Halloween in Southern California: best theme park events and things to do (2026)
Halloween is an epic time of year in Southern California. The major theme parks deck themselves out with décor as Halloween events for both adult horror fans as well as families with young children get underway. Plus, lots of seasonal events pop up all around the area during spooky season. In this roundup, you will find highlights of the best ways to celebrate with silliness and spookiness around Southern California.
As 2026 announcements are made, we will update this guide. Keep reading or use the Table of Contents below to jump to the Halloween event you’re most interested in.
Halloween Season in Southern California: What to expect
Although there are constantly Halloween and horror offerings in Southern California, the official Halloween season events stretch for over two months, beginning in August and often heading into early November. A lot of the offerings are seasonal events at theme parks that are open year-round. But there are even more Halloween events existing for just the season.
The major players in town are theme parks including Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego, and Legoland California.
Disneyland Resort
At Disneyland Resort, you’ll find two distinct demonstrations of Disney’s Halloween prowess. First is the after-hours event, Oogie Boogie Bash and second are the decorations and seasonal additions offered at Disneyland Park.
Oogie Boogie Bash
The main Halloween event at Disneyland Resort is the after-hours Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure running on select nights between August 18 – October 31, 2026.
This hard-ticketed party includes pre-party mix-in to Disney California Adventure, unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital photo downloads, unlimited trick-or-treat trail visits with unique to this event character interactions, the stunning and impressive Villains Grove walk through experience, and so much more.
New for 2026 is Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake – A Haunted Mansion Street Party. At select times throughout the night, guests will see Ichabod Crane traveling through Disney California Adventure as the Headless Horseman pursues.
Halloween Time decor and entertainment included in regular admission
If you’re looking for Halloween offerings at Disneyland Resort without needing an additional cost beyond regular theme park entry, guests can enjoy Halloween Time throughout the resort between August 21 – October 31, 2026.
In addition to décor throughout the entire resort, Mickey and friends will debut new Halloween-themed attire in Disneyland’s Town Square, and on select nights you can marvel at Halloween Screams nighttime spectacular with fireworks in Disneyland Park.
Mickey’s Trick and Treat live show returns to Disney California Adventure during regular park hours. Attraction overlays include Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween and Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure along with Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark in Avengers Campus.
Plaza de la Familia returns to Disney California Adventure honoring Dia de los Muertos between August 21 – November 2, 2026. The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate the Musical World of Coco! street show returns along with special crafts, food, photo ops and more.
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit across the resort
Guests can seek out Disney-inspired pumpkins in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, a scavenger hunt available at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney District. Purchase a map for Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit to receive a special keepsake, or simply keep your eyes on alert for the fun of it.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood on select nights between September 3 – November 1, 2026. This hard-ticketed horror event, not for the faint of heart, features iconic horror characters, movies and more.
This year’s event includes haunted houses featuring “Stranger Things 5”, “Sinners”, “Hellraiser”, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness, “Evil Dead Burn”, and “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” along with original themes Killceanera and Dead, Deader, Deadest.
The Terror Tram returns with a new theme this year featuring Art the Clown from the “Terrifier” movie series. In addition, guests can enjoy multiple scare zones, entertainment and more.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Scary Farm, the original theme park haunt, returns on select nights September 17 – October 31, 2026. This after-hours event will feature ten frightening haunted mazes, five sinister scare zones, and three shows. This year is your final chance to experience the mazes Origins: The Curse of Calico as well as The Chilling Chambers. More details to come.
If you’re looking for something more family friendly, visit Knott’s Spooky Farm during the daytime as part of regular theme park admission on select days from September 24 – October 31, 2026. Kids can trick-or-treat around the town of Calico’s shops for sweet treats and activities. Guests will find spooky décor and surprises throughout the park.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Fright Fest returns to Six Flags Magic Mountain on select nights from September 18 – November 1, 2026. With it comes a brand-new haunted maze based on the hit “Final Destination” film franchise. Final Destination: Death’s Playground is joined by another new haunted maze called Wolves’ Blood, with returning mazes The Conjuring Universe, Trick ‘r Treat, Carnage, Vault 666, and Willoughby’s Resurrected.
The event features a new icon character, named Kurvatu, who can be seen in a new Unleashed opening ceremony. Other new offerings include the shows NyteWalkerz and Sliders of the Night: Dreams of the Damned. The event also features seven scare zones throughout the park.
Single Day Admission, Season Passes and Memberships all gain access to Fright Fest to enjoy the shows, scare zones, and more. To enter the haunted houses, guests need to purchase a Haunted Attractions Pass with an option Express upgrade.
SeaWorld San Diego
Howl-O-Scream returns to SeaWorld San Diego for a season of frights from September 11 – October 31, 2026. This after-hours event is San Diego’s largest nighttime Halloween experience featuring all-new haunts, all-new scare zones, and vile vignettes. Enjoy cocktails, beer and spirits at their six themed bars and five speakeasies along with their live show Monster Stomp.
For a more family-friendly event, experience SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between September 11 – November 1, 2026. This year’s festivities include the premiere of the all-new Baby Shark Halloween Show. Families are able to enjoy trick-or-treat stations, a pumpkin patch photo op, live entertainment, dance parties, character encounters and more.
Legoland California
Halloween Season at Legoland California offers character meet & greets, dance parties, delicious treats and themed décor from September 20 – October 30, 2026. Seasonal attractions include the Lego Halloween Tree, The Great Monster Chase 4D movie adventure, and Disco Dragon Coaster featuring a groovy monster soundtrack and party lights, plus the new Galacticoaster indoor roller coaster debuts a Halloween overlay in the pre-boarding area.
If you’d like to add a bit more spooky to the Halloween season, guests can purchase an additional ticket to Brick or Treat, occurring on select dates between September 19 – November 1, 2026. This year’s event features an all-new trick-or-treat experience on Brick or Treat Street with a Halloween interactive light trail. Guests can enjoy tons of candy, a prehistoric pumpkin patch, not-so-scary shows, and silly monster Lego characters.
Stay tuned for more additions to the Halloween season in Southern California.
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