Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor (Photo by Ed Simon)
Here is an entire month of events to thrill, chill and scare the living crap out of you!
HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS
7 p.m.-12 midnite weekdays, 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays / Long Beach / $34 and up
Dark Harbor has been a longtime favorite of The LA Beat. The haunt is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. From now through November 2, more than 200 ghosts and monsters can be found in six terrifying mazes, including the “Lullabye Maze,” based on the legend of the Queen Mary’s resident ghost, Scary Mary, and the brand new “Rogue” in which a giant wave has hit the Queen Mary and turned the ship turns on its side. There will also be fire-breathing performers, sliders, the Sinister Swings (Bought from Neverland Ranch–scary), a 4-D theater experience and secret bars. Our post from this year.
Recommended for 12 and older. Add-ons include access to secret bars, backstage experiences, cabanas and front-of-the-line passes. Parking starts at $40. Do yourself a favor and park offsite with shuttle. You can even spend the night in the ship’s hotel, which is totally haunted. Runs Thursdays through Sundays. TICKETS.
Illusions of the Passed aboard the Queen Mary
7 p.m. – 10 p.m. / Long Beach / Starting at $45 a person
There have always been whispers of paranormal activity have increased dramatically, especially on the the “B Deck Forward.” Illusionist Aiden Sinclair will be e hosting a 60-minute interactive Theatrical Séance based on Victorian Spiritualism (not real) followed by a VIP paranormal investigation in the “Rope Room Locker (real).”
A new Paranormal VIP package, includes admission to the Queen Mary at 4 p.m., VIP seating for Aiden Sinclair’s Illusions of the Passed Theatrical Seance, and a private Paranormal Investigation limited to just 10 people per night. Tickets start at $45 per person. You could also upgrade to the Dinner, Show and Investigation Package, which starts at $175 per person and includes a prix-fixe dinner at Chelsea Chowder House & Bar. No children under the age of 13. No late arrivals. Please see the link above for a map and guide on where to enter. It is not in the Dark Harbor area.
If you would like to attend Dark Harbor on the same night, you can buy a combination ticket which will provide you with a VIP escort that allows you to bypass the Dark Harbor admission line and includes entry into the RIP Lounge with an all-you-can-eat taco bar and two (2) drink tickets. Combination tickets are $160 Per Person and are only available for select nights. The event runs Thursdays through Sundays. Parking is free for this event. TICKETS.
7 p.m. – 10:30 & 12 midnite / Griffith Park (The old zoo) by the merry-go-round / $39.99
The theme this time is the spooky town of Midnight Falls. Besides the hayride itself, there are three mazes–Trick or Treat, Roadkill Ranch, and midnight mortuary. new this year is the town square, where the residents of midnight falls are holding a Halloween festival, but the town has a dark secret. Our photos from 2016.
There is a range of ticket prices for different experiences. GA admission is $39.99. I recommend scaredy-cats sit in the middle, as the characters do jump onto the tram and get right up in your face. The GA is $44.99 and includes haunted mazes and a photo opp. No kids under 13 years old, no smoking, no refunds if you chicken out. Do not touch the wild animals or the actors. No costumes except on Halloween. They rate it as a “high scare.” TICKETS
7 p.m. – 2 a.m. / Buena Park / $50 and up online
Knott’s Scary Farm, which runs Thursdays through Sundays through November 2, offers no less than nine haunted mazes. The newest mazes are “Origins: The Curse of Calico,” which has an old west and witches theme, and “Wax Works” with a scary wax museum. If you like jump scares, you’ll love the Scare Zones, themed areas where more than 1,000 horrifying creatures like clowns, undead drowned gothic characters, and sliders (i.e. actors in scary costumes jumping out, or suddenly sliding up to your feet and scaring the holy shit out of you). There are also magic shows, puppets, a dance party, a bunch of thrill rides, and a boo-fet with monster photo-ops. We recommend the fried chicken and boysenberry pie. Our 2015 post. Recommended 13+ TICKETS
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS
7 p.m. – 2 a.m. (1 a.m. on select nights) / Studio City / $72 and up
As usual, Universal sets the bar for Halloween attractions in LA. In addition to the Terror Tram and five scare zones, where roaming out-of-work actors scare the crap out of you, Universal presents ten mazes, most of which are television and movie-themed. This year’s themes include “Stranger Things,” Jordan Peele’s “Us,” “Killer Clowns,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” and even one based on “Ghost Busters,” which I expect will be much scarier than the movie. Select daytime attractions, including Revenge of The Mummy and The Simpsons Ride will be open and monster-free (Except for mummies). The popular Jabbawockeez show is back, and Thursdays are 80s themed, and you are encouraged to dress up in your coolest 80s gear. No masks or face paint allowed. Not recommended for kids under 13. Check website for information on early entry. Runs Thursdays through Sundays. TICKETS
TOURS AND SHOWS
PARAMOUNT STUDIOS: TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Hours vary / Hollywood / $99
Not wanting to be left out, Paramount Studios developed a 2 1/2-hour scary walking tour covering the darker stories of the studio lot. Taking advantage of their location right next to The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the tour takes you through the cemetery with only flashlights to illuminate your path. Friday, and Saturday evenings; plus select Thursdays. Complimentary champagne, movie candy, and popcorn. Good walking shoes required. 16 years and older. TICKETS
ZOMBIE JOE’S URBAN DEATH TOUR OF TERROR
8 p.m. – 11:30 a.m. / North Hollywood / $16 /$20 at door
LA’s scariest theater and haunted house attraction returns for its 7th year starting tonight with an all-new maze and show and continuing every weekend through Halloween. Our own Dukey Flyswatter describes the show thusly, “…Joe’s wordless exposures pares back the layers and takes death, madness, loss and body horror to its bare essentials…you’ll encounter zombies, cyst fetishists, hatred of infants and necrophilia at the pace of a whirling dervish.” Fridays and Saturdays, plus Halloween night. TICKETS
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Dusk / Calabasas / $27
Nights of the Jack is a family-friendly Halloween Jack O’ Lantern experience. Thousands of hand-carved, illuminated pumpkins are spread along 1/2 mile trail on King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. Some displays are larger-than-life, whereas other pumpkins are finely detailed by their artists. This year the event partners with Nickelodeon to present Spong Bob pumpkins. Most visits last from 45 minutes to an hour, but feel free to wander at your own pace. There will also be food trucks and vendors. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Thursdays through Sundays and every night the week of Halloween. Tickets are sold in 30-minute intervals. Advanced ticket purchase is required. TICKETS
$30 / La Canada Flintridge /
This October, Descanso Gardens will be aglow when “Carved” shows off 1000 expertly carved pumpkins. It is an easy one-mile walk through the Camellia Forest and Oak Grove. A previous Halloween show, RISE of the Jack O’ Lanterns, inspired the gardens to create “Enchanted Forest of Light,” but people still ask for the jack-o-lanterns, so Descanso Gardens has created this new show. You can also enjoy seasonal snacks, live carving demonstrations and special surprises.
The family-friendly event only takes place for five evenings–October 23 through 27, 2019. But you can watch the carving process at Van de Kamp Hall in Descanso as they prepare for the event in the week leading up to the opening night. General admission tickets cost $30. TICKETS
10 p.m. – 4 p.m. / Griffith Park / Free with Zoo Admission of $17 / $22
Boo at The Zoo celebrates October with exciting activities every day of the week as well as special weekend events. The theme is “Merry not Scary.” During the week, kids can enjoy a “Spooky Stroll” with Halloween games, a mystery maze and special animal encounters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On weekends the zoo ups the ante with a puppet show, crafts, a photo booth and special feedings. Check the schedule carefully as there will be “carcass feedings.” Trick or treat at the zoo October 19, 20, 26, and 27, 2019. There will be a special Boo Creature Camp Out on October 26. TICKETS
There will be no Live Steamers Ghost Train, Boney Island or Horror Made Here event at Warner Bros. Studios in 2019.
El Capitan is breaking its tradition of showing Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D, and will be showing Hocus Pocus, Coco and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Check the website for showtimes.
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