Spooky Amusement Park Halloween Makeovers

throughout the Los Angeles and Southern California area

Spooky redecorating the Los Angeles area amusement parks for Halloween parties has become a major tradition.  It's often Friday night through Sunday in October, not just Halloween. As of 2009, over 80% of the parks are doing Halloween Haunt themes.  The big ones are open most of October, some week days as well.  Check an individual attraction's own web site for the actual spooky days for their Halloween Events.  Some are just part of the park's regular events, others require separate evening tickets.

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 costumes. Check before getting your kid to the front gate.

Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt

   Knott's Berry Farm turns into the "Scariest Place on Earth" after dark.  Elaborate in-your-face scare event with over 1,000 monsters. A dozen mazes and shows, magic and mayhem, shows, scare zones and more.  Also have pre-scare dinner, post scare breakfast  (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.

Daytime, non-scare celebration of cheer rather than fear, is THE social event of the season with shows, activities, and of course trick-or-treating all geared for kids ages 3-11

Halloween Horror Nights - Universal Studios

  Blurring the line between frightful illusion and grim reality Universal Studios is back. "Halloween Horror Nights" creates an active not passive scare.  All-new mazes, terror tram, scare zone, live shows.  Experience the traps from the Saw movie.  Walk the Halloween house with Michael Myers. Can you escape the mine from My Bloody Valentine?  Chucky has taken over a funhouse - watch out for those "dolls"! 

Check out their preview video or for get details of the mazes and scares on their behind-the-scene vid.   (Haunting again since 2006.)

Universal's CityWalk Halloween Carnival for kids   

Universal CityWalk "Monster Bash with Trick-or-Treating"  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 Monsters.

Fright Fest at Magic Mountain

   Six Flags Magic Mountain is transformed from a “theme park” to a haunted “scream park” for Fright Fest.  Fright Fest offers loads of costumed ghosts and ghouls, hair-raising live shows, rides in the dark, electrifying street entertainers, monstrous mazes. 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.  Special crafts just for kids.

SHIPWRECK: Haunted Queen Mary

Major changes afoot, whole new crew.   Watch out, even websites are different names. Find the old Shipwreck crew <here>

  Wana party on a real haunted ship???  The Queen Mary changes into a horrifying party boat just to celebrate Halloween.  With a new crew running thing, it has 5 mazes located both on and off the ship.

Notes:  "Food tickets" are only for food in the parking lot area.  On ship, is standard payment. No discount on parking if you have scare tickets.  Club Dead dance party in the parking lot is 21+ only.

RIP: Terror Fest 1995-2008.

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 Trick-or-Treat Party - 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. "

Boo At the Zoo - Los Angeles Zoo  

  Have a safe and spooky Halloween during Boo at the L.A. Zoo, where you’ll find fun festivities—pumpkin patches, jack-o-lantern carving, photo opportunities, eerie crafts— throughout the Zoo. Our Freaky Fun House will feature Halloween entertainment, tasty treats, face painting, wacky mirrors, and an amusement zone filled with games.

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.  Also sleep-over plans this year.

Halloween Family Sleepover   

Fun and exciting way to experience the Aquarium with your family? Join our spooky sleepover adventure for Halloween.   Shark Lagoon and tidepool touch time, Creepy crawly animal interactions, Pumpkin decorating, Fish feeding, Freaky flashlight tour, 3-D Movie, Crafts and more.  Pizza, treat bags, morning cereal...    Stay for the Spooktacular Kids Activity Morning and the Scarium festival
 

Morning Breakfast and Spooktacular Kids Activity Morning  

Enjoy live children’s entertainment, make crafts to take home, get your faces painted, and watch the sea lions eat their breakfast. Café Scuba will be open featuring a special breakfast menu

Scarium of the Pacific  

 A spooktackular event for the whole family. Enjoy special Halloween programs, including the annual children’s costume contest, the creepy coloring contest, magic shows, spooky storytelling, kooky crafts, eerie animals in the Great Hall, and much more. 

A new special prize category for costumes made with recycled materials has been added this year to show that even goblins can be green.

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.

Sea Fair & Sea Scare - Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

 Celebrate the bounty of the sea! Sea Fair offers ocean-related activities for every age, which include; face-painting, an exciting marine life puppet show, and a giant origami demonstration. Adventurous pirates of all ages can join in the search for buried treasure in the “Great Treasure Hunt.”  A day filled with fun activities, organizations, games, contests, music, exhibits, demonstrations, arts and crafts, films and videos. Pack a picnic or purchase food.

Sea Scare is there Halloween event so come in costume and join in the masquerade of spooks and ghouls, trick-or-treat throughout the aquarium at six different themed treat stations, or walk along the docks of the “Port Town” scare zone. Just when you thought you were safe, those marauding pirates are back with their crazy antics and bad pirate jokes.

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.

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This page last updated 11/01/09

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