Fall is here, and in addition to all the pumpkin treats, it means that Halloween is just around the corner, and Los Angeles is ready to bring on the spooky festivities. Sure, you could spend Fright Night streaming scary movies or organizing Halloween activities for the kids at home, but we recommend checking out one (or more!) of the many fun things to do out on the town, in addition to all the pumpkin patches for kids. Enjoy an immersive haunted house experience, or just explore some of Los Angeles’ actual haunted places. Whether you’re looking for a terrifying haunted house (like Delusion), a family-friendly jack-o-lantern display (think: Nights of the Jack) or a drive-through scream fest like Tunnel of Terror, we’ve got you covered with the best Halloween events and activities in Los Angeles for 2023.
The 22 Best Halloween Events in Los Angeles, from Drive-Throughs to Haunted Houses
Whether you want seriously spooky events for the grown-ups or some family-fun Halloween activities for the kids
- Location: Anaheim and Lakewood
- Dates: Thursday through Saturday, October 5 to October 30
The Tunnel of Terror back to two locations this year, although it’s moving its Fontana operations to Lakewood. It's worth the drive to Anaheim or Lakewood to experience a haunted car wash in which ghouls tease, taunt and torment you even while you're in line to enter the soapy and scary drive-through. While we don't recommend this one for the littles, in case it forever scars them from going through a car wash again, but for tweens and up it's a fast and fun jump-scare experience that will leave you with great snaps for social media and a shinier vehicle, all starting from $30 per car.
- Location: Calabasas
- Dates: Select dates, September 29 to October 31
Stroll through the King Gillette Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway at this event that's appropriate for all ages. There are thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns arranged in various themes, from local sites (like the Hollywood sign) to classic Fright Night displays (like a cemetery). We recommend having your kid put on their costume before you go, so you’ll have some great pics for the family album (and look like you actually made an effort this Halloween, even if the night itself turns out to be a bust).
- Location: Duarte
- Dates: October 31
The Duarte Parks & Recreation Department is once again sponsoring this annual, family-friendly event. The festivities will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday October 31 at the five-acre Royal Oaks Park. There will be trick-or-treating stations, zombies, and even prizes for the best costumes in different age groups. Happy Halloween!
4. Vampirates
- Location: Buena Park
- Dates: Select nights, September 16 to October 31
Pirates Dinner Adventures has been entertaining folks in Buena Park for a while now, but did you know that for Halloween they do a special show called Vampirates? The family-friendly ghoulish pirate show includes a three-course dinner starting from $68.95 per adult and $41.95 for children. They’ll also have face painting and costume contests.
- Location: Glendale
- Dates: Every Friday and Saturday in October, plus Monday, October 31
Enjoy the great outdoors...well, a former Sears parking lot...with other horror film lovers at this makeshift drive-in theater which has food vendors and is showing classic spooky films every weekend for the entire month of October. Two showings a night are scheduled (6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) and there is a good mix of family-friendly flicks like The Nightmare Before Christmas and bloodier films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
- Location: Los Angeles
- Dates: Select nights, September 22 to October 31
One of LA’s favorite family Halloween attractions for more than a decade, the Haunted Hayride is back again at Griffith Park this year. There will be the iconic wagon hayride (of course), and guests can also walk around the fictional town of Midnight Falls for trick-or-treating and scare zones, tour the mortuary and more. Monte Revolta and His Band of the Living Dead will also be entertaining guests with 30-minute shows every night.
7. House Of Spirits: A Haunted Soiree
- Location: Los Angeles
- Dates: Select nights, October 6 to 31
What makes a Halloween haunted house experience even better? Some cocktails, of course. At House of Spirits, guests can sip on drinks while exploring a haunted, abandoned theatre. Just enjoy the ambiance if you’re skittish, or venture deeper and interact with the actors and props if you’re adventurous. Four miniature cocktails are included with a standard ticket, but you can upgrade your ticket for more, and additional food and drinks will be available for purchase.
8. Delusion
- Location: Pomona
- Dates: Select nights, September 21 to November 12
The immersive experience Delusion first launched in 2011 and continues to be the leader of interactive theater. This year, Delusion will put on a play called Nocturnes and Nightmares. The interactive play will start at the designated check-in times and lasts roughly 90 minutes, but guests are allowed to explore the manor and grounds for as long as they want (between opening and closing times). There will also be a full bar and food offerings for those planning to make this their full night outing.
- Location: La Canada Flintridge
- Dates: October 7 to 31
For one of the less spooky Halloween activities in Los Angeles on our list, Descanso Gardens will be lit up with hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns this fright night season. In addition to the mile-long trail of glowing pumpkins and the opportunity to enjoy the garden itself at night, there will be Halloween-themed sculptures, parking carving demonstrations, a hay maze and harvest-themed food and drink offerings.
10. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Organ, Film & Music
- Location: Downtown L.A.
- Dates: October 31
The Walt Disney Concert Hall holds a showing of a horror film classic accompanied by organ on Halloween night and this year they’re showing the 1925 silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera. The film will be accompanied by the concert hall’s monster pipe organ, played by Clark Wilson, one of the most prominent organ virtuosos and conservators. The concert starts at 8 p.m., so there’s time to grab an early pre-show dinner.
- Location: Downtown LA
- Dates: October 13, 21, 27, 28
Gather your girlfriends for a classy and a little spooky afternoon tea celebration of All Hallow’s Eve. The underground bar Lilly Rose at Wayfarer DTLA is serving up a special high tea menu for the month of October with Spooky Tea, featuring ghoulish treats and cocktails. The Spooky Tea will be available with seatings at 12, 2, and 4 p.m. and costs $65 per person. Costumes welcome.
12. Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights
- Location: Universal City
- Dates: Select nights, September 7 to October 31
The theme parks are back with a full lineup of Halloween events this year, and Universal Studios will have their Halloween Horror Nights on select nights starting from September 8 to October 31. In addition to the rides, there will be more than half a dozen haunted mazes with themes like Stranger Things and The Last of Us. The tram tour is also transformed into The Terror Tram complete with actors jumping at the tram to scare you.
13. BeetleHouse
- Location: Hollywood
- Dates: Open year-round
Technically, every day is Halloween at BeetleHouse, a Tim Burton-themed bar in Hollywood, but Halloween weekend is certainly a good excuse to finally check out this spot and hang out with Beetlejuice. From the decor to the costumed live performers, there is plenty of Instagram fodder at this fun spot. It’s more about the experience than the food here, but rest assured the food and cocktail presentations are on theme. Reservations for dinner are a must, although the bar is first-come first-served.
- Location: Hollywood
- Dates: October 1 to October 31
Black Lagoon is a cocktail pop-up for horror lovers created by two well-known bartenders, Erin Hayes from Los Angeles and Kelsey Ramage from Toronto, with themed cocktails in custom glassware. The two first did their pop-up at Tales of the Cocktail and it was so popular they decided to bring it to nine cities this October. In Los Angeles, Black Lagoon will be popping up at Lost Property Bar in Hollywood, which will be decked out in spookiness.
15. The Willows
- Location: Los Angeles
- Dates: September 22 to October 29
The Willows from JFI Productions has combined the haunted house and dinner theater experiences and elevated it to a new level. The part-interactive, part-theatrical performance experience takes place in a 10,000 square-foot mansion with a group limited to just 18 guests. Each session is two hours long and includes passed appetizers and drinks. The Willows is the brainchild of the people behind Creep LA and has become such a popular production and tickets sell out quickly every year.
16. Fangs
- Location: Altadena
- Dates: September 30 to November 6
This immersive theater experience is hosted by the Downtown Repertory Theater Company who previously put on a similar immersive show called Witch! In this Halloween-themed event, guests will have one-on-one encounters with performers and explore a haunted mausoleum and abandoned chapel. Complimentary drinks will be offered before the show, and comfortable clothing and walking shoes are recommended (we’re serious about the exploring part). Masks are required.
17. Shaqtoberfest
- Location: Long Beach
- Dates: Select nights, September 28 to October 31
There’s a new Halloween fest down in Long Beach this year and it came by way of Shaq—yes, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaqtoberfest will take place next to the famously haunted Queen Mary and there will be everything from a pumpkin patch, street carnival with games and rides, trick-or-treating stations, and more. The festival will be family friendly during the day and turn into one geared towards adults at night.
18. Bob Baker’s Halloween Spooktacular
- Location: Los Angeles
- Dates: September 16 to November 5
Bob Baker Marionette Theater is the oldest children’s theater company in Los Angeles and one of the few remaining marionette theaters left. Halloween is a great time to check out the puppetry at this theater, whether or not it is your first time. The theater will be performing a family-friendly Halloween Spooktacular, an hour-long show with over one hundred puppets. Costumes are encouraged and whether you bring the kids or not, it’s sure to be a fun and special experience to check out this historic puppet theater.
19. Haunted Hollywood Walking Tour with ExperienceFirst
- Location: Hollywood
- Dates: offered year-round
This walking tour with ExperienceFirst dives into the darker side of Hollywood that true crime lovers would love. The tour will take you through some of Hollywood’s most notorious historic sites as your guide regales you with creepy tales. The tour starts at 6 p.m. and takes two hours.
- Location: Buena Park
- Dates: Select nights, September 21 to October 31
Knott’s Berry Farm’s annual Halloween experience, the aptly named Knott’s Scary Farm, is known to be one of the amusement parks that goes all out for Halloween and it is returning now for its 49th year. This Halloween season, there will be 17 different spooky experiences including nine haunted mazes and an improvisational puppet show. Of course, there will be more scare zones throughout the park and the rides will be running for a different kind of thrill.
- Location: Arts District, Downtown LA, El Segundo
- Dates: Every day in October
Rooftop Cinema Club is bringing Angelenos all kinds of Halloween films this October, from kid-friendly Halloween movies to horror flicks both classics and modern. Between their three locations throughout the city, there are multiple showings every day throughout the month. Make it a dinner date—Rooftop Cinema Club allows guests to bring their own food from outside, although drinks must be purchased on-site. Since temperatures can drop in the evening, we also recommend bringing your own blanket.
22. The Hotel Who Murder Mystery
- Location: Hollywood
- Dates: Fridays and Saturdays from October 20 to November 11
The Hotel Who came onto the scene last Halloween with an immersive murder mystery and they’re back with a new location this time. The murder mystery will take place at the 100-year-old Castle Ivar in Hollywood. There will be two admission levels: general admission with the immersive experience and open bar, and a premium admission that also includes an autumnal feast. There’s also an overnight option, available by inquiry only (try it if you dare).
