List Of Southern California Haunted Attractions - October 2009

[elly]

Top Halloween Activities For Southern California - 2009

It's that wonderful time of year again, leaves are starting to turn colors, the dusk air is cool and crisp and screams can be heard drifting across the night sky. Its time for the yearly round up of haunted attractions that you might care to partake of. Let's see what's out there to scare the stuffing out of you:

Knott's Halloween Haunt

All you fear is here....the new logo for Haunt pretty much says it all, from a fear of clowns, creepy spiders, hungry vampires, and a full scale prison riot to sliders racing out of the fog at you, there is something for just about everyone at Haunt this year. Look for Haunt to be open every Wednesday through Sunday for the rest of October. All their info can be found at the Haunt website and a lot of behind the scenes photos can be found at the Knott's Twitter site as well.

MiceChat Video From Knotts Scary Farm (by Sir Clinksalot):

YouTube - Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt 2009

UPDATED: MiceChatters Elly and Fishbulb become Monster for a Day at Knott's Halloween Haunt

Halloween Horror Nights-Universal Studios Hollywood

HHN returns for its third year with all new mazes based on some familiar horror movies, all new street zones and all new shows. They've got a lot on their plate, but if the last two years are any indication, they know how to present eyepopping sets in their mazes. HHN's Creative Director, John Murdy, has been very active on HHN's twitter page and has given a very interesting insight as to what goes in to making HHN such a great event. This year expect to cross paths with Billy from SAW, Michael Myers from Halloween and even walk the same streets as characters from Shaun of the Dead plus a whole lot more. Ticket info, dates and hours can be found at the official HHN Hollywood website.

Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Magic Moutain is once again offering Halloween creeps, roller coasters in the dark and even some activities for kids that might find haunted houses a bit too scary. According to their website:

Fright Fest offers 13 days of terrifying haunted mazes, roaming zombies, the scariest clowns on the planet and new shows ... leaving no tombstone unturned to bring the ultimate sensory overload for every range of fear. For the little monsters, a Trick or Treat Trail, Scaryoke and Costume Contest in Bugs Bunny World round out the activities.
October 3-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 and 30-31.

While your admission to Magic Mountain for the day also includes nighttime admission, there is an upcharge to go through their various mazes. There is, however, no upcharge to ride Colossus backwards.

The Empty Grave

This year the Anaheim GardenWalk is home to The Empty Grave haunted attraction. Formerly known as The Haunted Cellar, this haunt house has spawned many Knott's Halloween Haunt monsters and puts on a great show every year. Their website even hosts a legend that their house is based on:

Late at night you can see him there, behind the rusty gates, the grounds keeper of the old cemetery . An eerie presence, like a ghost, amidst the graves in the darkened landscape.
Standing there for years, listening. Listening to the storiesof the dead. Stories of vengeance, and hate, filled with bitterness, anger, and unrest. The ground was full of fury.
A fury only he could understand...

Be sure to visit their website before you head over to the GardenWalk for a coupon to save on your admission to The Empty Grave.

Sinister Pointe

Home of the SAW Haunted Attraction in 2008, Sinister Pointe returns this year with two all new mazes Fear and the Konami sponsered maze Silent Hill based on the popular video game and movie of the same name. Located at the Brea Plaza Center in Brea, Sinister Pointe opens October 2nd and runs through October 31st. Ticket pricing and FAQ answers can be found on their official website. Be sure to listen for the music in both the Fear maze and their scare zone Slaughter Yard, it was composed by our fellow MiceChatter JonAutopsy!

Shipwreck

The Queen Mary in Long Beach is once again home to Shipwreck this Halloween season. Featuring five mazes and a 20,000 square foot dance party known as Club Dread, Shipwreck is hoping to be a force to reckon with in the Southern California area. Dates, hours and ticket prices, including month long passes, are available at their website.

Castle Dark

This October Castle Park in Riverside turns into Castle Dark after the sun sets. Not only are they featuring the return of the Chambers of the Mausoleum maze, but they are also an updated Terror on the Tracks attraction. As seen on their website:

Be one of the first to explore the crypts above, then ride the elevator down into the depths below and wind your way through the dark. Then hop aboard Terror on the Tracks for a thrilling spectacle of circus clowns gone awry.

Coffin Creek

Also out towards the Riverside area in Corona is the Coffin Creek haunted attraction. Heading into its second year of operation, Coffin Creek boasts a legend based on events back in Corona in 1938. Here's a taste of that legend from their website:

As the flood waters subside from 2 week of flooding, 13 coffins were discovered in the wooded area next to River Rd and Archibald Ave in the city of Corona. "The coffins are believed to from the abandoned Guasti Cemetery in the city Ontario" said Officer Willmans. Officer Willmans went on to say "The coffins were found by some locals floating
in a small creek that runs through the woods. The authority's and locals started referring to this area as Coffin Creek....

To read more be sure to visit their site.

The Haunted Hotel/Del Mar Scream Zone/Haunted Trail of Balboa Park

Those in the San Deigo area have a triple threat of Haunted Attractions to enjoy this year. The Haunted Hotel in the Gaslamp District, Scream Zone in Del Mar and The Haunted Trail in Balboa Park. All three attractions have unique mazes and you can even find a haunted hayride at Scream Zone. Information for all three events can be found at one convenient website.

The Legend of Boot Hill

Located in Irvine this home haunt is celebrating its 10th year of scares, known as its Decade of Decay, and will be open starting October 23rd. Admission to Boot Hill is free, but they do accept donations with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Be sure to visit their website to read up on Boot Hill's legend and to find out how to visit them this October.

Pirates of Emerson

This one isn't in SoCal, like the rest, but it is a good one. One of the Bay Areas most well known haunts is Pirates of Emerson located in Fremont, California. This haunted attraction has been featured on the Discovery Channel's show America's Scariest Haunted Attractions and returns this year with an impressive six attractions in their compound. To find out more and to buy your tickets see their website for more information.

Old Town Haunt

Descend into the basement of the historical Union Savings Bank Building where mysterious occurrences have taken place in the buildings' deadly 107 year history. In fact, something lives down there in the dark....not some one, but some thing. The basement that was sealed shut for decades is being reopened for your investigation into the unknown, what will you do when the catacombs and darkness surround you!

Ticket information and dates of operation for Old Town Haunt in Pasadena can be found on their official website.

As always this list could go on and on and on. And that's just what we here at MiceChat would like to see happen. Do you have a favorite haunted house where you live? Feel free to link its information in this thread so that others who might be in your area can have a chance to check out all the spooky fun this Halloween season. And if you can't make it out to any of these chilling locations, be sure to stay tuned to MiceChat for haunting trip reports and you can always follow @IsItOctoberYet on Twitter for real time reviews of some of the haunts listed above during October.

As the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira, would say
"Unpleasent Dreams...."

[Dustysage]

This is a great list Elly. Thank you SO much for creating this resource. I can't wait to get out there and visit as many of these attractions as possible this October!

[sir clinksalot]

I didn't know they had something at GardenWalk. May have to try and check that one out.

[elly]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I didn't know they had something at GardenWalk. May have to try and check that one out.

i really recommend The Empty Grave at the Gardenwalk, we know several of the people who work there and its been the most consistant non-theme park haunt we've been to over the last few years. When they were known at The Haunted Cellar they were located at The Block at Orange, they moved to Gardenwalk last year (i believe)

[Sir Didymus]

Woah, that would be great to pop out of the parks for a scare real quick, and be able to head right back in to finish the night with Mickey! Definitely gonna check that out!

For anyone in the IE area, Scandia in Ontario has got their annual haunt started.....always good for a night of fun!
Scandia, It's a Scream!

But newcomers be warned, these performers don't adhere to nearly as many safety regulations as the big-shots....they will reach out and grab you, pull on your legs, and generally scare the poo out of you by any means. Heck, last year I was in the back of my group and a dude with a circular saw (with the blade removed, of course) jumped out and "sliced" me from my right shoulder down to my left thigh....one of the more intense scares I've ever had!

[elly]

The Backwoods Maze

Located in Burbank, California this home haunt is another free haunt house that does accept donations and open on October 16th. According to their website their backstory is:

One wrong turn off the highway lands you in the middle of the deep south where a slaughterhouse inhabited by carnivorous farmers harvest their livestock; pigs, cows, and humans.

[Rex Dopey24]

i can't wait to check out the empty grave at the garden walk. i hope it is scary.

[SexkittenGwen]

thank you so much for this information!! here is a train ride in filmore about the headless horseman! never been to that event , so i dont know how scary it is train rides, Pumpkin Patches Ventura county, Halloween, Dinner

[elly]

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride

This new haunted attraction located in Calabasas features three different haunts in one location, a haunted hayride, ghost stories around the campfire and a haunted carnival. Dates, times and prices can be found on their website.

[Dustysage]

Just got this in the MiceChat email. Sounds like fun:

Festival De La Gente 2009
Saturday, October 24th - 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 25th - 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

At Historic Hollenbeck Park
in the heart of Boyle Heights

415 South Saint Louis Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033

The nation’s Largest Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration will Feature local Hispanic artists and entertainers in a unique event, free to the public on the Streets of Los Angeles. This year Festival De La Gente will celebrate it's 10th anniversary, with over 100,000 attendees expected. Come join us at historic Hollenbeck Park, in the heart of Boyle Heights.

Here is a list of just some of the fun things we have planned:

* Altar exhibition and contest - Enter your own altar (register now!) or enjoy the creativity of others...
* Arts and Crafts - Wander the grounds in awe of our famous figurines, and stop by to admire the many artists booths and projects.
* Live entertainment - Dont forget to check out the entertainment schedule, full of music, dance and drama!
* Food vendors - Whats a festival without food? And do we have food! Come enjoy foods from many popular venders, many who return year after year.
* Shopping - Artists, craftspeople and community merchants provide a fun, one of a kind adventure.
* Eco Family Friendly Zone - We are a very family focused festival, so bring the little ones and come enjoy the zone!

Festival de la Gente™ was conceived by Tony Dominguez in 1999. It is a celebration of life inspired by the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos. In the past,up to 170,000 people have attended and this year numbers are expected to be substantial. Students of Arte Calidad’s Cultural Institute will display the United States’ largest collection of giant paper maché puppets transforming Historic Hollenbeck Park, in the heart of Boyle Heights into the Avenida De Los Muertos. On proud display will be artwork and crafts that preserve the tradition of Día de los Muertos, created by various local Latino artists.

The public is invited to participate in a community altar exhibition that will display traditional altars in a competition sponsored by Sci-Hispana: Jardines y Funerarias Del Angel™, which is the nations’ largest network of funeral homes and cemeteries servicing the Hispanic Community for over 15 years.

The Eco Family Friendly Zone has become a favorite addition to the festival and will be coordinated by Heal the Bay & La Onda Verde.

[Dustysage]

Just asked our followers on Twitter @MiceChat to chime in on the best haunted attractions (anywhere not just SoCal) and here are their responses (so far):

• DLKid2 @MiceChat Pirates of emerson!
• JamminJosh @MiceChat @thehauntedhotel in san diego! Best maze byyyyy far!
• Sparrow626 @MiceChat Monster Manor in San Diego. www.monstermanor.org
• Travenscroft @MiceChat terror behind the walls. It is in Philadelphia at the Eastern State Penn. The haunt industry rated it 1st, who you gonna trust?
• MizGMarie @MiceChat - I remember being terrified in the Haunted House at Enchanted Forest in Oregon, of course I was very young at the time...

Join in here or on Twitter with more of your favorite haunted attractions (if your favorite haunted house or maze is in a theme park with more than one haunted attraction, please be specific and let us know the park and the name of the maze).

-Dusty

[giddygirlie]

In Orange County (Portola Hills, about 20 mins or so from Disneyland) there is the "Haunted Mansion Haunt" where some HM fans decorate their house as the Haunted Mansion and open it to the public for walk-throughs! It's also free -- and well worth the drive from anywhere in SoCal!

MySpace - The Haunted Mansion Haunt - 40 - Male - Trabuco Canyon, California - myspace.com/hauntedmansionhaunt

[giddygirlie]

also, maybe this doesn't qualify as "Haunted" but another way to get into the Halloween spirit is at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. They have a corn maze and wagon rides. A good way to spend the daylight hours, while you're preparing yourself for a big scary evening! Welcome to Tanaka Farms, Orange County CA

[Dustysage]

Great links GiddyGirlie

[Reblest]

Some of the boys from GHP (Murphy's construction crew) put on an annual haunt in Riverside at Castle Park called Chambers of the Mausoleum. Its awesome! Open thru Sunday!

Chambers of the Mausoleum