It’s that time of year again when adorable pumpkin patches begin popping up all around and ghosts, goblins and all sorts of other creatures of the night rise to celebrate Halloween.
From kid-friendly hay mazes, carved pumpkin displays and parades to some seriously terrifying pop-up independent haunts, monster-filled hay rides, spooky bars and immersive horror theater productions, there’s a lot of spooky stuff going on.
ALSO SEE: Haunted theme park events in Southern California: What you need to know
Here are 31 of the major Halloween happenings in Southern California.
Real Fear Lives Here
17th Door Haunt Experience
When: Select evenings through Oct. 31
Where: 8420 On The Mall, Buena Park
Tickets: Starting at $34-$48 at The17thdoor.com
This haunt, which moved to a new location in Buena Park this year, is not for the faint of heart. Seriously, it is frightening. The actors can touch you and yell at you. There are also points where you’ll have to crawl on your hands and knees and complete various tasks. There’s also an add-on Field Trip, where a van takes you to some undisclosed location for even more terror.
All Saints Lunatic Asylum
When: 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday on Sept. 29-Oct. 31
Where: 22521 Shawnee Road, Apple Valley
Tickets: $13 at allsaintsasylum.com.
Tour an old, rundown asylum that may or may not still contain some restless spirits in this walk-thru experience that explores the hospital, which was shut down nearly five decades ago.
Castle Dark at Castle Park
When: Select dates through Oct. 29
Where: Castle Park, 3500 Polk Street, Riverside
Tickets: $19.99-$44.99 at castlepark.com
The annual haunt is debuting various new mazes, including one with an all-female cast dubbed Shipwreck Cove. There’s also interactive shows, special tricks and treats. There’s also a family-friendly daytime Dia de los Muertos celebration with live entertainment, trick-or-treating and more every Saturday and Sunday.
Coffin Creek
When: 7 p.m.-Midnight on Fridays-Saturdays; 7 p.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays Oct. 6-29
Where: Riverview Recreation Park, 14600 Baron Drive, Corona.
Tickets: $17-$69 at coffincreek.com
This scary haunt is celebrating its 16th anniversary with five walk-thru mazes where guests will get chased by zombies, trapped in an asylum and in a carnival of nightmares. There’s also a vendor area for those who want to terrorize their wallets.
Fearplex Presents Lights Out
When: 6-11 p.m. select evenings through Oct. 31
Where: Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona
Tickets: $27-$33 for general admission; $29.99 for Lights Out and Oktoberfest combo tickets at fairplex.com/lightsout.
This new attraction is made up of walk-thru mazes infested with zombies, psychotic clowns, circus freaks and a black light experience dubbed Toxic Terror. There will also be live music, lots of food and other treats, a vendor village and a Zombieball (paintball) Experience.
Laguna Niguel Haunted Trails
When: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13-15
Where: Crown Valley Park, 29751 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel
Tickets: $13 in advance or $15 day of at cityoflagunaniguel.org
Walk among the undead and monsters along this city-organized haunted trail. Yes, it can be scary. so it’s not recommended for younger kids.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: Griffith Park, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles
Tickets: $29.99-$119.99 at losangeleshauntedhayride.com
Take a hayride on a wagon through the dark and haunted woods while all sorts of creatures jump out at you. Those who survive can roam around the haunted town of Midnight Falls and enter several themed walk-thru mazes.
ALSO SEE: Halloween 2023: Where to find pumpkin patches in Southern California
Reign of Terror
When: 7 p.m. select evenings Sept. 29-Nov. 4
Where: Reign of Terror, 225 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks
Tickets: $35-$65 at rothauntedhouse.com
This haunt experience features 10 connected mazes and more than 100 separate rooms that will take guests through cemeteries, an asylum, an infected hospital, a haunted mine and a clown-infested funhouse.
ScareScape
When: 6 p.m. select evenings Sept. 29-Oct. 29
Where: Heritage Hill Event Venue, 28701 Los Alamos Heights Road, Murrieta
Tickets: $25-$55 at scarescapehaunt.com
There’s no escaping your phobias at this new haunt located at the top of eerie Heritage Hill. The mazes are centered on common phobias, so expect to walk through total darkness, meet with terrifying clowns and mingle with ghosts inside a haunted house. There’s also a vendor marketplace and a Spirit Lounge Bar with classic circus sideshow performers.
Shaqtoberfest
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
Tickets: $29.99-$109.99 at shaqtoberfest.com
NBA star Shaquille O’Neal hosts this Halloween party that includes a carnival, music and several walk-thru mazes, including one aboard the Queen Mary. There’s also several themed bars, a marketplace, pumpkin patch, a hay maze, live music and pop-up performances.
The Haunted Harvest
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays Sept. 29-Oct. 29
Where: Frosty’s Forest, 14861 Ramona Avenue, Chino
Tickets: $30 at frostysforest.com
This corn maze includes several haunts including one inspired by a popular video store chain, which here is dubbed Hauntbuster, where you’re trapped after hours with the Notflix Killer.
Theatrical Terror
“Angel of Light”
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: Los Angeles Theatre, 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles
Tickets: $59-$84 at feverup.com/m/138323
This theatrical experience will take people back to 1935, putting them in the middle of a story about a hexed girl named Rota Krisha. Expect demonic characters, light projections, music and jump scares.
“Deathtrap”
When: 8 p.m. opening night Wednesday, Oct. 18; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays Oct. 19-Nov. 5
Where: International City Theatre, 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach
Tickets: $35-$89 at ictlongbeach.org
The Tony-nominated comedy thriller is a murder mystery play about a playwright who receives a manuscript from a former student. While he likes the play, he’s not fond of sharing credit.
Delusion: “Nocturnes & Nightmares”
When: Various dates and times through Nov. 12
Where: Phillips Mansion, 2640 Pomona Blvd., Pomona
Tickets: $94.99-$154.99 at enterdelusion.com
The historic Phillips Mansion in Pomona becomes the home of an interactive horror theater experience with a new story dubbed “Nocturnes & Nightmares,” where guests become key players in an hour-long, immersive sinister haunt.
“Frankenstein 1930”
When: 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 21
Where: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Tickets: $20-$30 at lbplayhouse.org
The classic horror tale comes to the stage with a stone walled laboratory, angry villagers and an unexpected new ending.
The Vampire Circus
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: The Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine Street, Hollywood
Tickets: $44-$49 at thevampirecircusexperience.com
Bloodsuckers have taken over this circus of horror. The vampires mix acrobatic performances, dance and macabre theatrical performances in an all-ages show.
Urban Death Tour Of Terror
When: Various times Fridays-Mondays through Oct. 31
Where: Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
Tickets: Tickets are $22-$27 at zombiejoes.com
Known for dark and disturbing, yet fascinating theatrical performances, the company’s “Urban Death” show will bring the guests face to face with monsters and spirits.
Fun Frights
Anaheim Fall Festival
When: 11 a.m. Oct. 28
Where: Downtown Anaheim at Anaheim Blvd. and Broadway Street
Tickets: Free admission. Get more information at anaheimfallfestival.org
The festival and parade takes place at downtown Anaheim and Anaheim City Hall. There will be themed food booths and trucks and a kid-friendly haunted house. The festival starts at 11 a.m. and runs through 6 p.m. The parade begins at 7 p.m.
Boney Island
When: 6-8 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays and Oct. 30 and 31
Where: Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
Tickets: $25 per person and $20 for members at nhm.org/boney-island-nhm
The museum’s Nature Gardens transforms into a haunting and whimsical interactive light-up show. Expect to see skeletons performing rope tricks and levitating through hoops and shadow puppetry.
Halloween Bu-Bash
When: 2-4 p.m. Oct. 27
Where: Bluff’s Park, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
Tickets: $8 per child at malibucity.org
This Halloween celebration is for the very little ones and includes carnival games, a costume contest, face painting and trick-or-treating.
Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns
When: Various dates and times through Oct. 31
Where: Whittier Narrows Park, 750 S. Santa Anita Ave., South El Monte
Tickets: Tickets start at $19.99 for children and $24.99 for adults at magicofthejackolanterns.com
All ages larger-than-life pumpkin experience with hand-carved jack-‘o-lanterns, light displays and a walk-thru a nautical seascape. There’s also various food vendors, bars and a build-your-own s’mores experience.
Nights of the Jack
When: Open select evenings 6-10 p.m. Sept. 29-Oct. 31
Where: King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas
Tickets: $39.99-$64.99 at nightsofthejack.com
An immersive Halloween experience featuring a nearly one mile walking trail lined with thousands of carved jack-‘o-lanterns and light displays. There’s also photos ops, pumpkin carving demonstrations, kids activities, popular Los Angeles-area food trucks and pop-up bars with theme cocktails and more.
Tunnel of Terror Haunted Car Wash
When: 6-10 p.m. various dates Oct. 5-30
Where: Big Wave Car Wash, 2219 Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim and Carwood Car Wash, 2729 E. Carson Street, Lakewood
Tickets: $30-$40 per car at thehauntedcarwash.com
Get scared and your car clean as you cruise through the car wash, which is filled with creepy performers, props and special effects and new scary surprises each night.
Creepy Cons
Horrorcon Los Angeles
When: Noon-7 p.m. Sept. 30-Oct. 1
Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
Tickets: $31-$57 at horrorconla.com
Meet celebrities, check out vendors selling all sorts of horror related goods and listen in on panels. Cosplayers are welcome so dress up as your favorite horror figure.
Son of Monsterpalooza
When: 6-11 p.m. Oct. 13 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 14-15
Where: The Marriott Burbank Hotel, 2500 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank
Tickets: $35-$75 at monsterpalooza.com
This horror convention includes Halloween vendors, movie screenings, panels, costume contests and celebrity appearances by genre icons like “Evil Dead” director Sam Raimi, Cassandra Peterson as Elvira Mistress of the Dark, “Chucky” star Devon Sawa, Harvey Guillen of “What We Do in the Shadows” and others.
Halloween: 45 Years of Terror
When: 10 a.m. tour on Sept. 29; 11-7 p.m. show on Sept. 30; 11-5 p.m. show on Oct. 1
Where: Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena
Tickets: $30-$60 halloween45.com
This convention celebrates the 45th anniversary of the slasher classic “Halloween.” Many of the cast members from all of the franchise movies will be there and there will be a tour of filming locations as well since the movie was made in Pasadena.
Dark Dates
Black Lagoon
When: Open nightly with various timeslots Oct. 1-31
Where: Lost Property Bar, 1704 Vine Street, Los Angeles
Tickets: $25 at Instagram.com/blacklagoonla
This Halloween pop-up bar mixes drinks with terror with themed cocktails, people dressed up in spooky outfits and there’s live entertainment.
Beetle House L.A.
When: Open nightly
Where: Beetle House, 7080 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
Tickets: $60 for adults; $22 for children under 12; Reservations after 9:30 p.m. are for 21-and-older only at beetlehousela.com
This Halloween-themed restaurant is inspired by horror culture and magic. There’s various horror-themed food and drinks and ever-changing dining room shows including magicians, singers and sideshow acts. It gets busy, so make a reservation.
Street Food Cinema’s Boo-Ze, Bites & Frights
When: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20-21
Where: Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer Street, Los Angeles
Tickets: $34 at streetfoodcinema.com
Street Food Cinema presents the two-night Boo-ze, Bites & Frights events with a double header of horror films each night, adult trick-or-treating, drinks, a DJ spinning spooky vibes, photo ops and guided tours of hauntingly beautiful Victorian mansions. Come dressed up.
The Spirit Lounge
When: Various dates and timeslots through Nov. 11
Where: The Set, 10555 Mills Ave., Montclair
Tickets: $20 at experiencetheset.com
This horror themed bar turns into the Macabre Manor for Halloween where guests can step into a haunted mansion for photo ops and drink high-end themed cocktails.
Thriller Nights: A Throwback Horror Party
When: 7-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Sept. 29-Oct. 31
Where: Anaheim Garden Walk, 400 Disney Way, Suite 199, Anaheim
Tickets: $50-$125 at room2party.com
This Halloween party is for lovers of ’80s and ’90s horror flicks. Expect to see horror film villains stalking the party, as well as photo ops that recreate movie scenes, themed cocktails and a DJ rocking retro hits. The event is 21-and-older only.
