Ahhh, Halloween is just one week away! One of my favorite
ways to get in a scary mood is to check out one (or more!) of the many frightening
haunted attractions in the Los Angeles area. From terrifying theme park scares
to haunted hay rides and ghost-filled ships, here’s a few hair-raising haunts
that will give you goose bumps:
This month I went to Scary Farm not once…
twice! We were able to go through all the mazes, including the new
Special Ops: Infected, an interactive
haunt where guests, led by squad leaders, use laser guns to shoot and fend off zombies and complete a mission. Very
cool experience, I hope they keep this one around and better it in years to
come! Aside from Infected, the best mazes were
Tooth Fairy
(they got me a few times, plus just going to the dentist on a regular basis is
freaky);
VooDoo, which had really
well done décor and scares;
Forevermore,
based on macabre Edgar Allen Poe stories where the rooms were amazingly done
but the scares could have been better; and of course just walking through
ghoulish Ghost Town will scare your socks off. With mazes, rides, shows
(including Elvira!) and haunted areas, Scary Farm is always a good time.
I didn’t get a chance to go to this one
this year but in past years it was always really good… and creepy. It’s Universal
so costumes and makeup are extremely well done and the frightening mazes are
definitely worth the wait. My favorite is the Terror Tram through the backlot taking you and then dropping you
off on real movie sets. Word on the street (or at least the review world) is
that Dracula Untold and Alien vs. Predator mazes had the best scares. Between
the mazes, the set designs, the terrifying scares (including The Walking Dead and The Purge: Anarchy scare zone) you are sure
to get in a good scream or two.
I have never been to this one, or any
haunted hayride for that matter, but this sounds pretty cool. Located up in
Griffith Park at the old LA zoo grounds, the hayride is about 25 minutes long taking
guests through a unique set of special effect scares and frightening scenes.
The hayride isn’t all that is offered as there are a few other attractions set
up to check out as well. One of my co-workers went last year and said it was
good, although she recommends going during the week or as early as possible during
the weekend as it gets extremely packed.
It’s been years since I’ve been to this
haunt but it’s definitely one to check out as the ship itself is reportedly
haunted!
The creep factor is definitely high as you meander your way through scares
amongst the eerie ship, including an unnerving haunted encounter, and if you’re
feeling particularly bold you can even stay the night in a room aboard the
ship. This attraction also offers live entertainment with bands and DJs, and
you can even wear costumes on Halloween night and Nov. 1 and 2 for Dia de los
Muertos (costume registration required).
This haunt is over in my neck of the woods
(Inland Empire) and features 5 haunted houses, including a spooky hay ride, and
a magic show. It’s fairly inexpensive, about $33 for all 5 haunts and close
enough so it’s definitely on my list to check out.
Labels: event, Halloween, haunts, Los Angeles, scares, Southern California
