Thirteenth Floor Productions brings back their most tried and true Halloween events this year with a trio of outings to bring scares and fun to Los Angeles.
From haunted mazes to thousands of playful jack o’lanterns to spooky hayrides and more, this year promises to bring thrills and shrieks like never before.
So, let’s get to it!
MAGIC OF THE JACK O’LANTERNS
Fun for the whole family, this walk-through event features thousands of jack-o’lanterns carved and shaped to resemble not only your favorite Halloween characters but hundreds of pop-culture icons. From Star Wars to Disney to The Godfather, you never know what carvings you’ll see next.
Lit up and glowing, the carved pumpkins illuminate a path through the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. There’s a lot to see, so plan to spend time checking out as many pumpkins as you can, some standing over 10 feet tall!
Food and drink options are also available mid-way through the walk, and light shows punctuate the path as you move among the themed sections.
While Halloween-themed music echoes through the Narrows, this is definitely a calmer, slower-paced event that the whole family can enjoy.
And don’t forget your 3D glasses that add a little punch to the glowing lights throughout the park!
SHAQTOBERFEST
While I’m still unclear what Shaquille O’Neal has to do with Halloween, the legendary basketball player makes his presence known throughout his very own Halloween event.
Similar to the Queen Mary’s previous yearly event, “Dark Habor,” this new Halloween festival features much of what made “Dark Harbor” so popular. There are a handful of haunted mazes (one on the ship itself), carnival rides, live entertainment from fire spinners, the infamous zombie sliders, and demonic clowns throughout.
Joyfully spooky band LVCRFT hosts a Block Party complete with a DJ and haunting projections to make you shake your bones and rattle your chains.
The mazes might not be as spooky or elaborate as in years past, but a few are pretty lengthy and feature some fun animatronics and playful actors ready and willing to scare the pumpkin seeds out of you.
When you enter the event, you’ll travel through Deadman’s Wharf, where the denizens of a fishing town rise from their watery graves to haunt you as you witness the ghosts and ghouls of many a watery grave.
There’s the new The Grey Ghost that takes you through the bowels of the Queen Mary itself, navigating deceased passengers and crew that still haunt the galleys of the ship!
Midway Madness offers some carnival creepers to make you jump, scream, and laugh as they try to tickle your funny bone and frighten the rest of them.
Pirates Cove offers a few dead pirates in a town full of statues and skeletons from a bygone era. There’s not a lot of activity in this one, but if you’re lucky, there’s a bar called “Captain Shaq’s Hideaway” where you can down a shot to calm your nerves.
The Pumpkin Patch was a favorite and one of the more elaborate. With a number of animatronic pumpkin-head creeps, you’ll be leaping out of your skin as you navigate what should have been a calm fall stroll through the haystacks. Instead, fear for your pumpkin-picking lives!
With bars aplenty (including a VIP bar for those who choose that ticket option), an add-on experience where you can check out the Queen Mary’s haunted Engine Room, and delicious carnival food everywhere you look, this is a fun night for most of the family. (Kiddos might get too scared.)
LA HAUNTED HAYRIDE
LA’s favorite Halloween Haunt is back again this year with more scares and an upgraded hayride experience for guests ready to get their “boo” on.
Deep in the woods of Griffith Park, the LA Haunted Hayride has planted its roots, and it’s the perfect setting for a spooky night of Halloween frights.
This year, the Hayride (which hasn’t changed that much in theme) offers a more comfortable hayride with solid hay bales for guests to sit on. It’s much better than attempting to sit cross-legged and then turn back and forth to see all the activity around you!
Creepy mazes dominate the grounds with Midnight Mortuary, Hellbilly Halloween, and Trick or Treat. There are a lot of monsters and mayhem to get your screams going and your feet ready to run! (Try to go when there aren’t many people waiting, as the scare actors will spend more time haunting you as you navigate the themed corridors.)
In addition, there’s the yearly Monte Rovolta Show, a “Theatrical Macabre Experience” of an undead lounge singer bastardizing your favorite tunes and offering a heavy dose of scary puns and haunted humor.
You can also try your hand at axe-throwing! At a target, of course. Not at any of the creepy beasts roaming the grounds.
With many food and (non-alcoholic) drink options, a spacious event space, and a lot of fun, “LA Haunted Hayride” is one of the best ways to get in the Halloween spirit this holiday season.
Just don’t let any of the spirits follow you home!
