Halloween events in Los Angeles for spooky fun

What could be a better fit for Halloween than spooky films screened in a cemetery? Following its 25th season, Cinespia will return to Hollywood Forever Cemetery this October for Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, a 50th-anniversary screening of Carrie and Jennifer’s Body, leading up to John Carpenter’s The Thing on Halloween night itself. Enjoy spirited DJ sets before and after the movie, and be sure to strike a pose in the free themed photo booth each night.

Right in time for Halloween season, the Academy Museum seeks to answer the question “Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?” in this immersive look at the genre whose cultural cachet is always increasing. Knowingly employing horror tropes and exploring the lasting appeal of scary movies, the show will be divided into six subcategories of horror—gothic, psychological, science, slasher, religion and ghosts. Expect re-creations of iconic settings where visitors will encounter creatures, monsters and objects from their favorite horror flicks and, in typical Academy fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of films from the original Frankenstein to The Shining to Get Out.

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters roaming around. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. For its 13th anniversary, the event dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with reimagined mazes set both on shore and in the ship’s swimming pool and corridors. New this year is the “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact” maze, as well as carnival rides Alien Abduction and blacklight bumper cars. When you tire of the terror, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

Dragula “queens of darkness” the Boulet Brothers are bringing their annual Halloween ball—now in its 26th year—to the Globe Theatre Downtown. Expect three stories of music, sin and horror, including a Halloween stage show featuring a performance by ballroom dance troupe House of Ninja, a demonic puppet show from Rasputin’s Marionettes and Jake Dupree’s Halloween burlesque revue. Two-time Grammy nominee Poppy is the night’s headlining DJ. Don your best drag and enter the costume contest—the cash prize is a cool $1,000. 

Far from those kid-friendly rides through a pumpkin patch, this hayride unleashes all sorts of demons and bogeys on Griffith Park, which is transformed into the mid-’80s fictitious town of Midnight Falls. The Griffith Park tradition, which has been running for 18 years now, centers on a relatively lengthy hayride. The premise: A witch has summoned spirits of the underworld who’ve hidden themselves among Halloween decorations in the town’s foothills. This year’s event introduces a new, Sunset Strip–themed maze, “Fallen Angel,” and sees the return of Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem, the Scary-Go-Round, Hellbilly Halloween and axe-throwing. A welcome addition this year: alcohol, served at themed bars throughout the event.

The Los Angeles Conservancy’s popular summer series is popping up for its second fall edition, bringing two Halloween screenings to the historic Million Dollar Theater in DTLA. Catch a matinee of classic comedy mystery Clue at 1pm, followed by the iconic Stanley Kubrick adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining at 7pm. A pair of pre-movie tours of the venue are sold out, but you can still admire the theater’s architecture while you wait for the feature presentation.

Like a Halloween version of its Yuletide Cinemaland series, Street Food Cinema will turn Heritage Square Museum into a spooky, cinematic playground. On the movie side, you can catch a different double feature each night (picks include Obsession, Sinners and Jennifer’s Body, among others) while embarking on Victorian home tours and adult trick-or-treating and perusing food trucks, a bar and market vendors. 

This traveling horror-themed Halloween cocktail pop-up stops at Melrose Umbrella Co. again this October. The women-owned concept—created by industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage—is taking over the Beverly Grove bar, serving up expertly mixed cocktails amid metal music and spooky decor (including the famous 12-foot-tall skeleton from Home Depot). Drink highlights include the Bone Temple, made with Teremana Blanco Tequila, and Abyssa’s Obsession, made with pumpkin-infused Kraken Black and Gold Spiced Rums—plus fun glassware you can purchase for yourself. Spirit-free options are also available. And if you can’t get enough Black Lagoon, there’s another SoCal outpost at Midnight Oil in Long Beach.

This celebrated immersive horror theater event is returning to its roots at the Beckett Manion in West Adams for its longest and most interactive play yet, running from September 17 through Halloween till November 8. This year’s theme, “Den of the Mosquito,” is set in a New Orleans brothel in the 1920s, with a cast of mobsters, monsters and vampire prostitutes. You’ll play an agent with a secret organization, and the event promises more interactivity and split paths than ever, perfect for those who want to be part of the story. Tickets don’t come cheap (they start at $143), and the team is warning to expect the most limited ticket availability in Delusion history, but for true Halloween devotees, it might be worth it: Delusion regularly ranks among the best haunted houses in the city. 

Have a drink at seven of the Sunset Strip’s best haunts over the span of a single night during this Halloween bar crawl. Register and pick up your wristband and map at Saddle Ranch Chop House, and you’ll be granted no-cover bar access and themed drink specials at some of the liveliest hot spots in West Hollywood: the historic Andaz hotel, Hotel Ziggy, Katana, the Naughty Pig, White Rabbit Sky Lounge (formerly Skybar) and Wokcano.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing are awakening the spirits in October with a slate of Halloween favorites at their DTLA rooftop. The festive flicks continue to pick up as Halloween approaches, with plenty of chances to see Hocus Pocus, Scream, Halloween and Practical Magic—plus newer picks like Obsession, Backrooms, Weapons and Sinners—among others. There are even mini marathons of spooky Supernatural and Twin Peaks episodes.

This is one of the largest Halloween street parties in the world, and there’s really no better place to be on October 31. Sure, the crowd is huge (like, half a million people huge) and a bit belligerent, but the amazing display of costumes and general merry-making spirit deem it at least a worthy stop, if not your main destination for the evening. There will be dancing, drinking and many impromptu costume contests. Even if you don’t plan on entering one, it’s best to still come dressed to the nines—no one likes a party pooper in jeans and a T-shirt. Find it along Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard. A DJ will be spinning from a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevard, and food trucks will be on hand.

See our guide to the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

The Houston Brothers’ eight-in-one nightlife destination, Downtown’s Level 8, is celebrating Halloween once again with a hedonistic party. Five of the venue’s concepts will represent a different deadly sin, with fire dancers, wrestlers, acrobats and actors bringing envy, lust, sloth, gluttony, pride, wrath and greed to life (the eighth one is FOMO, apparently). If you upgrade to a VIP ticket, you’ll get access to a three-hour open bar and Sinners y Santos nightclub.

Every October, Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group hosts a chilling series of vignettes that’s been named one of Yelp’s top 10 scariest haunts in the country. Armed with a shoddy flashlight to illuminate their path, guests navigate a labyrinth of terror both before and after watching a series of shocking scenes (over the course of roughly 40 minutes) that will unsettle even the most stoic of horror fans. The haunted house-slash-theater experience has been scaring audiences for over 20 years in its North Hollywood theater, and this year’s event is being touted as “bigger and badder than ever.”

Partake in an educational yet festive Halloween-themed night at the Huntington. The 21-plus event is celebrating its 10th thrilling year in the gardens. See a aerial and acrobatic sci-fi-themed performance by CirqueSanity; step inside Nikola Tesla’s laboratory; enjoy a mix of magic, mind-reading and comedy; learn the “out of this world” history of Joshua Tree’s Integratron; listen to scary stories in the woods; test your knowledge at twilight trivia; and more. Admission includes two drink tickets (food from local vendors is available for purchase). Act fast, though: Tickets for the event typically sell out early.

This Halloween mini-fest makes the jump from Union Station to the Arts District with a block-sized celebration centered around 613 Imperial Street. You’ll find two stages set across an indoor-outdoor space, including a live performance from electronic duo the Blaze, plus Claude VonStroke and an Arcade Fire DJ set. Organizers SBCLTR and Minimal Effort have added the latter to the lineup in the wake of the passing of Kavinsky, the French DJ and producer originally slated to play the event; THE MAZE will now honor him with a special installation and themed areas. Outside of the music, you can expect hidden pathways, roaming live performers and immersive environments.

Each year, the Walt Disney Concert Hall adds a little bit of Frank Gehry architecture and culture to Halloween. Organist Clark Wilson provides a live soundtrack to a classic silent film for an extra eerie feel. This year, take a seat for an afternoon screening of the silent 1920 masterpiece Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring John Barrymore.

Encounter free-roaming monsters, stage shows and 10 terrifying mazes—this year’s new additions are “Inked,” which brings 1930s cartoon characters to life, and the excavation-themed “Unearthed”—as well as a menu of eerie eats and sinister sweets, five scare zones and the theme park’s thrill rides during Knott’s Scary Farm, SoCal’s original and longest-running Halloween theme park event. Also new this year are two shows: Voodoo: Bayou's Edge and Occultum, featuring magicians from the legendary Magic Castle.

The park-hopping alfresco film series will be hosting a 30th anniversary screening of From Dusk Till Dawn, followed by Rocky Horror Picture Show (R.I.P. Tim Curry) at the Ford Theatre for Halloween weekend.

Every year, Haunted Little Tokyo turns the area into a ghoulish maze of Halloween-themed pop-ups, walking tours and performances. On October 24, you can set out on a free, family-friendly scavenger hunt hosted by the Terasaki Budokan (11am–2pm) or explore the haunted history of 1st Street on a ghoulish ghost tour (5pm, tickets $25). On Halloween night, dance the evening away at a 21+ block party with music, a costume contest and full bar (4pm–midnight). RSVP online for the secret Little Tokyo location.

This Mexico City art car bound for Burning Man became an L.A. mainstay for its dance-centric pop-ups—and spawned a bona fide EDM institution in the process. The beloved car was destroyed in a fire in 2023, but a new iteration of the car, Mayan Warrior Galaxyer, debuted the following year. Each Halloween, local event collective Stranger Than presents the full art car experience, with an all-star lineup of artists and production at Gloria Molina Grand Park.

The San Bernardino rave scene injects itself with a bit of Halloween flair at this annual music fest—this year dubbed Escape Psycho Circus. Insomniac Events—the group behind EDC and the Wonderland series—is setting up multiple stages at the NOS Events Center; headliners include Zedd, Ice Cube, Excision, Richie Hawtin, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Galantis, Steve Aoki, Benny Benassi, Alok and Morten. Explore the grounds to find mazes alongside ominous artwork and freak show performers.