My favorite time of the year is here! The air is crisp, the nights are getting longer, and the leaves are beginning to change into a golden hue, as much as they do here in Southern California anyway. And yes, I love a pumpkin spice latte, but that’s not what I’m most excited about. I’m talking about the spine tingling, eerie, and spectacular spookiness of LA. Halloween in Los Angeles isn’t just one night, it’s an entire season. The county transforms iconic landmarks and hidden corners into realms of fright. From ghostly ships, glowing pumpkin trails, to cinematic nightmares this city has something for every type of Halloween lover. Dive into some of the must visit Halloween events happening in Los Angeles including Dark Harbor, Magic of the Jack Lanterns, Haunted Hayride, and Oogie Boogie Bash.

Dark Harbor at The Queen Mary

Last Halloween we got to experience Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary. Yes, that Queen Mary. The famously haunted ship that is permanently docked in Long Beach California. Dark Harbor has returned to take over the famous ship with spine chilling experiences. There are terrifying mazes on the ship and around the harbor, there’s trapeze artists, and hidden speakeasy bars. Though there are no age restrictions for this Halloween event, I think it’s definitely suited more for teens and adults. They will not allow children under the age of 8 into the mazes so keep that in mind while deciding if you should take your children. We left the kids with grandma and made a date night out of it. 

Some of the mazes aboard the ship included Lullaby, Feast, and Infirmary. The creepiest maze was the Infirmary, and while I didn’t experience anything undeniably paranormal during our visit, I did feel very uneasy while walking through the Infirmary maze. There was a spot that felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room even though there were multiple windows open. On the grounds you’ll find the circus themed maze, Big Top Terror, and Break Out. And looks like this year there is a new maze, VooDoo The Queens Curse!

And guess what?! Hidden throughout the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor you can find speakeasies!! I love speakeasies, they’re so fun! There are hidden clues scattered throughout that will lead you to each of the locations. Note that you do have to purchase tokens that grant you access to the speakeasies. One of the coolest speakeasy’s was located in the boiler room. We were able to enjoy our cocktail and walk through the red lit boiler room soaking up the eeriness in the air. I’d love to attend this event again, it truly was a night to remember. Check out this video to get a glimpse of my experience. 

Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns

But if you’re looking for something on the other end of the spooky spectrum, Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns is the perfect choice. The Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns is a family friendly event that is suitable for all ages and is located in Los Angeles. This is the perfect event if you want to enjoy Halloween fun without all the jump scares.

The Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns is a trail made up of thousands of brightly lit hand carved pumpkins. The displays are incredible! The amount of work and thought that went into carving each and every pumpkin to create each exhibition is truly magical. It all feels so whimsical when you’re walking through stretches of glowing jack o’ lanterns. About half way through the trail you’ll find a giant bounce pad and jump houses. Of course, my youngest daughter loved this. And while the kids jumped around we took a moment to relax on a hay bale and eat kettle corn. They also have smores stations where you can make and enjoy a smore with your family. This was pretty neat, I love sitting around a fire and roast marshmallows in the fall. Yum. 

Tip, take your time walking the trail. Truly take the time to appreciate the hard work that went into carving all these pumpkins. The trail is shorter than we would like, which is why I’m telling you to take your time. Get a snack from the food trucks at the entrance too wish I’d grabbed ours before going in. I like walking and snacking. Check out my video for a quick view.

The Los Angeles Haunted Hay Ride

The LA Haunted Hay Ride has to be on your list. This is perfect for families with tweens and teens. This attraction is located in the hills of Griffith Park, which is the perfect location for spooktacular events. There are five different scary mazes including the Haunted Hay Ride. The mazes were so good!! My two favorite mazes were Monae Manor and The Hellbilly Halloween. They were scary enough to keep me on high alert, but not make me cry. I loved it. Also, the scare actors were so good! We had some great interactions with them all night long.

Toward the end of the night a band of the undead rises to serenade us with some rock n roll music! While the band rocks out the scare actors hit the dance floor for a bit too. In addition to entertainment and mazes you can also find some pretty cool photo ops, food, and a spooky carousel. The carousel costs extra, but for such a unique skeleton horse carousel it just might be worth it. Get a glimpse of my experience on my TikTok.

Frosty’s Forest Pumpkin Patch

For a more classic Halloween outing, you have to check out Frosty’s Forest Pumpkin Patch, located in Chino Hills, a city just east of LA County. This is a smaller event perfect for families and all ages. It’s been such a good time every time we’ve gone. They have carnival rides, fair food, a petting zoo, and of course pumpkins. Frosty’s Pumpkin Patch is also the home of two different mazes, one filled with fun photo ops and the other is for teens and adults who are looking for a good scare. It’s a 2 acre corn maze with haunted houses and scare actors hiding in the dark waiting for the perfect moment to give you a good scare.

Frosty’s Pumpkin Patch is always on our list of things to do during Halloween because it’s affordable and there is something all of us enjoy. And on Monday’s admission is free at Frosty’s Pumpkin Patch! So if you’re local or live nearby this might be a good spot to visit with the family this Halloween! Here’s Frosty’s Pumpkin Patch pricing so you can check it out.

Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventures

And of course, if you’re looking for something truly magical you have to go to Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventures. This event is as magical as it gets. Disney transforms into the cutest haunted realm of our dreams. There are trick or treat trails throughout the park where you can collect candy and goodies from cast members. Each trail leading to an encounter with a Disney villain. Definitely a Halloween event you don’t want to miss and the entire family can enjoy. Check out this blog post if  you want to read more about my experience at Oogie Boogie Bash.

Thanks for reading & Happy Hauntings!