Even though Halloween is becoming more of a holiday for grown-ups, there are still millions of activities for kids this time of year. Here are our recommendations for local happenings that the whole family will enjoy. Get tickets soon–a lot of events I checked out are already sold out.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
6:30 p.m. – 10 a.m. / $85
From 6 p.m. the night of October 26, 2019, until 10 a.m. the morning of the 27th, you can camp out under the stars and drift off to sleep listening to the nocturnal inhabitants of the zoo. The campout includes guided evening and morning tours of the Zoo, interactive programs, a nighttime snack, a Continental breakfast, and live animal presentations. Tents are included. This event is designed for children ages five and up. Each tent must have at least one adult chaperone. For more information, please email lazoo.education@lacity.org. Please include the name of the program you are inquiring about.
Boo at the Zoo will be continuing fun activities 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through October 27, with trick-or-treating October 26, and 27, 2019.
Theatricum’s Annual BOO-tanicum
4 p.m.–10 p.m. / $22
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, the outdoor theater in the woods of Topanga Canyon, hosts a day of Halloween delights including ghost stories. game booths, festive food and drinks, performances by Creative PlayGround, and comedy improv group Off the Grid, as well as its “unique and infamous” haunted house, which will be starting at 7 p.m. General Admission (ages 13+): $22 with advance purchase, $24 at the door. Kids 4-12: $10 with advance purchase, $12 at the door. Kids under 4: free. Family 4 Pack (2 adults, 2 kids – includes 5 free raffle tickets): $50 advance purchase only – not available day of the event.
24th Annual Long Beach Historical Cemetery Tour
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. / $20
The Long Beach Historical Cemetery Tour in Sunnyside Cemetery is not spooky. Your kids won’t be frightened, but they might be a little pissed off that you tricked them into a History lesson. “Performers in period costume will bring to life both noted and everyday people who are laid to rest in the Sunnyside Cemetery.” We assume they mean that metaphorically, not in the zombie way. The first tour starts at 9 a.m. and tours run every 15 minutes until Noon. There are two cemeteries there. Do not be confused. Comfortable shoes and a sweater or light coat are recommended.
Long Beach Municipal Cemetery 1151 E. Willow Street (between Orange and California). Tickets General Admission – $25 Students Ages 8-18 – $8 Children 7 & under are free. Purchase tickets at the entrance of either cemetery on October 30. Tour tickets are for both cemeteries.
Shoreline Village’s Zombie Walk
4 p.m. / FREE
Just to be confusing, there are two Long Beach zombie walks. One of them is canceled this year, but the other one, on October 26, is still running (or limping and dragging, as the case may be). Shoreline Village will be hosting live music, vendors, and the traditional walk/shuffle down Rainbow Harbor. From 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. there will be a children’s Halloween party brought to you by LB Littles, and a Thriller dance performance by Thrill the World Los Angeles at 6 p.m. There will be a live band and DJs until 8 p.m. when the walk/shuffle begins. There will be “roaming scarers” from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m., so you can use your best judgment about what your kid can handle. I’m going to assume the scarers won’t be jerks to little kids, but you know them best.
Costumes are encouraged but not required. Pet-friendly. Parking is tough. Consider a ride share service, public transportation, or park in a nearby lot at the Pike parking garage or the Pine avenue lot on 3rd/Pine.
Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party
5 p.m. – 8 p.m. / FREE
Haunted Little Tokyo offers a variety of events leading up to Halloween, culminating with a block party. The Block Party takes place on Saturday, October 26, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. in Downtown LA. 2nd Street between Central & San Pedro Street will be closed off for revelers to enjoy bites from local food vendors, a haunted beer garden, live music, DJs and a costume contest with cash prizes. Food Vendors include Buttery Popcorn Co., Cafe Dulce, Hello Stranger, Chef Kuniko Yagi’s Pikunico, Rice and Nori, Takoyaki Tanota, Tokyo Doggie Style, Steamy Bun Truck, and Takuma Burgers. Not to mention all of the great restaurants and bakeries with dim sum. For kids, there will be trick-or-treating from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., plus games and adventures, including free STEM activities.
Saturday, October 26, & Sunday, October 27, 2019
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Free with Aquarium ticket
Bring the whole family to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s twentieth annual Scarium of the Pacific—an educational Halloween-themed event. “Enjoy special Halloween programs, including a creepy coloring contest, magic shows, underwater pumpkin carving, spooky storytelling, and kooky crafts.” You can also meet eerie animals in the Great Hall and have Creepy Critter Photo Opportunities. Win prizes in the annual children’s costume contest, and get a photo with the aquarium’s costumed mascots. Pick up registration cards at the Information Desk to enter the contest. Aquarium tickets are $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for kids ages 3 to 11.
This 2-day event starts out at 11 a.m. with fun kids’ stuff but gets scary after sundown. The family can enjoy pumpkin decorating, jugglers, magicians, scavenger hunts, costume making, DJs, face painting and food vendors all day. The big draw here are the pirate tall ships. Daytime ship tours will be l scary, but after dark, they are haunted pirate ships filled with zombie pirates and recommended for ages 13 and up. There will also be a “Haunted Blackout Maze of Terror” and an escape room during the day that aren’t recommended for younger kids. But the word “terror” in the title was probably a hint.
Noon – 6 p.m. / FREE
Who doesn’t love a good pun? The historic downtown train station will present two days of ghoulish fun on Saturday the 26, and Sunday the 27, 2019. The South Patio will be transformed into a mystical Halloween Village with food trucks, crafts, face painting, tarantula tattoos, a selfies booth, stilt walkers, puppet shows and a Monster Mash Dance Party. At 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day the village will host the Treats-on-Track Trail for little trick or treaters. There will also be a “Creepy & Clever Costume Contest” with prizes at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Go Metro on the Red, Purple, Gold or Silver Line directly to Union Station L.A.
Monday, October 28, 2019 – Sunday, November 3, 2019
Bob Baker Marionettes Halloween Spooktacular
When the Bob Baker Marionettes lost their theater, Angelenos were afraid they might never again thrill to The HaLLoWe’eN Spooktacular. But they are already presenting shows at their new home in Highland Park. “You’ll be delighted by this haunting showcase of sweet spooks, including the Purple People Eater, Dracula, the Invisible Man, and many more!” The theater will also be hosting a live read of an Addams Family script on October 25, 2019, and Captured Aural Phantasy Theater’s “Tales from the Crypt” on October 26, 2019.
Show run time is approximately one hour. Children ages 2 and under are free. Kids and adult general admission are both $20. There are still tickets available from Monday, October 28, through Sunday, November 3, 2019.
Also check out:
Natural History of Horror Opens at the Natural History Museum Just in Time for Halloween!
Movies Till Dawn: Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet of Horrors (Halloween 2019, Part 2)
