Here in Los Angeles, Halloween and fall fun abounds! So let’s get right to it and share with you 15 family friendly Halloween events in Los Angeles.
Prices and dates vary. Please visit individual websites for full details.
1. Halloween Movie Night, Heritage Square, Los Angeles (10/17)
Guests are invited to bring a picnic, blankets, chairs, and candy to enjoy a classic scary movie at Heritage Square. Free for Museum Members and $10 for the general public. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
2. Rise of The Jack O’Lanterns, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia (10/1 – 10/31)
Marvel at thousands of beautifully lit pumpkin carvings of your favorite characters, celebrities and more at RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns at Santa Anita Park, with new and exciting additions for 2015. Bring the whole family for a not-too-spooky stroll where you’ll go out of your gourd seeing these intricately carved pumpkins, arranged according to various themes, from movie and TV-show characters to classic cars, safari animals and even a giant dragon display, all accompanied by an original score. Check out the live carving station, manned by one of the team of RISE’s talented artists, and turn this multi-sensory experience into a fun family tradition.
3. Spooky Creatures In The Garden, LA Arboretum, Arcadia (10/25)
Halloween activities are for children ages 10 and under including pumpkin decorating, creepy science projects and other autumn crafts. Don’t miss the Halloween raffle! Dressing in costume is encouraged! Open 9:00 am – 12:00 pm to the general public. Cost: $3 per child members / $5 per child non-members (plus admission).
4. Scarium of the Pacific, Aquarium of The Pacific, Long Beach (10/24 & 10/25)
Discover the creatures lurking in the depths at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 16th annual Scarium of the Pacific—a spooktacular educational Halloween event for the whole family. Enjoy special Halloween programs, including the annual children’s costume contest, the creepy coloring contest, face painting, magic shows, underwater pumpkin carving, spooky storytelling, kooky crafts, eerie animals in the Great Hall, and much more.
5. Halloween Family Sleepover, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach (10/30)
Slippery tentacles await you as you explore our touch stations. Toss a snack (if you dare) into a pool of predators. Paint a marine themed pumpkin. Go on a flashlight tour to meet some of our nocturnal animals. Meet some crawly critters, and try to solve a mysterious trick or treat scavenger hunt! Check-in is at 5:00 p.m. and the sleepover ends at 7:00 a.m. the next morning.
6. Boo At The LA Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles (every Saturday & Sunday in Oct.)
This Halloween, the Los Angeles Zoo offers families and Halloween lovers of all ages a chance to feed their imaginations with treats at the all-new BOO AT THE L.A. ZOO! For 2015, the zoo has expanded BOO AT THE L.A. ZOO to an entire month of seasonal fun and learning beginning Thursday, October 1 and continuing through Saturday, October 31, 2015, 10 am to 4 pm.
Family activities include:
- spooky caves spotlighting animals’ “super” natural senses
- “Graveyard Safari” adventure
- “Boneyard” education station
- themed crafts
- storytelling
- live music
- strolling characters
- pumpkin carving
- animal feedings
Kids are invited to dress in costumes, and costume contests are presented throughout October. Traditional trick-or-treating at the Zoo takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25 and Saturday, October 31.
7. Halloween Pumpkin Party, Leonis Adobe Museum, Calabasas (10/24)
Gather the family together to attend this not-s-spooke annual Halloween Pumpkin Party! There will be Halloween crafts, feed ranch animals, ranch fun, pumpkins, and family music by Craig Newton & more.
8. Calabasas Pumpkin Festival, De Anza Park, Calabasas (10/17 & 10/18)
For more than 40 years, the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival has brought the community together for two days of fun themed around pumpkins! Housed along Lost Hills Road and the beautiful Juan Bautista de Anza Park, the city strives to offer a low cost, family friendly event while showcasing the great businesses and organizations of Calabasas. The Pumpkin Festival offers live bands, a dj dance zone, marketplace vendors, delicious food & pumpkin treats, pumpkin beer, pumpkin painting, professional pumpkin carving and so much more! The low $5 admission price includes all inflatables & a giant slide, Halloween carnival games, reptiles & bug shows, contests, a Saturday morning costume parade plus car displays, bands, and a Business Expo.
9. Pumpkin Festival, Stagecoach Museum, Newbury Park (10/31)
Join the Stagecoach Museum for their annual Pumpkin Festival with Halloween storytelling, crafts, zombie walk, a costume contest and more. Tickets are $5.00 for adults / $2 for children 5-12 yrs. old.
10. 21st Annual Pumpkin Festival, Kidspace Museum, Pasadena (10/17 & 10/18)
This family-friendly event includes fun for all ages and will be hosted in Brookside Park, directly in front of Kidspace Children’s Museum. Kids will giggle with delight at the petting zoo, pony rides, exciting bouncers, carnival games, and seasonal crafts. Partake in a costume parade, make your own take-home fall crafts, enjoy face painting, and select pumpkins from our pumpkin patch. Parents will love the book and costume sale, and tasty picnic treats. Festival admission is free – as well as the live music/performances, selected crafts, promotions at the Radio Disney tent, and a photo opportunity at the pumpkin patch. There is also plenty of free parking in Lot I of the Rose Bowl adjacent to Brookside Park. Tickets are available for purchase to enjoy the bouncers, pony rides, games, food, and many other festival attractions.
11. 81st Annual Fall Festival, The Original Farmer’s Market, Los Angeles (10/17 & 10/18)
Join the Original Farmer’s market for LA’s favorite country fair in the heart of the big city! Celebrate the harvest with a family-friendly festival including a petting zoo, Agventure play land for kids, old-time artisans, local farmers, pie-eating contests, and lots and lots of live music! You will also find the Market and its merchants fully decorated!
12. 5th Annual EEK! At The Greek!, Los Angeles (10/24)
Symphony In The Glen will perform at the 5th Annual EEK! At The Greek!, a symphonic extravaganza on Saturday, October 24, presented by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre. This family-friendly event featuring the 60-piece Symphony In The Glen Orchestra with Maestro Arthur B. Rubinstein will present a creepy collection of frightening favorites, plus a Trick-Or-Treat Village in the plaza prior to the performance.
13. Horror in the Hall – Halloween Organ With Film, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Downtown LA (10/31)
This special Halloween-night performance begins at 8:00 pm. Clark Wilson on organ will accompany the silent classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The silent film features John Barrymore as the split personalities. It’s a thrilling combination of “sonic thrills and visual chills.” Tickets are available online.
14. Los Angeles Live Steamers Halloween Ghost Train, Los Angeles (October 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 & 31; November 1, 2015 from 7pm to 10pm)
A fun safe alternative way to spend Halloween with children is by taking them to historical Griffith Park where your kids can enjoy visiting the Los Angeles Steamers Railroad Museum. At the museum, kids will love viewing bridges, water towers, train stations and miniature towns. For just $15, you and your kids will get to enjoy a twenty-minute outdoor train ride featuring terrific lighting effects and more.
15. 8th Annual Halloween Party for Downtown LA Kids, Los Angeles (10/31)
The Downtown LA Halloween Party for Kids is tons of fun and feature a myriad of activities. With puppet shows, bouncy hoses, arts and crafts, face painting and more, it’s a place children and adults can come to enjoy without having to go out trick or treating and still take part in Halloween activities. Advance tickets are recommended and costumes are required for children, but are optional for adults.
Happy Field Tripping!
Jilleen