrons at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
A couple ride the Hayride the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Fans of frights and Halloween gathered at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
A character on the prowl inside the Midnight Mortuary maze during at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
One of many actors ready to scare patrons in the HellBilly maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
A character waits in the corner to scare passing patrons in the Trick or Treat maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrons make their way through the Trick or Treat maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The Monte Revolta Show performs at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrons are hit by a smoke machine at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Angel Nodal, 47, of North Hills takes a photo in front of one the characters on the prowl to scare patrons at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Riley Nordstedt, 13, travels through the Trick or Treat maze at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is back inside Griffith Park and running select evenings through Oct. 31. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Haunted Hayride)
The mazes are located at the edge of the fictional town of Midnight Falls where people can take pictures in front of Halloween props or hang out by the main stage and listen to live music from The Monte Revolta Show, a horror-themed musical and comedy revue. There are standalone attractions and, of course, the main event, the hayride through the dark wilderness.
“This year, it’s going to be absolutely epic,” said Victor Mathieu, general manager for the Haunted Hayride. “Overall, across the board, this event has grown and improved drastically. We’re extremely exited about this season.”
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Some of the new elements include changes to the Hayride, which is a little bit scarier with newly added horror scenes and more creepy characters, but it’s also a lot more comfortable. In previous years, people had to sit on a bed of hay spread around the floor of the wagon. Now the wagons are new and include seating in the form of square piles of hay lined along the sides of the wagon.
“Last year, you had to lay down on the wagon, now it’s much better and it was scarier than last year, too, because they had more people coming at you,” said Sun Valley resident Rene Zapien, who was at the Hayride with his wife and two daughters.
While his youngest, four-year-old Trinity, handled the ride pretty well, his 11-year-old daughter Dorothy screamed a few times when creatures popped out at her during the ride.
“Yeah they got me a lot of times. It was good, besides the fact that they really scared me,” she said.
Also new this year is Hellbilly Halloween, a walk-thru haunt that focuses on a cannibalistic family who live in a run-down home that’s filled with bodies, blood and terror. It’s a pretty large haunt that includes various rooms, a lot of turns and heavy fog that can confuse people as they try to find the exit. So, expect to spend some time in this house of horrors.
“It was pretty scary, I was sweating and I was like ‘When is this going to end?’ I was looking for the end because it was a little too long for me, but it was fun,” said Monrovia resident Sofia Lauren as she exited Hellbilly Halloween.
People can also fight back against the zombies in a new attraction dubbed Zombie Splat. It’s similar to a carnival shooting game, but here people are using rapid-fire guns to shoot live actors who are portraying zombies with gelly balls, which are like paint balls, but much softer.
“That was really fun. It kind of gets out your aggressions. I think this may be the only place where you get to fight back against the zombies rather than them sneaking up on you,” said Torrance resident Ryan Wade as he excited Zombie Splat.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: Griffith Park, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles
