Halloween Haunted Houses & Hayrides
Professional Mazes, Hayrides, & Walk-Through Attractions
Find More: Halloween Haunts Master List – Theme Park Halloween Attractions - Halloween Yard Haunts – Community Halloween Haunts – Halloween Haunts for Children – Halloween Parties, Street Fairs & Costume Contestst - Halloween Tours & Performances – Halloween News – Halloween Photographs - Halloween Video
Below is a listing of professional haunted houses, walk-through mazes, and similar Halloween events and attractions in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. These are seasonal haunts put on by people who specialize in scaring eager trick-or-treaters. Some are set in permanent locations; others set up temporary structures in parking lots or wherever space is available. All of them charge for admission, although some donate their proceeds. We make a distinction between them and what we term Community Halloween Haunts, which also charge admission but for the purpose of raising money to support the local community centers, schools or churches.
Looking for other ways to spend Halloween in Los Angeles? Check out our listings for Theme Park Halloween Attractions, Amatuer Halloween Yard Haunts, Community Halloween Haunts, Halloween Haunts for Children, Halloween Tours & Performances, and Halloween Parties & Street Fairs. If you have trouble finding the haunt you seek in these categories, try our master list.
NOTE: Each Halloween event with a hyperlinked name has own page, with photos and/or videos, plus links to reviews.
DINER OF THE DEAD – No Longer in Operation
12500 Euclid Street, Garden Grove, CA
Phone: (714) 741-5200
Webpage: no longer operational
2011 Dates: None
2011 Hours: None
2011 Tickets: None
2010 Discounts: None
2011 News: Apparently, this was a one-shot effort in 2010, overseen by one of the crews responsible for the well-regarded Sinister Pointe, which was on hiatus that year. We are leaving the old information up for archival purposes.
2010 Information: The City of Garden Grove brings the abandoned Black Angus restaurant back to life -or death- this Halloween, by opening “Diner of the Dead,” a heart-pounding, horror-filled maze set inside the vacant, 10,000 square-foot restaurant at 12900 Euclid Street.
The haunt is intended for teenage to adult audiences. Admission is $13 per person with photos available for an extra fee. Tickets will be available at the door, or at the Garden Grove City Hall Recreation Counter, 11222 Acacia Parkway, starting Monday, October 4.
“Diner of the Dead” is a collaboration between Jeff Schiefelbein’s Imagination Design Studios and Abracadaver Productions. Imagination Design is known for the Silent Hill Haunt at Sinister Pointe in Brea and Abracadaver’s spooky sculptures have appeared in numerous films.
Click here for articles on Diner of the Dead.
THE EMPTY GRAVE
(formerly The Haunted Cellar)
Anaheim Garden Walk
321 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802
Website: www.themtgrave.com
Click the haunt’s title to access more information.
FEARPLEX - No Longer in Operation
This Halloween attraction featured a pair of walk-through haunted house mazes at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. It has been replaced by Nightmare at Scareview Farms (see entry below). Click name for more information.
FEARS GATE
(formerly Forbidden Haunt in Sherman Oaks)
961 N Rice Avenue
Oxnard, California
Website: www.fearsgate.com
FORBIDDEN HAUNT
Presents Haunted Carnevil 2010 Only – Moved to New Location with New Name in 2011
4827 Sepulveda Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Website: www.forbiddenhaunt.com
2011 News: This haunt, which made its debut in 2010, has moved to Oxnard, where it has been renamed Fears Gate. The old URL (listed above) will redirect you to the new website, where you can find information about dates, times and tickets.
2010 information is listed below for archival purposes. The new Fears Gate haunt appears to be reusing much of what was seen in the Forbidden Haunt.
Description: Making its debut for Halloween 2010, this haunt trotted out the well worn chestnut of killer klownz but with an engaging twist: it is actually set inside a circus tent, lending the ambiance of a real carnival. Forbidden Haunt promised “Unspeakable Fear” too terrifying for children, but there were lights-on matinee shows for the kiddies. There was also a “Weak Freak” clause which insists that you will not receive a refund for chickening out. Entertainment included:
- “Your Last Ride,” a double wide hearse with motion-simulator to create the experience of traveling to your final destination.
- Madeline Speak on October 29 & 30 at 9:00pm
- ImpaktBand on October 15 at 8:00pm, October 23 at 4:00pm, October 29 & 30 at 8:00pm
- Phantom Coaches Hearse Club on October 23 at 5:00pm
Proceeds benefited Disabled American Veterans, Simi Valley Chapter 55.
Click here for the Forbidden Haunt archive.
FRIGHT FAIR FACTORY OF NIGHTMARES
Website: www.frightfair.com
Part of the Halloween Harvest Festival at Pierce College in Chatsworth, in the Northwest San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, the Factory of Nightmares features a night-time corn maze, a haunted trail, and a haunted house. Click name for more information.
GHOST SHIP – New for 2011
2901 W. Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Website: www.ghostship.com
Dates: October 14-15, 21-22, 28-29
Hours: Ship sets sail nightly at 6:30pm, 8:15pm & 10:00pm
Tickets: $59
Description: Ten Thirty One Productions – creators of the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, one of Hollywood Gothique’s favorite Halloween events in Los Angeles – set sail on a new adventure, a ghostly cruise in Orange County. We’re not talking about a mock-boat and make-believe sailing; this is the real thing: a 75-minute tour on the high seas that is anything but a pleasure cruise, with guests allowed to roam at their own pace from deck to deck, encountering horrors guaranteed to send shivers down the spines of all who dare face them.
Backstory: In the early 1930s, the state of California became responsible for the residents of Psych Ward 7 – inmates so dangerous that no walls on land were adequate to keep them safely restrained. Therefore, these threats to society were housed on a ship anchored over 100 miles off shore – the country’s first floating asylum. One fall night in 1939, without so much as a cloud in the sky or a ripple in the water, the ship disappeared off the Coast Guard’s radar and has never been found…until now.
Ghost Ship brings guests through the abandoned hallways of what once was the treatment deck for those in need of Electro Shock Therapy, Hydrotherapy, and Sleep Disorder Rehabilitation as well as the old examination rooms and morgue. The middle floor will appear to provide a moment of calm where patrons can grab a cocktail and take in the old ballroom vibe of the 1930s. However, appearances can be incredibly deceiving as this may just be the most disturbing floor of the ship with some severely twisted surprises that guests will never see coming. Lastly, the top deck will bring gluttons for punishment through an interactive execution experience that just may make them wonder “who” is actually getting executed.
Other Details:
- Alcohol and snacks will be served on the “Shock Therapy Deck.” I.D. required.
- Ghost Ship is not recommended for children under 12, or for people with heart or back problems, pregnant women, people prone to seizures or seak-sickness. No outside alcohol permitted. Leave all metal objects in your car. No costumes allowed.
- Ghost Ship has also adopted a “Fur Free” policy prohibiting guests from bringing garments made of fur onto the ship with an apropos slogan for the season of “We have enough blood and guts inside, NO FUR PLEASE.”
- Tours may be cancelled due to weather; check website for info (unfortunately, the official website is as slow as coagulated blood).
THE HAUNTED CELLAR - No Longer in Operation
In 2009, this Halloween attraction changed its name to “The Empty Cellar.” (See listing above.)
HAUNTED VINEYARD - No Longer in Operation
This great Halloween haunted house in Ontario, CA, benefitted from being situated in an authentic location (an old winery), not a temporary mock-up. is no longer in operation. Click name for more information.
THE HAUNTING FACTORY - No Longer in Operation
This one-shot wonder appeared in West Hollywood in 2009.
HAUNTS USA - No Longer in Operation
Formerly located Northridge, CA, this ambitious Halloween event consisted of three walk-through mazes, including a “Nightmare Factory” haunted house. Click name for more information.
HERITAGE HAUNT – Closed for 2011
Website: www.scvhaunt.com
Note: This atmospheric Halloween attraction is set in an allegedly real haunted house, in Newhall, north of Los Angeles. Earlier reports that it would not return after 2010 have proven to be false.
Click name for archival information.
LOS ANGELES HAUNTED HAYRIDE
Website: www.losangeleshauntedhayride.com
This Halloween attraction (which moved from King Gillette Ranch to Griffith Park in 2010) features a scary haunted hayride, a haunted hay maze, and a Halloween carnival. The first is rather scary; the later is appropriate for families with younger children. Click here for more information.
MOLAR MANOR - No Longer in Operation
Formerly located in Canyon Country, this great Halloween haunted house – a sort of haunted museum of collectibles and props – went dormant in 2007, then gave some farewell shows early in 2010 before closing its doors for good. Click name for more information.
NIGHTMARE: A HAUNTED ATTRACTION AT FAIRPLEX
(Formerly “Nightmare at Scareview Farms)
Fairplex, home of the Los Angeles County Fair
Fairgrounds Website: www.fairplex.com
Unlike most haunts, Nightmare offers scares in large, wide-open spaces (located in the Big Red Barn at the Pomona Fairplex). This lends a different feel to the experience – less claustrophobic.Not recommended for children under 13. No guest costumes or re-entry privileges for this event.
OLD TOWN HAUNT
Website: www.oldtownhaunt.com
This impressive Halloween walk-through maze, with an underground setting, is located in Old Town Pasadena. Click name for more information.
REIGN OF TERROR HAUNTED HOUSE
Website: rothauntedhouse.com
Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, this entertaining Halloween attraction grew from a yard haunt to a community haunt before expanding into its present form, which rivals the best professional Halloween haunted houses & hayrides in Los Angeles. Unlike many Halloween events, this one truly resembles a haunted house. Get information by clicking the name.
SATAN’S CHOP SHOP
5016 W. 118th Street
Hawthorne, CA 90250
MySpace Page: Satan’s Chop Shop
E-Mail: www.myspace.com/satanschopshop
20110 DATES: NONE ANNOUNCED. The haunt went on hiatus in 2009 and 2010 because of lack of an available location. No word on whether it will return.
HOURS: In the past, hours were 7:00pm till 11:00pm
ADMISSION: $3 INFORMATION: The low-price and the MySpace page suggest that this haunted house hovers somewhere between amatuer and professional. A gruesome gorefest, put on by some Hollywood makeup and effects artists, promises to scare you silly with intestines, chainsaws, and other bloody horror not seen in your average spooky yard haunt.
SCAREPLEX - No Longer in Operation
Fairplex, home of the Los Angeles County Fair
1101 W. McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 91765
Phone: 949-660-1988
Website: www.scareplex.com
DATES & HOURS: NEVERMORE. Scareplex was replaced by FEARPLEX for 2007 and 2008. 2009 saw yet another new haunt at the fairgrounds, Nightmare at Scare View Farms (listed above).
HISTORY: Scareplex was produced by Shipwreck Productions, the people behind the fine Queen Mary Terror Fest. Scarplex made its debut in 2004 to mediocre response; some haunt-goers complained that many of the props and settings were leftovers from the Queen Marry Terror Fest. After returning in 2005, the haunt skipped the 2006 season. In 2007, a new company took over, and the haunt was re-christened “Fearplex” (see listing above). The Haunt featured an all-night dance party and four mazes: Reaper’s Revenge, Voodoo Village, Massacre Mountain, and Mayhem Manor.
SCARE AT THE FAIR: Shipwreck Productions also presented “Scare at the Fair,” a single walk-through haunted house maze, during the annual L.A. County Fair. LIke Scareplex, this was later replaced by a new attraction, the Haunted Manor. Read our review of the 2006 Scare at the Fair.
SEASIDE HAUNT - - No Longer in Operation
Located in Ventura, north west of Los Angeles, this Halloween attraction was renamed Seaside Haunted Theme Park and placed under new management in 2008, when it expanded from a single walk-through maze to a pair. Click name for more information.
SINISTER POINTE HAUNTED ATTRACTION
Website: www.sinisterpointe.com
This well-regarded Halloween Haunt has been scaring residents in Orange County since 1996. The team behind Sinister Pointe has also contributed to the Queen Mary Dark Harbor in Long Beach, which made its debut in 2010, and to Diner of the Dead, which appeared in Garden Grove the same year.
Click the haunt’s name for more information.
SKULL KINGDOM - No Longer in Operation
In 2008, the former proprietors of Seaside Haunt moved from Ventura to Woodland Hills, where they created a new Haunted House attraction for Halloween fans in Los Angeles. Click name for more information.
SPOOKY HOUSE – No Longer in Operation
Located in Northridge, this is one of the most popular and long-running Halloween attractions in Los Angeles, with a facade that resembles a genuine haunted house. Click name for more information.
THEATRE 68′S HAUNTED HOUSE
Website: www.68centcrew.com
Located in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, this Halloween attraction features a more dramatic presentation than most, thanks to its theatrical setting. Click name for more information, or read our review of the 2008 haunt here.
13 NIGHTS OF TERROR – 2010 Only?
Lost Canyons Golf Club, 3301 Lost Canyons Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93063
Website: Click here
2011 Dates & Hours: None announced
2010 TICKETS:
- $13 for adults (16 and over)
- $11 for children.
- $45 for VIP tickets for two (include dinner, front of the line privilege; reserved parking, and a special VIP-only experience in the haunt). Available at the box office only.
DISCOUNTS: $2-off coupons will be available at some of the event’s sponsors; check the website for information. The haunt hopes to feature special event nights, featuring entertainment such as fire dancers and/or extreme juggling shows (included for the regular price of admission).
Description: A new haunted event opens its doors for the first time in 2010, offering a Halloween Family Festival, a Family Safety Fair, live music, and a Haunted House. The latter is billed as scary but not “offensive”; it is not recommended for children under 13. The premise is that toxic waste from rocket testing has produced unexpected terrors. The event is produced by Shipwreck Productions, which used to handle the Queen Mary Halloween Terrorfest.
Proceeds benefit the non-profit Gull Wings Children’s Museum.
Click here for articles about 13 Nights of Terror.
THOUSAND OAKS HAUNTED HOUSE - No Longer in Operation
Janns Market Place
215 North Moorpark Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Phone: 805-208-3706
Website: www.thousandoakshaunt.com
DATES & TIMES: NONE
TICKETS: $10 for one maze, $16 for both mazes, $20 for VIP pass (less waiting)
FEATURES: Besides the haunt itself, there are booths to buy kettle corn and souvenirs; plus, there is a rock-climbing wall and a full-sized rhinocerous prop with a movable head (don’t ask us why). The haunt featured three attractions: two for adults at night and one for kids in the afternoon:
- Circus of Screams: According to the official website, a “Circus of Screams” visited Thousand Oaks decades ago, and many strange things happened; nothing was ever proven, and the circus departed. But many say that the spirits of the evil clowns still haunt the area.
- Thousand Oaks Haunted House: an obscure filmmaker, whose movies were so sick and twisted that they were never released, mysteriously disappeared when the authorities broke in on him, but his work lives on.
- Thousand Ghosts 3D Matinee: This less frightening attraction is recommend for children under 13 (and their parents with faint hearts)
DRAWBACKS: This haunt was set up in a temporary structure (a large tent inside a gated area) in a parking lot; consequently, the decorations and mechanical effects are not as elaborate as those seen in some permanent facilities.
HISTORY: After making its debut in 2005, the haunt’s official website went down in August 2006, and the haunt sat out that Halloween. As of August 2007, a redesigned website was up and running, but the information was leftover from 2005, with no indication of future updates. Apparently, this haunt was a one-year wonder. Read our review of the 2005 haunt here.
TURBIDITE MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE - No Longer in Los Angeles
Website: click here
Formerly Part of Spooky House onParthenia Street in Northridge, California, this excellent simulation of a tour through a haunted house changed locations in 2007. Click name for more information.
