Discover ghosts, goblins and Halloween costumes along with ghoulishly fun frights at California haunted houses, theme parks and other Halloween venues. Since the fright industry has grown so quickly, both mild and terrifying fun are available throughout the fall.
We’ve found some great events (many of them free) in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Vallejo, Anaheim, Buena Park, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Hollywood. They’re categorized based on “freak out” level. The younger kids will probably enjoy our lowest freak out factor while more ambitious teens will probably go for the highest fear features!
San Francisco & Bay Area Halloween Freak Out Fun for Teens
San Francisco can be terrifying! Teens especially should appreciate the special evening cruise tours of Alcatraz Tuesday to Saturday nights. They leave from Pier 33 and cost more than daylight tours. Plus, it’s guaranteed to be cold and windy. Just imagine how you’d feel if the boat pulled away and left you visiting this legendary prison after dark. If you are interested in day light tours, they offer a Family Ticket Special for two adults and two children ages 5-11 that’s worthwhile. Alcatraz is one of those bucket list items that won’t disappoint.
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Every weekend from late September through October, California theme parks drag out the cobwebs and ketchup to create truly terrifying Halloween environments. For example, at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Kids Boo Fest is back. Hundreds of zombies and costumed little ones roam the park by day, but they’re kid-friendly. The scariest score here is that season ticket and day pass holders get to enter the mayhem for free.
Fright Fest, recommended for ages 13+ is also back. These special haunts include four haunted houses, five scare zones and night-lit thrill rides. It’s all just for fun, but if you’re afraid of bugs, ghosts or zombies (real or fake), don’t go! Grownups also have Oktoberfest select dates Sept. 14 – Nov. 3 so they can recover with a wurst and a craft beer.
Great Adventure Style Low Freakout California Haunted Houses
If you’re closer to Santa Clara, select nights between late September and Oct. 26, California’s Great America theme park launches a PG-rated Tricks and Treats. The park is elaborately decorated with gentle themed scare zones and cobwebs in the Tricks zone. The Land of Treats includes two uniquely festive areas: Everfall and Sweet Tooth Acres. Pumpkins have their own special section throughout the park and there are a few live stage shows.
All ages will appreciate that the park’s collection of thrill rides is open. Wait until dusk for Gold Striker, one of the coolest wooden coasters on the planet. It sounds like rattling skeleton bones each Halloween.
Peculiar Family Freak Out: Haunted Winchester House in San Jose
For a century, the castle-like Winchester Mystery House on a quiet residential street in San Jose has mystified neighbors and thrilled fans of eccentric ‘folly’ homes. Built by Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, heiress to the rifle-maker fortune, the Victorian mansion really shines over Halloween. Seek out Ms. Winchester’s bizarre construction elements such as staircases that lead nowhere, doors that open to walls, and windows that look into other rooms. The seasonal, weekends-only “Unhinged Hotel” is immersively horrible; beware before you buy. Winchester Mystery House, best seen with school age and older kids, is fascinating any time of year.
SLO Frights and Haunts in San Luis Obispo
Yes! Go zombie hunting and axe throwing at Gladiator Paintball Park this year. The popular astroturf Paintball space undergoes some wild transformation during October. Hunt for gruesome zombies, practice your Paintball skills or for a softer version, check out the much gentler GellyBall. If you haven’t slain enough zombies, try your swing at one of four outdoor axe throwing lanes.
Not your speed? Let the teens join in on the mayhem while you try some wine tasting at local vineyards.
Welcome Back Freaky Queen Mary, Hello to Gentle Long Beach Aquarium
Shipwreck fans can once again board the classic Queen Mary ship museum for a night of frightful fun on The Queen Mary in Long Beach harbor. Prior to becoming a museum, she served many years ferrying military to the Pacific during WW2 in addition to all her glamorous trans-Atlantic cruises. Imagine the haunted stateroom tales to tell. The amazingly elegant ship is a true California haunted house at sea. Every fall, on select nights from late September to early November, The Queen Mary transforms the ship and the harbor into the Dark Harbor: a huge halloween festival with highlights such as mazes, monsters, haunted attractions, carnival rides, spooky treats, and live entertainment.
Families with brave souls under 12-years should check out Scarium Family Night at the nearby Long Beach at Aquarium of the Pacific. This Halloween themed deep sea haunt takes place on mid-October weekend. For more than two decades, families have enjoyed a children’s costume contest, creepy coloring contest, a vampire magician, underwater pumpkin carving, and .
Extreme Low to Xtreme High (Maybe Explosive) Freak Outs at Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park
The “Knott’s Spooky Farm” for ages 3-11 at Knott’s Berry Farm features adorable Camp Snoopy’s Spooktivities. Little ones love the trick-or-treating, cookie decorating, pumpkin decorating and the Calico Carnival Costume Cavalcade. There’s even original seasonal shows at the Camp Snoopy Theatre and some events require a separate ticket. Trust us; if you’re only 36″ tall, you’re going to get a little kick out of this.
Then there’s Knott’s Scary Farm designed to terrify any age group with Southern California’s largest event. Expect twisted mazes, scare zones, thrilling rides and shows packed with hundreds of costumed and active participants, often members of the living dead. The special Halloween Haunt ticketed event for ages 13+ is open select nights between late-September and early November. Even the rollercoasters and thrill rides increase their scare factor.
Gentle Freak Out at Disneyland in Anaheim
Of course, Disney’s two-park kingdom in Anaheim transforms with seasonal overlays on rides and attractions. Disney does Halloween-themed décor right and to the max. Plus, guests encounter friendly Disney characters as well as dastardly Disney villains in their Halloween finery.
The Disneyland Resort rocks with magically made-over attractions, shows and rides included in admission. Watch for special themed events along Main Street and elsewhere in the parks. Book ahead, however, for the separate-ticket events, such as the two-hour Disney’s Happiest Haunts Guided Tour. Most programming occurs select nights between late August and October 31. So you know, count on wearing Halloween costumes to enjoy special attractions like the immersive Villains Grove, food and beverages, treat trails and character sightings – plus the “Mickey’s Trick and Treat” show and “Frightfully Fun Parade.”
Cars Land for Low Freakout Fun & a California Haunted House
At Disney California Adventure Park, Cars Land’s set transforms into Radiator Screams during the same season. As part of their Haul-O-Ween celebration, local residents decorate their establishments and don their favorite “car-stumes.” Our favorite Guardians of the Galaxy becomes Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark to thrill older family members.
At Haunted Mansion Holiday, Jack Skellington and his friends from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” take over the classic ride.
Additionally, Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure Park honors Dia de los Muertos in September and on the celebration days of Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 with Mexican cuisine and entertainment from Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning “Coco.” Check out the special Hispanic-inspired treats on sale at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
High Freak Out Factor: Universal’s Halloween Horror in Hollywood, LA, California Haunted Houses and More
You don’t need to have seen Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” to know that Hollywood’s always a nightmare. Universal Hollywood hosts a bunch of Halloween Horror Nights from late August to Halloween night. Expect an awesomely high freak out factor, a variety of frightful experiences in eight haunted houses, six mazes, plus four scare zones and live entertainment. Watch out for some of the most infamous characters. They who are on the lookout for unsuspecting visitors.
Make your way through spooky California haunted houses and mazes, inspired by “Evil Dead” and “The Purge.” Catch classic horror icons ranging from Freddy Kruger and Leatherface. Don’t miss the Backlot Tour via Terror Tram; it’s always got hidden frights so watch out on October nights.
Forget the general admission rates and go for the killer deals and discounts promoted on the website. Front-of-the-line passes are also available; rates will make you heart-sick. No kid’s tickets are sold, since Universal doesn’t recommend this event for anyone under 13. Remember: No costumes or masks are allowed; here’s an HHN blog with more gruesome details.
Freaky All Over: Annual West Hollywood Carnaval
A photo posted by Christopher J. Smith (@sonofsammie) on
Nearly half a million revelers will once again descend on Santa Monica Blvd. between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Blvd. in West Hollywood for this year’s West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. This legendary WeHo parade returns from 6pm-11pm for the first time since the pandemic began.
Heed the rules! Management recommends you leave pets and young kids at home to better enjoy the parade’s risque costumes to the max. No backpacks, camera bags or totes are allowed at the Halloween Carnaval. For everyone’s safety, please carry items in clear plastic bags. (Or, just carry an ID and credit card with you.) Additionally, plan on rideshares to get there (no parking) and food trucks (businesses close) to keep you sated. Expect a busy night ahead.
Gentler Boos in Los Angeles & San Diego
Look for smaller California haunted houses and more local ways to celebrate this year in Los Angeles and the SoCal region. Boo at the L.A. Zoo at the Los Angeles Zoo is a delight for younger children, especially the extinct animal graveyard. Special events take place every weekend in October.
SeaWorld San Diego hosts five haunted houses and seven scare zones for the annual Howl-O-Scream. It is recommended for adults but don’t be scared. The fun runs from late September to early November. You’ll enjoy imaginative California style haunted houses, roaming haunts, interactive bars, live shows, and more.
San Diego Zoo presents a family-friendly Halloween celebration, HalGLOWeen this October. Dress up and join their nocturnal animals for a night at the zoo. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday after 5pm, come for live music, a reptile show, stiltwalkers, bubbles, acrobats, and more. Zookeepers are on hand to facilitate your animal interactions.
Find more Halloween fun at haunted houses for kids and spooky events around the country.
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6 Replies to “California Haunted Houses and Halloween Happiness”
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Dr. Artinian, thank you so much for posting that memory. How exciting it must have been, to share the skies with Apollo 11. I agree that today it seems like a remarkable achievement but of course we have not worked together, so hard for so long, on other projects that really need to be addressed. Education is one place to start!
The Lunar Landings
As I was landing in the northern desert of Saudi Arabia in a DC3 plane on July 20, 1969, the Americans were landing on the moon. That evening, the staff of Badana Base Hospital, that belonged to the Trans Arabian Pipeline Company (Tapline), were listening to the news, (Television was not available in the desert). They welcomed me as the new Internist at the hospital.
Soon I learned that the Saudis found it hard to believe that human beings could defile the moon by landing on it, which could have initiated the moon landing conspiracy theories, that persist today.
Now, 50 years later, the lunar landings were, and remain, the greatest achievement of humanity since the birth of intelligence on earth!
Boghos L. Artinian MD
Great information while traveling with children. Children safety first.
I want to do a car trip with my infant child and wife. But, I was afraid how can I travel with my infant child. After reading your blog I got some courage. Thanks for sharing such information. Thanks a lot.
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CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS, NEW YORK
The Corning Museum of Glass – the world’s largest collection of glass – is showing “Journey to the Moon: How Glass Got Us There” and actual glassy pieces of moon meteorites to touch and see. For scavenger buffs, visitors to the museum can test their super-sleuthing skills and see if they can find the glass-tronaut hidden amongst the galleries.
Awesome Article!
Thanks for sharing..
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON TO TEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH IN SPACE OVEN
In a partnership with Zero G Kitchen which is supplying a prototype space oven, and NanoRacks, a commercial space station company, Hilton’s DoubleTree brand is aiding efforts to bring freshly cooked food to the International Space Station. Some time in late 2019, their cookie dough hopes to be the source of the first fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie in space. Here’s more info about this and a cool student competition sponsored by Scholastic.
ok, thanks for the reply!
Thanks for sharing this! you’ll be able to do good as well as have fun and make a difference in the world. Whereas volunteer is always appreciated by all people.
Indeed, a good list. Everyday. At home or on the road.
hi Heather,
Thanks for your comment. We checked on those images and you’re right, that one with the pirate ship in the pool is not from the Bahia Resort. We removed it and checked the others, and the Bahia still has their famous Moorish style pool and pretty beachfront. Hope you have a great trip there.
Thank you Lisa d. So glad that Laura’s review of both Fairmont resorts helped you to make a choice, especially since you can’t really go wrong in Bermuda.
thank you I have been deciding between the two properties and your post was very helpful in my decision.
One of the pictures with a slide doesn’t look like the pool I remember seeing at the bahia. Did they add a new pool?
Dubai is an amazing destination for tourists from across the world. The city tour, desert safari and dhow cruise are among the most famous things to do in Dubai.
Thank you for sharing a really useful and informative article. The way you have detailed and described is really helpful. Hope to see more amazing articles like this. Keep it up to the good work!
Spring Break in Dubai is more exciting with Adventure Plus Desert Safari Dubai tours in Dubai
Great suggestions! The only action item Id say “Oh Hayyllll Nawww” to would be horse-drawn carriage rides. Check out the internet and youll see whats going on with those poor horses. But your other ideas for educational and just-plain fun – really excited to try them out with the family! Thank again.
Hello Omar and Katie,
The Scholasrship Submission form is working again, please revisit the page: https://myfamilytravels.com/Teen_travel_writing to apply for the 2019 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.
Thanks and good luck!
I would love to participate but I keep getting page not found
Hello Omar, thank you for your note. We have noted this error and our web development team is working to fix it right away. We will let you know when it’s working again. Good luck!
Hi,
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I am very interested in participating in this scholarship opportunity. However, every time I click on the essay submission form, it takes me to a ‘Page not found’ link and says that there is an error with the link. Is there another link that I could possibly submit my essay and photos?
I had a travel blog in the past. But I was going through a rough phase so I shut it down. This article has inspired me to start once again.
SCHLITTERBAHN OPENS INFINITY RACERS, A MAJOR SPACE-THEMED WATERSLIDE
June 7, Colonel Terry Virts, a U.S. Air Force test/fighter pilot and NASA veteran of two spaceflights, will dedicate the newest, only one of its kind, 8-story-tall waterslide at Schlitterbahn Galveston. Infinity Racers is a pair of space-themed, racing head-first mat slides that race through enclosed colorful tubes as long as three space stations.
Nice Post. Thanks for Sharing with us……
Right?? It’s like a dream. I really didn’t believe them at all when I heard that, but looked it up, and sure enough, it’s really that sunny! I can’t wait to head back to the area.
I’m not sure as the rates tend to vary depending on the season. It’s probably best to contact them directly – (727) 363-5100. If you’re curious about their overall rates, I would ask if the rate changes depending on the season, and when their high and low season is. Hope that helps!
I remember visiting KSC during my school days with my friends where we got to learn a lot of interesting things related to space and comsos.
My husband and I are actually scheduled to stay at the Sirata Resort, in just a few days. I was wondering, if you happened to know the cost for the Private Cabana Rentals, you mentioned in your article?? Thank You!!
great useful info you have shared , being a traveler i need it most and it’s really helpful for the first time travelers. thanks for sharing.
I think curious teens would love this road trip. If you schedule enough time for Santa Cruz — which has a great amusement park and places to take surf lessons, that could be a 2-3 day stay for you. Going south, the Hearst Castle with all its tales of intrigue and the story of William Randolph Hearst’s life… it’s pretty fun as house tours go.
The scenery along the Pacific Coast Highway is beautiful, too, if you think your son would enjoy that. At many points, he can look out and see surfers! Towns like San Luis Obispo (now hip enough that locals call it SLO) have become destinations for wine and craft beers, so there are lots of cafes with young people that are fun, even if you’re not drinking.
The whole California coast is special, so ask your son to do some research and pick out spots that interest him, then incorporate them into your itinerary. That way, he’ll have a vested interest in making sure the trip is fun.
Do you think a 13 yr old would like this trip?
MALDIVES AND THE MOON FOR OUR PACIFIC FRIENDS
This just in from the Maldives:
Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Maldives has the largest telescope and observatory in the Indian Ocean so it’s slated as one of the best places in the southern hemisphere to observe and study the stars, planets and the moon. And it’s the moon that is taking centre stage for festivities on July 20th as Anantara Kihavah commemorates the 50th anniversary of man’s landing on the moon. To celebrate, Anantara guests are invited to join Shameem, the islands’ resident Star Guru for a ‘Star Gazing’ breakfast. Lay back to gaze at the stars that glitter overhead, and be regaled by Shameem’s knowledge as he takes you on an intergalactic journey before taking a look through the powerful telescope at the craters on the moon that still amaze people 50 years after the first landing.
For guests who like a later start to the day the SKY Bartenders at Kihavah have created a complimentary cocktail for all guests to mark the occasion – The ‘Buzz’ Aldrin ……
Dubai is an awesome place to spend a great time with the loved one or alone be experiencing the local attractions. Thanks for the details, i have missed the dinner night which i will surely book this time and experience it. Keep posting!
I would definitely go for JURASSIC DINOSAUR DIG. Thanks for suggestions
So many good suggestions! It will be hard to choose but surely through these we will have the most beautiful memories in this summer vacation!
361 days of sunshine a year? Wow! It looks like it’s a perfect destination for families! I’ll be more interested in this place!
Glad that you have a great time and a better idea of Vietnam. If you came back, consider visiting Ninh Binh
We are a family who likes to travel and volunteer where possible. We give gifts of time and service. We find that finding small grass roots organisations when on the ground or at your destination creates the best win-win for all concerned. For example we taught English in a small village in Indonesia – https://sabretoothedchickenstour.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/it-takes-a-village/
In the end it is not the actual work you do as a volunteer that is of the greatest impact but the stereotypes you breakdown and the connections made 🙂
Camping holidays in France are extremely popular and you’ll find some fantastic family friendly campsites with a whole host of activities including some brilliant swimming pools.
NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE SUMMER MOON FESTIVAL
We’ve just heard that the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission with a summer filled with flight and space-themed exhibits, workshops, demonstrations, installations and a new film. The celebration kicks off on May 17 with Apollo 11: First Steps Edition, a film with never-before-seen footage and audio recordings of the historic mission. Other highlights include NYSCI’s summer exhibition, Above and Beyond – The Ultimate Flight Exhibition, and Apollo, A Party!, an evening event celebrating the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Check out their schedule for tons of workshops and special family events and go in to see a real Saturn V rocket like the one that took Apollo to the moon.
Man on the Moon in Zurich
The art exhibition “Fly Me to the Moon: The Moon Landing 50 Years On” will be featured at Kunsthaus Zurich in Switzerland, from May 4-June 30. The art show examines how the moon landing, and seeing images of the Earth from far away, changed man’s perception of his place in his environment and the universe. Look for moon works by artists John Russell, Rene Burri, Rene Magritte, Andy Warhol and many more.
Moon Walk Celebration in Ohio!
In southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills region, the John Glenn Astronomy Park (JGAP) is celebrating its first birthday, while marking the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. The observatory has 12 telescopes that offer dark sky views due to a lack of light pollution, allowing visitors to discover a distinct view of the moons, planets, stars and galaxies at each visit. The #Apollo50 events begin at 4 p.m. EDT July 20, 2019 and end at 1 a.m. July 21, 2019.
Nice post. I am traveler and I like adventure trips. Its really amazing. I wish to go there one by one. Thanks for sharing about these parks.
Thank you for useful information. It is very detailed.
Traveling with kids is fun but also very tired as we have to take care of them and don’t have much time for ourselves. Sometime I prefer traveling alone.