Every confirmed 2026 LA Halloween event and haunted house date, plus the ones currently unverified (but expected) that you should double-check before you buy tickets. Full guide inside.
Southern California’s Halloween season runs deeper than jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin patchesl though it turns out there’s plenty of room for those too.
This guide covers both sides of the season: the haunted houses and horror-first events built to scare you…
…and the family-friendly festivals, light trails, and trick-or-treat events built for people who’d rather skip the chainsaws.
Here’s what’s actually locked in for 2026, and below that, what’s expected but still waiting on an official date.
Confirmed: Haunted Houses & Horror Events
Halloween Horror Nights — Universal City
Universal Studios Hollywood’s marquee event returns for its 25th year, running select nights from September 3 through November 1, with gates opening at 7 PM. This year’s houses include Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, and Sinners, with the full lineup now locked in following this summer’s rollout.
Tickets are already on sale, with single-night general admission starting around $88.
📍 100 Universal City Plaza | 🌐 halloweenhorrornights.com/hollywood
Knott’s Scary Farm — Buena Park
The longest-running Halloween theme park event in Southern California marks its 53rd year with select nights from September 17 through October 31 — 26 event nights total, mostly Thursday through Sunday. The full 2026 lineup was revealed at the August 18 Nightmares Revealed event: eight returning mazes plus two new ones, Inked (a 1930s cartoonist’s ink creations come to life) and Unearthed (a search-and-rescue team wakes something ancient at an excavation site), alongside two new shows, Occultum and Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge. Two returning mazes, Origins: The Curse of Calico and The Chilling Chambers, are confirmed to retire after this season. Gates open at 7 PM; confirm exact closing times before you go, as they vary by night.
📍 8039 Beach Blvd | 🌐 knottsscaryfarm.com
Fright Fest presented by SNICKERS — Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia
Magic Mountain’s 33rd annual Fright Fest runs select nights from September 18 through November 1, straight from the park’s own event calendar. Scare zones, live shows, and night rides come with regular admission; haunted mazes require a separate Haunted Attractions Pass. The full maze lineup hadn’t posted as of this writing.
📍 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia | 🌐 sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/fright-fest
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor — Long Beach
“Summoned by the Seas” returns to transform the historic ship into a sprawling Halloween festival on select nights from September 18 through November 1. Expect returning mazes like Big Top Terror and Infirmary alongside reimagined attractions, plus secret speakeasies scattered around the ship. General admission starts around $46.
📍 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach | ☎ (877) 600-4313 | 🌐 darkharborhalloween.com
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride — Griffith Park
Produced by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment in partnership with Elvira, the Hayride returns to Griffith Park’s Old Zoo on select nights from September 18 through November 1. Expect the wagon ride through Midnight Falls plus three interactive mazes. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
📍 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles | ☎ (323) 593-6894 | 🌐 losangeleshauntedhayride.com
Castle Dark — Riverside
Now in its 17th year and previously ranked #3 nationally by USA Today, Castle Dark opens its 2026 season on September 19 (note: not September 18, as some listings state) and runs Friday–Sunday plus Halloween night through November 1. Three new mazes headline this year — Feary Tales, Midnight Manor, and Containment Breach — alongside three scare zones.
📍 3500 Polk St, Riverside | ☎ (951) 785-3000 | 🌐 castlepark.com/castle-dark
Haunted Mansion Haunt: 20th Anniversary — Trabuco Canyon
This free home-haunt tribute to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is one of the most detailed amateur builds in Southern California, complete with Madame Leota, singing busts, and a Hatbox Ghost. The full 2026 calendar is confirmed: October 3–4, 9–11, and 16–31, plus November 1. Donations are welcome; admission itself is free.
📍 28322 Millwood Rd, Trabuco Canyon | 🌐 hmhaunt.com
Delusion: Den of the Mosquito — West Adams, Los Angeles
The nation’s longest-running immersive theater series returns to the historic Beckett Mansion — its original 2011 home — for a 1920s New Orleans vampire-mobster story from writer/director Jon Braver. This is Delusion’s darkest and most interactive production yet, with split-path storytelling and a full 50-minute run time. Dates run September 17 through November 8. This is an 18+ experience; capacity is intentionally limited, so tickets move fast.
📍 2218 S. Harvard Blvd, Los Angeles | 🌐 enterdelusion.com
Slasher Camp: Axe Throwing & Horror-Themed Ales
Costa Mesa, Orange County
Escape into a summer-camp-gone-wrong horror world this Halloween season — Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales turns axe throwing into an immersive slasher-movie experience. Choose from six weapons (including a combat shovel and a full-size axe) and 13 interactive projection games, all under the guidance of a “Camp Counselor” coach. Afterward, unwind at the cabin-in-the-woods bar with horror-themed craft beers, ciders, and mocktails. Rated PG-13 for atmosphere and axe safety — 13 and up only.
Slashers is located at 1941 Newport Blvd. Unit 105, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 — about a 40-minute drive from LA and 75 minutes from San Diego. It’s open Wednesday and Thursday from 2:30–10:30pm, Friday and Saturday from 2:30–11:30pm, and Sunday from 2:30–10:30pm, with Monday and Tuesday closed.
Guests must be 13 or older. For bookings and more info, visit slashersoc.com
The 17th Door — Buena Park
Orange County’s most talked-about extreme haunt returns for its 11th straight season with a new Perpetuum Penitentiary storyline — a 35-minute, waiver-required experience with a Prison Barber, a meat-locker Butcher, and a Warden deciding your fate. The Backstage Tour add-on, a 30+ minute behind-the-scenes look at cast areas and the control room, is back by popular demand. Posted 2026 hours: Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday 7–11 PM, Friday–Saturday 7 PM–midnight, closed Mondays.
📍 8420 On the Mall, Buena Park | ☎ (714) 900-2517 | 🌐 the17thdoor.com
Live Oak Canyon Haunted Maze — Redlands
New for 2026: Southern California’s largest pumpkin patch is debuting its first-ever haunted maze in 45 years of operation. Haunt supervisor Philip-Blaine Adsit brings credentials from Knott’s Scary Farm, Sinister Pointe, and The 17th Door. Runs weekends, October 2 through October 31.
📍 32335 Live Oak Canyon Rd, Redlands
Confirmed: Family-Friendly Halloween Events
Oogie Boogie Bash — Disney California Adventure, Anaheim
Disney’s ticketed after-hours Halloween party returns for a record 33 nights, running August 18 through October 31. Expect trick-or-treating trails, character cavalcades, and Halloween-specific overlays across the park. This is one of the earliest-opening and fastest-selling events of the entire SoCal Halloween season, so plan tickets well ahead.
📍 1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim | 🌐 disneyland.disney.go.com
Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort — Anaheim
Disneyland’s daytime seasonal overlay runs August 21 through October 31 across both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, included with regular park admission. Expect seasonal decor, the Haunted Mansion’s holiday overlay, and Halloween-themed entertainment — no separate ticket required, and appropriate for all ages.
📍 1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim | 🌐 disneyland.disney.go.com
Carved — Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge This mile-long nighttime walk through Descanso’s gardens and woods features hundreds of real, hand-carved jack-o-lanterns lining a new route for 2026. No scares, no actors jumping out — just atmosphere, making it one of the more toddler-friendly options on this list. Runs nightly October 2 through November 1, 6–10 PM.
📍 1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge | 🌐 descansogardens.org
Nights of the Jack — King Gillette Ranch, Calabasas
Now in its ninth season, this mile-long immersive trail wraps King Gillette Ranch in more than 30 themed light-and-pumpkin environments, live carving demonstrations, food trucks, and a 21+ “Spookeasy” bar for the adults. Ticketing pages show a confirmed 2026 run on select nights through early November, with grounds open 5:30–10 PM; check the venue’s own calendar for your specific date, since some third-party guides are still listing this as unannounced.
📍 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas | 🌐 nightofthejack.com
Brick-or-Treat — LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad
LEGOLAND’s not-too-scary Halloween takeover returns for 2026 on 12 select dates from September 19 through November 1, with trick-or-treating, character meet-and-greets, and limited-time rides built for younger kids.
📍 1 LEGOLAND Dr, Carlsbad | 🌐 legoland.com/california
Tricks and Treats — Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia
The daytime counterpart to Fright Fest, this family-oriented event (formerly Kids Boo Fest) runs Fridays through Sundays, September 25 through November 1, and wraps before Fright Fest takes over the park after dark. Expect a Trick-or-Treat Trail, live performances, and regular park rides included with admission.
📍 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia | 🌐 sixflags.com/magicmountain/events
Pumpkin Race — Downtown Manhattan Beach
A free, one-day South Bay tradition: families build their own pumpkin racers and send them down Manhattan Beach Boulevard in a timed competition. Runs October 18, 2026, from 12 PM to 5 PM, with the race itself starting at 2 PM.
📍 Manhattan Beach Blvd & Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach | 🌐 downtownmb.org
Expected, But Unconfirmed
The Hollow Haunted Maze — Redlands Located at Southern California’s largest pumpkin patch, this corn-lined maze is a known seasonal fixture, but a confirmed 2026 date range (previously reported as Fridays–Sundays, October 2–31, plus select weeknights) hasn’t been verified on the operator’s own channels yet. Recommended for ages 16+. Note: this is a separate attraction from Live Oak Canyon’s new haunted maze, on the same property.
📍 32335 Live Oak Canyon Rd, Redlands
Beware the Dark Realm — Santa Clarita
This beloved medieval-themed home haunt has a long, well-documented history dating to 1971 and has appeared in the documentary Epic Home Haunts. However, multiple current listings describe the location as closed or no longer operating for 2026. Treat any specific date claims for this address with real skepticism until confirmed directly through the haunt’s own social channels.
📍 28621 Sugar Pine Way, Santa Clarita
Reign of Terror Haunted House — Thousand Oaks
📍 285 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks | Dates and hours not yet announced.
Black Casket: Cannibal Creek — Yucaipa
📍 34580 Yucaipa Blvd | Dates and hours not yet announced.
Fearplex Presents Lights Out — Pomona
📍 Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave, Pomona | Dates and hours not yet announced.
Rotten Apple 907 — Burbank
A veteran home haunt also featured in Epic Home Haunts.
📍 907 N. California St, Burbank | Dates and hours not yet announced.
Creep LA — Los Angeles
Location and 2026 dates not yet announced.
Wicked Lit — Location TBD
This immersive, site-specific theatrical production is confirmed to be returning for the 2026 season per regional roundups, but a venue and specific dates have not yet posted. Worth checking back on given past years’ strong reception.
West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval — Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood
A long-running annual street festival and costume event; it appears on multiple 2026 regional event lists, but an official date and route confirmation from the City of West Hollywood was not available as of this writing.
Marina del Rey Halloween Festival — Marina del Rey
Named as a recurring annual fixture in regional guides, but no confirmed 2026 date found as of this writing.
Cinespia Halloween Movie Nights — Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Cinespia’s outdoor screenings at Hollywood Forever typically include Halloween-season programming, but a 2026 lineup and specific dates were not yet posted as of this writing.
Are all the events on this list open right now?
No. Most run select nights or select dates starting mid-to-late September and continuing through Halloween or the first week of November. A handful of listed events — Beware the Dark Realm, Wicked Lit, West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, Marina del Rey Halloween Festival, and Cinespia’s Halloween lineup among them — have not confirmed 2026 operation or dates as of this publish date, and should be verified directly before you plan around them.
What’s a good family-friendly alternative if the haunted houses are too intense for my kids?
Carved at Descanso Gardens and Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort are both built around atmosphere and light rather than scares: no actors jumping out, no jump-scare mazes. LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat and Six Flags’ Tricks and Treats are similarly daytime, low-intensity options aimed at younger kids.
What’s the best weekend to visit LA haunted houses in 2026?
Early in the season (mid-to-late September) tends to mean shorter lines and lower ticket prices at the major parks. The tradeoff is that some mazes and scare zones haven’t fully rolled out their season yet — Fright Fest’s full maze lineup, for example, was still unpublished as of this writing.
Do LA haunted houses require separate tickets from regular park admission?
It depends on the venue. Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest includes scare zones and shows with regular admission but requires a separate Haunted Attractions Pass for mazes. Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Oogie Boogie Bash are all separately ticketed events entirely apart from daytime park admission.
This guide covers both sides of the season: the haunted houses and horror-first events built to scare you…
…and the family-friendly festivals, light trails, and trick-or-treat events built for people who’d rather skip the chainsaws.
Here’s what’s actually locked in for 2026, and below that, what’s expected but still waiting on an official date.
