Halloween Events in Los Angeles: 2024 In-Depth Guide

La-La Land may be best known for palm trees and a plethora of A-listers, but come October 31st, there’s no reason to wonder about what entertaining Halloween things to do in Los Angeles.

The weather in LA may be hot, but those spine-tingling Halloween chills you’re going to feel at top Halloween events in Los Angeles are not. Follow along to discover the best Halloween events in Los Angeles.

Halloween activities in Los Angeles range from silly to scary. Locals and visitors alike will find their hearts racing with thrills attending haunted mansions, sinister theme park scare zones, and block-buster-worthy haunted houses.

For a more kid-friendly Halloween experience, why not opt for an afternoon of trick or treating as you pursue a pumpkin patch for your favorite gourd? Or find yourself experiencing mind-boggling exhibits that will take you to a different world at the World of Illusions

From the hottest Halloween parties in Los Angeles to zombie-infested Los Angeles Halloween events, the City of Angels promises a devilishly good time. 

Halloween Events Los Angeles

Ready to be buried alive in fun and festivities? Read on to discover the Best Halloween Things to Do in Los Angeles this year.

Halloween Parties Los Angeles

Halloweenie: Avalon Hollywood

Smoke machines, scantily clad costumes, and tons of after-hours fun come together to make Halloweenie a monster success. Slather on that body glitter and get ready to groove with crowds of other party-hungry ghouls and goblins at Avalon.

Related Post: Upcoming Los Angeles Events and Festivals 

This full-scale Halloween bash features spooktacular music, haunted worlds, and five theme areas. Enjoy house, techno, and trance music as you knock back shots and commemorate the most sinister night of the year.

photo credit: Marvin Street Jr via Facebook

Fred & Jason’s Halloweenie

Back for its 16th year of sexy, gay fun is the annual Halloweenie fundraiser. This loud and proud Halloween dance party event celebrates all things spooky and savage.

Rustle up a costume, polish up that tambourine, and get ready to hit the dance floor for a nonstop night of shenanigans.

This year Halloweenie will be held at the historic Belasco Theater, and all proceeds will benefit Project Angel Food. 

photo credit: Fred & Jason’s Halloweenie via Facebook

Things to Do On Halloween in Los Angeles

Disneyland – Happy Hauntings (in both parks)

Only Mickey himself could cast a Halloween spell this good! Join your favorite Disney characters (including villains) for spectacularly spooky chills at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

Related Post: Disneyland on a Budget: The Step-by-Step Planning Guide

From frightful delights to your favorite characters in costume and the perfect pumpkin Main Street festival, there is so much Halloween entertainment to enjoy at Disneyland.

While the magnificent Oogie Boogie Bash may be sold out, you and your mini Mouseketeers can still enjoy wicked displays of fireworks and appearances from evil enchantresses such as Ursula and Maleficent.

Purchase your Disneyland tickets ahead of time to enjoy the rides and attractions all day, and then stick around for nighttime tricks and treats, including:

  • Haunted Mansion Holiday
  • Halloween Screams 
  • Radiator Screams
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark
  • Costumed Cars cruise the park 
  • Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween
  • Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree
  • And more!
photo credit: Disney Auditions via Facebook

Boo at the L.A. Zoo

Extinct animal graveyards themed photo ops and trick or treating, oh my! Get wild this Halloween when you head to the L.A. Zoo. The yearly Boo at the Zoo promises to deliver loads of Halloween festivities featuring your favorite scaly and slimy critters.

Enjoy open-air animal shows, animal pumpkin feedings, education stations, and spooky strolls! Plan your visit for the last two weekends of the month, and eat your fill of sweet treats at the generously donated candy stations.

Please note that this Halloween-themed event is included with paid Zoo admission. 

photo credit: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens via Facebook

Carved – Descanso Gardens

Swear you’ve been whisked away to the magically twisted land of Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas when you witness the orange-hued creativity and creepiness of Carved. This specially ticketed, family-friendly event is sure to wow. Stroll through hundreds of expertly carved pumpkins lining the Camellia Forest, or take a trip through a vibrant pumpkin house.

Related Post: The Ultimate 5-Day Los Angeles Family Vacation Itinerary

Visitors of all ages will relish a cornucopia of themed events, including a festive hay maze and holiday-themed food and beverages. Also, don’t forget to partake in some devilishly dark fun with their unique black light experiences and a special Day of the Dead installation at the Amphitheater.

photo credit: Descanso Gardens via Facebook

Universal Studios Hollywood – Halloween Horror Nights

This year evil is back with a vengeance! Steady yourself for a night of twists and turns, where nothing is what it seems. 

Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights is a terrifying event that combines cinematic horror from your favorite entertainment, such as Freaky, The Back Phone, and the Weeknd’s After Hours* music video. Prime yourself to scream through eight mind-ripping haunted houses and terror trams. 

Pick your partner in mischief and mayhem because one thing is for sure, you don’t want to experience these terrors alone!

Pro Tip: Although Halloween Horror Nights is a specially ticketed nighttime event, we advise making a full day of it and purchasing a regular admission ticket so you can appreciate the classic Universal rides all day. 

Disclaimer: Due to high levels of horror, violence, gore, and mature themes, this event is not suggested for young children.

*While there are many haunted-themed areas at Halloween Horror Nights this year, The Haunting of Hill House will not be returning.

guests posing with performers in costume at Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, USA
photo credit: Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood via Facebook

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride – Griffith Park

Legions of the undead, ancient witches of the woods, and a demonic mortuary. This Hallow’s Eve, Griffith Park is welcoming back L.A.’s most haunted hayride. Suggested for mature visitors only, this immersive horror experience lies within the foothills of Midnight Falls.

Related Post: The Ultimate Guide to L.A. Theme Parks

Brave black magic spells, armies of zombies, and flesh-eating crops, as you try to survive the spirit of Halloween. Between haunted hayrides, mazes, live entertainment, and a midnight mortuary, you may never make it out alive!

photo credit: Los Angeles Haunted Hayride via Facebook

Knott’s Berry Farm – Knott’s Scary Farm

Searching for a scary soiree that will leave you shaking in your boots? Nightmares transform into reality at Southern California’s largest and most haunting Halloween event – Knott’s Scary Farm!

Not included with regular admission, this sinisterly innovative celebration is not to be missed. Our advice: peruse the park’s regular attractions all day with your general admission ticket and then return at night for the creepy thrills.

Disclaimer: This event is not recommended for young children due to the intense level of horror and scary themes. Have tiny tots in tow? Grab tickets to Knott’s Spooky Farm instead!

exterior view of gate entrance to Knott's Scary Farm at night with lights in Los Angeles, California, USA

LEGOLAND® California – Brick or Treat

Halloween gets the ‘awesome’ treatment with LEGOLAND® California’s annual kid-friendly extravaganza – Brick or Treat!

Related Post: A Parent’s Guide on Things to Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Youngins will go crazy for the yummy treat stations, spooky fun exhibits, and live creatures. This festive fete is included in your LEGOLAND California ticket admission, so we suggest planning for an entire theme park day (and night) of fun.

Pro Tip: You simply can’t miss a groovy and ghoulish ride on the Dragon Coaster featuring a spooky good monster soundtrack and flashing party lights!

In addition, pint-sized poltergeist can look forward to:

  • A brand new 4D Movie: The Great Monster Chase
  • Attending Lord Vampyre’s Very Important Monsters (V.I.M.) Dance Party 
  • Working on monster groans and moves with Operation Monster Squad 
  • Tons of trick-or-treating fun and sing-alongs!

SeaWorld San Diego – Howl O’ Scream

After a horror-filled debut last year, SeaWorld San Diego welcomed Howl O’ Scream back to southern California.

Related Post: 12 Essential SeaWorld® San Diego Tips for Families

Pluck up your courage and ready yourself for a nocturnal adventure of eerie haunted houses, sinister scare zones, and electrifying live shows. As night falls over the park, you will immerse yourself in a world of:

  • 5 Horrifying Haunted Houses – including Circus of the Damned and Nightmare Experiment
  • 6 Scare Zones & Four Roaming Haunts
  • Bone crunching live performances and stunts
  • Goosebump-inducing rides like the Electric Eel & Journey to Atlantis
  • Creepy cocktails served on the rocks or with a splash of fear

Please note that Howl O’ Scream is a specially-ticketed event. To have a full day of SeaWorld maritime activity, you are more than welcome to purchase a general admission ticket and spend the day encountering sharks, dolphins, and your favorite double-launch roller coasters. 

Warning: Due to the intense nature of the scares and thrills, this event is not recommended for children under 13 or the faint of heart.

SeaWorld San Diego – Spooktacular

Venture into an underwater world of mystery and magic with SeaWorld San Diego’s Halloween Spooktacular.

Related Post: A Weekend in San Diego: How to Plan the Perfect Trip

Tiny tots will get their fill of tricks and treats during this daytime event, including your regular SeaWorld San Diego admission ticket

Prepare your costumes and your plastic pumpkins as you and your family pump up the festive spirit with:

  • Spooky stories
  • A Halloween Dance Party
  • Meeting a real mermaid
  • Sesame Street friends like Count Von Count & Elmo in costume
  • The Trick-or-Treat Trail

Did you know: Spread those jack o lantern smiles far and wide as now through October, kids can attend all of Seaworld’s Spooky happenings for free with a paid adult ticket.

Close up of two kids, one dressed as a pirate and the other a fireman, sitting in a shell with a mermaid at Spooktacular at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, USA
photo credit: SeaWorld San Diego via Facebook

San Diego Zoo – Halgloween

What’s glittering, glowing, and bursting with wildlife? If you answered the San Diego Zoo’s Halgloween event, you are correct!

Related Post: Ultimate Guide to Madame Tussauds Hollywood: Coupons, Discounts, and Deals

This annual Halloween party is the perfect mix of spooky fun and animal education. 

Included in the price of regular admission, the whole family will relish:

  • Special activities & entertainment – including meeting the ‘Zoo’s Boo Crew.’
  • Glow in the dark hula hooping 
  • Seasonal decor
  • Puppets & Costumed characters
  • Acrobatic performances

Pro Tip: All children ages 11 and younger are admitted for free for the entire month of October!

Group of people dressed in halloween costumes at Halgloween in San Diego, California, USA

Nights of the Jack

Escape the confines of La-La Land for a positively pumpkin event. Revel in the dazzling beauty of hundreds of flickering jack o lanterns and mountains of tasty treats when you attend Nights of the Jack. This immersive Halloween extravaganza promises to entice even the most reluctant member of your very own Addams family.

Traipse through nearly a mile of pumpkin trail at the King Gillette Ranch, observe an illuminated autumn light show, or assuage your otherworldly hunger with L.A.’s top food truck offerings. Sip a spicy cup of cider, or opt for a wickedly tasty seasonal cocktail from the Spookseasy bar.

Watch expert pumpkin carvers at work, and be sure to bring that camera to document every last blazing jack o lantern.

photo credit: Secret Los Angeles via Facebook

The month of macabre is here! From psychotic clowns to the irreverent imagination of the Weeknd, it appears as if a wave of haunting and horror is primed to crash in Los Angeles.

While you may not feel that autumnal chill come October, you can rest assured you’ll never run out of things to do in Los Angeles for Halloween. 

Halloween Movie Nights

Get ready to be spellbound by Halloween-themed movie magic for every Saturday of October! Street Food Cinema is conjuring up a series of spine-tingling film screenings in Los Angeles.

From the zombified hilarity of Shaun of the Dead and the enchanting charm of Hocus Pocus at the Autry Museum. To the time-warping madness of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Ford. Brace for a cinematic adventure that’ll send shivers down your spine and laughs echoing in the night!

Related Post: 3 Days in Los Angeles: How to Make the Most of 72 Hours

Whatever your Halloween desires, from tyke-friendly trick or treating to costume contests or bone-chilling frights at your nearest haunted locale, we have you covered. 

So break out the candy corn and a scary mask, and get ready to celebrate All Hallows Eve in L.A.!

Tell Us, What’s Your Favorite Halloween Los Angeles Event?

Did we miss any of your top things to do for Los Angeles Halloween? Share with us below!


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Written by Isis Maya Nissman

A New York native, Isis-Maya spent most of her professional life working in TV production until a vacation whisked her away to Central...


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