Spooky Amusement Park Halloween Makeovers

throughout the Los Angeles and Southern California area

Spooky redecorating the Los Angeles area amusement parks for Halloween has become a major tradition.  It's often Friday night through Sunday in October as well as Halloween. The big ones are open most of October, some week day.  Check an individual attraction's own web site for the actual spooky days.

Scare Mazes are the big thing.  Many can be quite graphic. Because of intensity of the haunting, there are child age recommendations for most of these events.  Some events have separate children's events.

For the most part, costumes ARE NOT allowed at the amusement parks to keep the employee's separated from the paying customers.  If costumes are allowed, face masks aren't.  Some of the children's events do allow them, check before getting your kid to the front gate.

Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt

  Here's the most elaborate scare event with over 1,000 monsters.  Knott's Berry Farm turns into the "Scariest Place on Earth" after dark.  A dozen mazes and shows including The magic and mayhem of Ed Alonzo, The Hanging, satirical look back at the year's pop culture with pyrotechnics and other special effects, Dr. Cleaver's Psycho Circus extravaganza.  Also have pre-scare dinner  (reservations 714-220-5055) and VIP  options.  Scaring since 1973.

Knott's Berry Farm Camp Spooky  

Daytime alternative to the scary Halloween Haunt.  Celebrating Halloween cheer with trick-or-treating, mazes and shows.  Non scary. Costume contest.

"Tykes can use their map to search for pirate treasures like eye patches, bandanas, coins and more. Tykes will look like little pirates ready to join the costume parade in the Camp Snoopy Theatre with the Peanuts gang or brave the high seas surprises in Captain Jack's Hideaway Adventure"

Queen Mary's Ship Wreck

  Wana party on a real haunted ship???  The Queen Mary changes into a horrifying party boat just to celebrate Halloween.  It has 7 mazes this year through 12 haunted decks,  dance parties with  DJs as well as a live bands transform the ship  into a high energy alternative rock night club with their own their own Fright Mistress.  Experience the dance party at the Dome of Doom.   Open weekends in October.  Check out the website for a tour of the mazes and dance floor from past years.  Terror fest since 1995.

Halloween Horror Nights - Universal Studios

 Blurring the line between frightful illusion and grim reality Universal Studios is back. "Halloween Horror Nights" will feature three of the most iconic and notorious madmen of the silver screen, Freddy Krueger,  Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface from some of the most memorable horror franchises: "Friday the 13th," "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  With four new mazes, top horror icons and a new edition of the backlot "Terror Tram," "Halloween Horror Nights" promises to be an intense interactive Halloween experience.  (Haunting again since 2006.)

Universal Studios Hollywood’s favorite attractions will remain open for the nighttime Halloween Horror Nights experience, but many will feature a menacing twist.  “WaterWorld”  is transformed into “Slaughter World” for the occasion.  See  “Jurassic Park—In the Dark.”

Performances by the Mutaytor’s blend of pyrotechnics, stunt performance, tribal dancers and pounding percussion--a riotously surreal techno-retro-funk-audience—will add a spine-tingling and alarming element to the overall Halloween experience.  “Chucky’s Insultorium” - a mix of menace and humor to the event while the “Carnival of Carnage” - medieval torture artists, sword swallowers, fire and glass eaters, human pincushions and those with a hearty appetite for cockroaches, worms and maggots. 

Universal's CityWalk Halloween Carnival for kids   

Universal CityWalk and L.A. Parent magazine celebrate Halloween with its annual “Spook-tacular” featuring traditional trick-or-treating, children costume contests and entertainment for Los Angeles’ youngest ghouls, pirates, superheroes, witches and other costumed candy-seekers.  The family-friendly celebration will feature a variety of candy distributed throughout CityWalk in traditional Halloween fashion and will provide a safe environment for children of all ages to enjoy trick-or-treating with their friends and family.

Other activities include a costume contest with prizes awarded for top categories, live entertainment and appearances by Universal characters such as Frankenstein and the Mummy. 

****  Extra note:  Cinema Secretes now has a Halloween Store on Citywalk.  Check out all the makeup from the folks who bring you all the Woochie kits - from elf ears to bloody scars to horns to anything you can dream up.  Check 'em out!

Fright Fest at Magic Mountain

  Six Flags Magic Mountain is transformed from a “theme park” to a haunted “scream park” for Fright Fest, Southern California’s ultimate Halloween experience. With six terrifying haunted mazes, roaming zombies, spooky shows and Xtreme rides in the dark, Fright Fest offers sensory overload for every range of fear. And, a Fright Fest exclusive – experience one of the largest, most celebrated coasters in the world, Colossus, BACKWARDS!

Mazes not recommended for the young kids.  Some mazes have actual age restrictions.  However, they also have Bugs Bunny World: "Twick or Tweat" just for the kids.

Disney's Halloween Time  

  Ghostly going on across Disneyland Resort.  Costumed Characters. The Golden Scream's Theater will be the Disney Villains Lair.  The Haunted Mansion will be done up in it's Jack Skelton Holliday theme, complete with Oogie Boogie.  The Tower of Terror gets a seasonal makeover.  Woody has a Halloween Roundup at Boo Thunder Ranch. Jack-o-lanterns and villains galore make for a spooky time.

Mikey's Halloween Treat - Disney's California Adventures   

"A separate-ticket nighttime event gives kids and their families the opportunity to dress in their Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat throughout Disney’s California Adventure after it has closed to day guests. This year’s Halloween Treat will offer tricksters of all ages more treat locations along with fun character encounters (including an all-new nightly cavalcade), interactive games, and spirited music with DJ Mickey. "

Scarium of the Pacific

 Numerous treats are in store this autumn at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Friday nights they're open until nine to visit the Shark Lagoon.  Consider dinner.

Scarium of the Pacific  

 A spooktackular event for the whole family. Special presentations.
Activities include magic shows, spooky storytelling, a display of decorated pumpkins, children’s coloring contest, and a variety of educational and fun crafts."

Autumn Festival

"Experience the richness and diversity of Asian and Asian American cultures through this fall celebration. This year the Autumn Festival will focus on the traditions and heritage of Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines through a weekend of learning opportunities and family entertainment."  Music, dance, story telling, kids crafts, exhibitions, ethnic cuisine.

Boo At the Zoo - Los Angeles Zoo  

 Our annual Halloween celebration is sure to be another spook-tacular event! The entire Zoo is transformed into themed areas for trick-or-treaters to delight with fun. Performers, treats, crafts, music, and creepy crawlers will create a not-so-scary weekend for all! 

Face Painting, Halloween crafts, Trick-or-treat candy stations, creepy creature, encounters, face painting, holiday entertainment in the pumpkin patch,  “Stomp and chomp” special animal feedings and more. Get up close and creepy with spiders and snakes at the petty zoo. Check out the swamp for the white alligator.

Other Parks and Attractions

Every single amusement  park in Southern California seems to have some kind of Halloween or Autumn celebration going.  Many have children's costume contests.  There are addition events...

Check out <Boo News & Sources> for search engines.

v ----- Advertisement -----v

^ -----Advertisement ----- ^

[ Up ] [ Fests & Fairs ] [ Dia de Los Muertos ] [ Haunted Houses ] [ Amusement Parks ] [ Clubs ] [ Parties ] [ Historic & Traditional ] [ Eclectic Extras ] [ Haunts on Wheels ] [ 4 Paws ] [ Costume Specials ] [ Exhibit  & Lecture ] [ Theater ] [ Movie Specials ] [ Kickin' Back at Home ] [ Boo News & Sources ] [ About Us ] [ Search Us ]  

Please contact us at  spookycat@alleycatscratch.com with any corrections or if you have an item to be added to this page.  

This page last updated 07/13/08

.  

v ----- Advertisement -----v

^ -----Advertisement ----- ^