It’s prime spooky season my creepy crawler friends and this means that it’s time to get scared! So, to keep this season on its haunted tracks, I’m going to introduce you to some of the creepiest and spookiest attractions that LA has to offer. If you thought Los Angeles traffic was scary, wait until you see what the Los Angeles area has to offer when the lights go down and the jack-o-lanterns come out. Prepare to run, scream, and shake in your boots because here we go!:
- Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor
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The infamous Queen Mary of Long Beach is stationed all year around for guests to stay the night, enjoy pleasant meals, learn some history, have a little time for themselves, and, at night, take spooky tours through the ship’s haunted halls. However, around Halloween, the Queen Mary takes these spooky little tours about ten feet further with Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. Dark narratives give guests a multitude of mazes to choose from such as the “Rouge” tour centered around the ship being hit by a monstrous wave and the Lullaby” tour centered around “Scary Mary”, who allegedly drowned in the pool’s swimming pool years ago and has been haunting the ship since. On top of the mazes and the 200 monsters that lurk in them, the ship also includes live entertainment, hidden bars, and thrilling rides for those who survive….
- Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights
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Universal Studios’ reputation precedes them once again this Halloween. Equipped with realistic makeup, amazing sets, and general movie magic, it’s no surprise that Universal Studios, the home of the original horror movies, puts on a hellish show. They have more mazes than ever that feature some of your favorites scares from movies and television. Some of their most popular attractions include the Upside Down from Netflix’s Stranger Things and the terrifying world of Us from Jordan Peele’s latests blockbuster. Jump scares and chainsaws are to be expected.
- Reign of Terror Haunted House
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Thousand Oaks takes their horror seriously with their Reign of Terror Haunted House. It’s voted the best and biggest indoor haunt in Southern California. THe house includes 115 haunted rooms each designed for their own unique experience. Countless special effects, ghouls, and live characters make for 25,000 square feet of horror. Special events include “Lights Out” which occurs on November 2nd when guests must navigate through the mazes without a single light to guide the way…
- Haunted Hayride
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The Haunted Hayride is an LA classic. Guests board an old wooden wagon and are taken on a hayride through Midnight Falls, a haunted town full of terrifying creatures guaranteed to make you jump from your seat. The ride leads guests to town square where they can enjoy the bizarre festivities and explore the town to discover more and more about the town’s eerie past. Aside from the hayride itself, this attraction also includes additional perks to those who wish to partake in further haunted fun. Additional attractions include multiple mazes, entry to a “scare zone” crowded with creatures, and a mini-escape room.
- West Hollywood Halloween Carnival
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We all know that free attractions during the spooky holiday can be hard to find in Los Angeles but West Hollywood provides with their Halloween Carnival. At this attraction, it is the spooky people of LA that bring the scary and the people sure do bring it. People in creepy costumes go all out and are more than happy to scare you for free on this spooky night. They are also more than happy to dance the night away with you too!
- Urban Death
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Put on by Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater Group, is Urban Death, an interactive scream experience that is made by the actors who embody all things scary. The theater group puts its guests through a haunted maze where the actors hide in wait to scare those who dare to pass. The maze then leads to a performance where the actors put on an interactive and spooky horror show. Afterwards, the guests must then go through a different maze to escape! There are also a multitude of shows to choose form for those who might want to steer away from the unique “uncomfortable and squeamish” shows that they offer.
- Knott’s Scary Farm
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For one time a year, the cute little park that you know and love is transformed into a scream fest. Snoopy and his friends are replaced by zombies with chainsaws and ghosts with a grudge. These creepy crawlers stalk you are the park and, if you’re lucky enough, will even sit next to you for a ride! So, if the rides and potential for whiplash from riding Ghost Rider didn’t scare you enough, make sure to give Knott’s another chance this Halloween.
Halloween isn’t about the candy and the funny costumes, thought that’s all fun. What Halloween is really about is the horror and the good scares. So, get back to the roots of what Halloween is really about and visit one of these haunted experiences before it’s too late!