No other place delivers the most ghoulishly delightful Halloween celebrations as California does. Dare to walk through blood-curdling mazes and legendary haunted mansions filled with shocking surprises; scream at the top of your lungs on terrifying thrill rides; dance the night away in magically-crafted Halloween wonderlands; or score some sweet prizes while trick-or-treating with your little ones – the possibilities are endless! So throw on your spookiest disguise and check out some of California’s Halloween happenings.
GOLD COUNTRY
Fright Planet
Presented by Fright Planet Haunted House and California Exposition & State Fair at Cal Expo, an entire night of scary fun awaits you at this scream-inducing theme park. With ghoul-like attractions, a ScreamMax Theater and spine-chilling mazes, this is the place to come and get scared – if you dare!
Halloween Candlelight Tour
As autumn winds swirl, full moons rise and black cats come out to play, it’s time to book a visit to Winchester Mystery House, one of America’s most legendary haunted mansions. During your visit, you’ll be guided through a brand-new immersive experience where braves souls will discover what the restless spirits have in store for them.
California’s Great America Halloween Haunt
Head down to Northern California’s biggest and scariest Halloween-themed attraction. In addition to the thrilling roller coasters and rides of Great America, Halloween Haunt will bring eight horror-filled mazes and three hair-raising live shows, with three scare zones scattered between the attractions.
CENTRAL COAST
Safe Trick-or-Treat
A spook-tacular seaside will welcome the family at this annual Halloween event, hosted on October 29th, where Ventura Harbor Village provides safe trick-or-treating with visits to local businesses. Festivities include face painting, arts and crafts, arcade games, carousel and pedal-boat rides, and, of course, lots of sweet treats.
DESERTS
5K Halloween Graveyard
Deck out in costume garb, grab your family and friends, and run/walk this Halloween-charged 5K (starting at 8 a.m. sharp on October 29th) that will route you through Palm Springs’ Welwood Murray Cemetery into scenic trails through spook-tacular neighborhoods. Be sure to watch out for frightening surprises as you climb “Haunted Hill”!
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights
Prepare for the scariest Halloween event in Southern California created by the most twisted minds from the studio that invented the horror film genre itself. This year features all-new terrifying mazes, including three demented installments of American Horror Story, and electrifying series of performances courtesy of the award-winning, hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez.
West Hollywood Carnaval
On Halloween night, from 6 to 11 p.m., Santa Monica Boulevard will welcome hundreds of thousands of Halloween revelers, masquerading in spook-tacular costumes and celebrating one of the largest Halloween parties with food and drinks, dancing plus lively entertainment.
ORANGE COUNTY
Knott’s Scary Farm
Halloween enthusiasts can fight off demon samurais whose souls are cursed to rot within the depths of purgatory, take a trip to the blood-soaked barn filled with carnivorous animals, enlist to fight the zombie apocalypse in an all-out war against the undead and do much more at this Knott’s Berry Farm-hosted fright fest.
Knott’s Spooky Farm
This park-wide, family-friendly Halloween celebration, geared for kids ages 3 to 11, will deliver all new fun activities in Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, Boardwalk Ballroom and Camp Snoopy. Live entertainment, trick-or-treating, a costume contest and exclusive festivities honoring the 50th anniversary of the classic animated TV special “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” are also in store.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
SeaWorld San Diego’s Halloween Spectacular
San Diego’s premiere not-to-spooky, family-fun extravaganza allows kids to dance the day away with Tabitha Taffy and Timothy Toffee, trick-or-treat in a sea-inspired atmosphere and adventure through SeaWorld’s fun-filled park in their Halloween best – and make sure to catch the Halloween-themed aquatic shows!
Dos Equis Monster Bash
San Diego’s most epic Halloween festival will transform the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village into a paradise for haunted souls and fabulous freaks. Don’t miss out on this Halloween-takeover, taking place on October 29th, boasting five hauntingly crafted stages that will host over 20 DJs and entertainment acts through the course of the night.
