Hollywood Gothique

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A little pre-Halloween housekeeping: I have just added a new page to the Halloween Haunts section of Hollywood Gothique. Entitled, “Graveyard of Lost Halloween Haunts,” this page collects all of the various Halloween events in Los Angeles that have passed into the dust of history: Halloween Haunted Houses & Hayrides, Halloween Yard Haunts, Community Halloween [...]

The Los Angeles Halloween season begins in earnest tomorrow, with the opening of the Knotts Berry Farm Halloween Haunt and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Before we begin to savor the delightfully dreary ambiance of these and other Halloween events in Los Angeles, we should cast our mournful eyes back through the hazy clouds of time and take a moment to to pay tribute to those haunted attractions that have gone to the grave forever, never again to resurrect each October for annual enjoyment of all things macabre. Click through to read our list of the Los Angeles Halloween attractions we mourn the most deeply.

John Casella, who helped design and build Spooky House, writes in to clarify the details about what is happening with that haunt and the other Halloween properties once owned by the late Bob Koritzke. Basically, it sounds as if elements of those attractions will be incorporated into this year’s Haunted Queen Mary:
Due to the unexpected death [...]

The ripple effect of Bob Koritzke’s Bob’s untimely death in July continues to impact upcoming Halloween events in Los Angeles. Skull Kingdom, Old Town Haunt, and Seaside Haunted Theme Park were among several attractions that were owned or co-owned by Koritzke, also including Fearplex and the grand-daddy of them all, Spooky House. Koritzke’s death left the future of these haunts [...]

Since the untimely death of Spooky House owner Bob Koritzke in July, it has been unclear whether the long-running Halloween haunt – one of the most successful in Los Angeles – would continue without him. I have just heard that the Spooky House brand name has been sold; it will be incorporated into the Queen Mary [...]

Just received some sad news: Bob Koritzke – chief owner of Spooky House, Old Town Haunt, Seaside Haunt, and Skull Kingdom- passed away over the 4th of July weekend, apparently of a heart attack. This is a blow for fans of Halloween in Los Angeles; Mr. Koritzke’s popular haunted house attractions were some of the [...]

Earlier in the month we reviewed this year’s edition of Spooky House, the popular professional Halloween Haunt in Chatsworth. Set in a permanent location that actually resembles a haunted house, this attraction has not changed too much since last year, but they have added some nice touches (a “free-fall” elevator, a hearse through which customers must [...]

This year, we avoided our mistake of 2006 and 2007 (waiting until the last minute) and instead made it a point to enter the dark realm of Spooky House as early in the season as possible. We would have made the sojourn to the eldritch land of Chatsworth last weekend, on opening night, but we were warned [...]

Spooky House begins their 19th Halloween haunt at the end of this month . If you want an idea of what this year’s presentation might be like, check out this video we shot last year at their new permanent location: 21512 Nordhoff Street in Chatsworth. Unlike many of these October attractions, Spooky House is situated in a [...]

Spooky House – the long-running haunt most recently located in Chatsworth – is looking for actors eager to scare their customers. If you think you have what it takes, send an email to: spookyhousecasting@hotmail.com.

Spooky House has become such an established tradition around Halloween time that reviewing it on an annual basis is almost redundant. There is a continuity of talent from year to year,and a consistency of quality, so that, if you have enjoyed it in the past, you pretty much know that you will enjoy it in [...]

Most of you are probably sick of Halloween and looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, before bidding adieu to the October season, some of you are no doubt wondering: What were the best Halloween haunts this year?
Well, I’m here to tell you. But first, the ground rules: in order to make each year’s list [...]

As you don your Halloween costumes and decide which revels to enjoy on this last night of the Halloween season, make a special note of this: tonight is the final night that the wonderful Turbidite Manor will be in Los Angeles.
This haunt – a sort of electronically-guided museum tour of a haunted mansion – is [...]