A spine-tingling lineup of 2025 Southern California Halloween events for every type of thrill-seeker — from family-friendly frights to epic nightlife haunts.
Year after year Daily Ovation’s team researched the scariest, wildest Halloween events for you and 2025 is no different.
Halloween is creeping around the corner, and 2025 Southern California Halloween events are shaping up to be more electrifying, eerie, and enchanting than ever.
Whether you’re craving a coaster-spun scare, a haunted hayride under the stars, or a music festival drenched in EDM beats and costumed madness, Southern California’s Halloween scene has something wickedly delightful for everyone.
Keep reading and discover the must-see celebrations this October, organized by vibe, spectacle, and spine-tingling value.
Knott’s Scary Farm – Buena Park’s Haunted Wonderland
Summary: Knott’s Scary Farm, beloved as the longest-running Halloween theme park event in Southern California, returns with over 160 acres of terror featuring walk-through haunted houses, roaming monsters, and immersive scare zones. In 2025, mazes like Cinema Slasher, Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman, Mary: The Haunting of Worth Home, and more anchor the fright-fest. A chilling incarnation of an enduring tradition.
Location: Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA.
Website / Contact: Official Knott’s Scary Farm page via Knott’s website WikipediaCuddlyNest.com.
“The holy grail of Halloween fun,” according to CuddlyNest, this event transforms the park into a macabre playground where suspense hides behind every foggy turn. CuddlyNest.com
Running select nights from mid-September through early November, it’s ideal for horror aficionados and thrill-seekers alike.
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights – Studio-Grade Terror
Summary: Step into cinematic nightmares as Universal Studios transforms into a live-action horror film, complete with immersive haunted houses based on iconic franchises, expertly executed scare zones, roaming monsters, and intense live entertainment.
Location: Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA.
Website / Contact: Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights official site Universal Studios HollywoodCuddlyNest.com.
With tech-savvy effects and jaw-dropping atmospheres, this is a must for horror fans who love immersive, high-production-value scares. 2025 Southern California Halloween events reach blockbuster levels here.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride – Griffith Park’s Outdoor Nightmare
Summary: This uniquely eerie hayride barrels through haunted landscapes in Griffith Park, offering multiple walk-through haunted attractions, carnival games with a creepy twist, and costumed characters lurking around every corner.
Location: Griffith Park area, Los Angeles, CA.
Website / Contact: Official Los Angeles Haunted Hayride site Los Angeles Haunted HayrideCuddlyNest.com.
Outdoor scares meet theatrical flair — perfect for groups seeking a dark, immersive experience under the moonlit sky.
Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor – Nautical Nightmare at Sea
Summary: The RMS Queen Mary is reborn each fall as Dark Harbor, a moody Halloween festival filled with haunted mazes, street performances, VR horror experiences, themed bars, and sinister “icons” like Scary Mary and the Ringmaster lurking in every shadow.
Location: Long Beach, CA (Queen Mary).
Website / Contact: Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor official page WikipediaThe Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor.
Combining historical eeriness with haunted theatre, it’s one of the most immersive 2025 Southern California Halloween events in a portside setting.
Escape Halloween – EDM Spooktacular in San Bernardino
Summary: Insomniac’s annual Escape Halloween raves at the NOS Events Center—think EDM, techno, trance, hardstyle and house blasting through haunted mazes, art galleries, and costumed performers. A sensory overload for the goth-dance crowd.
Location: National Orange Show Events Center, San Bernardino, CA.
Website / Contact: Escape Halloween site Escape Halloween 2025.
An intoxicating blend of beats and screams — perfectly suited to those who want to dance with the undead.
Calico Ghost Haunt – Family-Friendly Phantom Fun
Summary: At the restored ghost town of Calico, families can stroll through a Halloween-themed historical environment with mild frights and festive décor. Scheduled across two weekends: October 24–26 and October 31–November 2, with varying hours.
Location: Calico Ghost Town, San Bernardino County, CA.
Website / Contact: San Bernardino County Parks site Parks.
A nostalgic and spooky outing, this event brings Old West charm to the 2025 Southern California Halloween events lineup.
West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval – Street-Party Spectacle
Summary: A free, massive street party descending on Santa Monica Boulevard, with dazzling costumes, vivid floats, and electrified energy—from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on October 31.
Location: West Hollywood, CA.
Website / Contact: City of West Hollywood events page West Hollywood.
Think Mardi Gras meets Halloween—vibrant, outrageous, and unapologetically glamorous.
Chino Halloween Spooktacular – Community Carnival
Summary: Held October 31 from 4–9 p.m. at Ruben S. Ayala Park, this family-friendly festival features hot air balloons, carnival rides, crafting stations, a costume contest, and spooky entertainment.
Location: Ruben S. Ayala Park, Chino, CA.
Website / Contact: City of Chino event page cityofchino.org.
A hometown gem that mixes lighthearted fun with Halloween spirit—great for families with young children.
Screamfest Horror Film Festival – Hollywood’s Indie Horror Showcase
Summary: Over ten days in October, TCL Chinese 6 Theatres hosts Screamfest, the country’s largest and longest-running horror film festival, showcasing international and US indie horror premieres.
Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.
Website / Contact: Screamfest official site (screamfestla.com) Wikipedia.
Film buffs and horror auteurs unite at this cinematic gem that consistently premieres breakthrough horror titles.
Aero Theatre Horrorthon – Midnight Movie Marathon
Summary: Spend a night engulfed in horror at Aero Theatre’s all-night marathon (Dusk-to-Dawn Horrorthon) of six to seven classic horror films projected in 35mm, plus free food and quirky mascots like “Corn Gorn.”
Location: Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, CA.
Website / Contact:.
For cinephiles who believe Halloween is best experienced curled up with a projector and popcorn—beware, but stay for Corn Gorn.
