Halloween Los Angeles 2026: Events, Haunted Attractions and the West Hollywood Carnaval

The Halloween Los Angeles calendar for 2026 includes West Hollywood’s free street party, theme-park horror nights, independent haunts and daytime trick-or-treating. I’d choose the main event before booking dinner or a second stop. The choices below cover the October 30-November 1 weekend, including an evening on Hollywood Boulevard.

Quick answer

Halloween in Los Angeles falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026. West Hollywood’s free Carnaval runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Other choices include theme-park horror nights, independent haunted houses, film screenings and family trick-or-treat events. Most paid attractions require separate tickets; check age rules and availability before choosing your evening.

Halloween Los Angeles 2026 at a Glance

Calendar of key events

Halloween weekend runs from Friday, October 30, through Sunday, November 1. Some attractions continue through Sunday; others finish on Halloween itself. The table below lists remaining dates rather than events that have already happened. All times are local.

For a couple choosing one evening out, I’d start with the format. Carnaval suits people who want costumes and a crowd without buying an attraction ticket. A horror screening gives the evening a fixed starting time. A theme-park event deserves more room in the schedule than a quick stop before dinner.

Keep the final cost in view, too. Parking, transport, food and optional queue upgrades can change a paid outing’s budget. Compare the checkout total for your date, rather than the lowest price in an advertisement. I’d also leave an alternative for anyone in the group who decides against a haunted attraction.

West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval 2026

Date, route, costumes and getting there

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval 2026 takes place on Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 11 p.m. Admission to the street event is free. Its footprint follows Santa Monica Boulevard between North Doheny Drive and North La Cienega Boulevard, with a DJ stage at North San Vicente Boulevard and food trucks.

People sometimes search for the “West Hollywood Halloween parade,” but I’d plan for a street gathering rather than a procession watched from a reserved seat. Costumes are part of the attraction. You can walk around, meet friends and take photographs without booking a nightclub. A bar or private party within the area may have its own entry conditions and charges.

The city’s Halloween event page lists restrictions that affect what you can bring. Public drinking is prohibited. Backpacks, camera cases and tote bags are not allowed; clear plastic bags are permitted. Leave weapon props at home. The city also strongly discourages bringing children or pets because of the crowds.

Transport needs planning before you arrive. The free WeHo Halloween Ride runs along Santa Monica Boulevard between North La Brea Avenue and North Kings Road from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Selected vehicles also connect with Hollywood/Highland’s Metro B Line station between 6 p.m. and midnight. Those shuttle hours do not establish the train’s last departure, so check your onward connection separately.

Road closures start before the evening gathering. The five-story parking structure at West Hollywood Park is closed on October 31 and scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on November 1. I wouldn’t leave parking to a last-minute search beside the event. Choose a pickup point beyond the closure area and save the location before heading into the crowd.

For costumes, I’d favor shoes comfortable enough for standing and a design that leaves your vision clear. Agree on a meeting point in case your group separates. Carry identification for any age-restricted venue afterward, and check its costume policy independently. Permission to wear something at the street event doesn’t guarantee admission to a private party.

Best Haunted Attractions and Haunted Houses in LA

Theme-park nights vs. independent haunts

The main differences are the ticket’s scope, the amount of walking and the kind of scares you want. Universal and Knott’s offer multiple attractions within a theme park. Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is a commercial outdoor haunt rather than a theme-park night. Rotten Apple 907 is a volunteer-built home haunt in Burbank.

At Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, the 2026 program includes eight haunted houses, scare zones and the Terror Tram. The event starts at 7 p.m.; closing times depend on the night. Regular daytime admission does not automatically cover it. I’d compare an ordinary event ticket with the available queue upgrades before deciding how much to spend.

Universal permits costumes subject to its policy, but costume masks are not allowed. The event uses loud sounds and sudden movements. Read those warnings with your group before booking, especially when someone’s enthusiasm for horror films hasn’t been tested in a walk-through attraction.

Knott’s Scary Farm combines mazes, scare zones, shows and rides in Buena Park, outside Los Angeles proper. I’d give it its own evening rather than combine it with West Hollywood. Be careful with the ticket menu: the advertised Fright & Fast Lane option, starting at $159, is an upgrade and does not include event admission.

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride operates at 4730 Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park. Its ticket choices need a closer read than the event name suggests. A hayride-only ticket and a package with additional attractions are different purchases. The lowest October 30-31 listing should not be read as the price for every maze or a faster queue.

For an independent alternative, Rotten Apple 907’s 2026 theme is Twisted Yuletide. The remaining nights are October 30 and 31, from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, and donations benefit Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter. A home haunt can still frighten children; free admission says nothing about scare intensity. Respect the neighboring homes and follow the organizers’ queue directions.

I’d choose between these experiences before comparing prices. Several hours of rides and mazes serve a different evening from a local home haunt. For readers who prefer exhibits to live scares, our guide to the scariest museums in the U.S. offers another way to plan a dark-history outing.

Halloween Events in Los Angeles for Adults

Parties, screenings and late nights

Halloween in Los Angeles for adults includes outdoor horror films, theater screenings and explicitly age-restricted parties. The distinction matters: a movie selected for grown-up horror fans is not automatically a 21+ event. Check the organizer’s admission rules instead of inferring them from the film or venue.

Cinespia screens John Carpenter’s The Thing at Hollywood Forever on October 31. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the event begins at 7:15 p.m. The program includes a dance party, costume contest and photo booth. I’d keep the screening as the evening’s main booking rather than squeeze it between two timed attractions.

Downtown, Secret Movie Club’s Halloween program at the Los Angeles Theatre includes The Exorcist at 5 p.m. and The Shining at 8 p.m. on October 31. The venue is at 615 South Broadway. These give horror fans an indoor option with a set schedule; choose the relevant screening or bundle when purchasing.

The same organizer’s Spooky Ballroom party is explicitly 21+, running from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Its listing includes dancing, a DJ and a costume contest. Check that your ticket covers the party rather than assuming a film ticket grants access. Bring identification and arrange a ride home before drinking.

For a nightclub evening, Elevate Lounge also lists a 21+ Halloween costume party on October 31 at 811 Wilshire Boulevard. Its entry rules require masks to come off for identification and prohibit toy weapons. Check the admission tier carefully; a conditional early-entry offer is not a promise of free entry all night.

My recommendation is to keep the evening within one area. Pick Hollywood Forever, a Downtown film-and-party combination, or West Hollywood, then make dinner fit around it. For background reading before a horror-focused night, our article on true crime and dark history considers the appeal of disturbing subjects.

Halloween in LA for Kids

Trick-or-treat streets and family events

For children, I’d favor an organized daytime event with published hours over a neighborhood recommendation that promises candy at every door. The options below charge admission, even when particular Halloween activities are included. Residential trick-or-treating is a separate choice: participation depends on individual households.

Boo at the L.A. Zoo continues on October 31 and November 1. Trick-or-treat stations operate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., while supplies last, and children should bring a bag. The seasonal activities are included with zoo admission or an active membership; they do not make admission free.

On October 31, the zoo also lists Bob Baker Marionette Theater performances at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Costumes are welcome under the zoo’s rules, which prohibit full-face masks and weapon props. I’d build the visit around one performance and leave time for breaks, rather than treat every activity as something to complete.

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch at 10100 Jefferson Boulevard in Culver City remains open through October 31. It is a paid pumpkin-patch outing; use the date-specific admission calendar to choose tickets. The operator notes that wood-chip ground can make strollers difficult to push and recommends closed-toe shoes. That is useful to know before arriving with a small child and a heavy stroller.

For a film-based option, Secret Movie Club screens Hocus Pocus at the Los Angeles Theatre at 10 a.m. on October 31, with doors opening at 9 a.m. The all-ages program includes a daytime festival afterward, with a children’s costume parade and photo opportunities. Admission is paid, and food costs extra.

That organized children’s parade is different from the West Hollywood street gathering, where the city discourages bringing children. For residential trick-or-treating, stay with your group, approach participating homes and avoid presenting an entire street as a guaranteed public event. I’d keep a shorter route available for tired children rather than commit everyone to a long walk.

Halloween on Hollywood Boulevard

A scary-but-real night on the Walk of Fame

A Hollywood Boulevard evening can include a paid museum visit without a theme-park booking. The Medieval Torture Museum Los Angeles is at 6757 Hollywood Boulevard. Its posted Friday and Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with final check-in 30 minutes before closing. Confirm any Halloween-specific changes before setting your arrival time.

I’d begin with a walk along the boulevard and dinner, then visit the museum while there is still time to look at the displays. Its subject is torture and punishment, presented through graphic scenes and reconstructions. This is an adult-oriented stop, not a substitute for a children’s Halloween activity. The museum recommends adult accompaniment for visitors under 18.

A reconstructed device can illustrate a punishment without proving every story attached to it. Look for the source and period behind an account, and distinguish it from a later legend. For more local background, our guide to haunted places in Los Angeles covers places associated with dark history and haunting stories. Read supernatural accounts as stories, not verified evidence of ghosts.

The standard ticket page lists ghost hunting alongside museum admission and the audio guide. The separate Night in the Museum experience is a private, two-hour program using ghost-hunting equipment. It requires its own arrangements; a standard museum ticket should not be assumed to reserve it. Ask about October 31 availability directly.

Treat the ghost hunt as entertainment. The equipment and the setting do not establish paranormal activity. I’d contact the organizer about the private program before planning dinner or transport around it. A two-hour booking also needs its own arrival instructions; the museum’s ordinary last-entry time should not be used as a tour schedule.

Plan a Halloween night on the Walk of Fame: book Medieval Torture Museum Los Angeles tickets and take the Halloween quiz for 50% off a second ticket.

Book Medieval Torture Museum Los Angeles tickets

Día de los Muertos Is Not Halloween

A respectful guide for Oct 24-Nov 2

Día de los Muertos centers on remembering deceased relatives and loved ones. UNESCO describes Indigenous Mexican observances involving offerings, flowers, candles and food, alongside traditions shaped by Catholic holidays. These customs belong to a celebration of remembrance, not a category of Halloween fright attractions. Practices vary between communities.

Hollywood Forever held its 2026 Día de los Muertos celebration on Saturday, October 24, from noon to midnight. That event has already passed as of this guide’s October 26 update. It should not appear as an upcoming Halloween-weekend booking. The October 31 Cinespia screening at the same cemetery is a separate event.

Olvera Street’s 2026 observance runs from October 25 through November 2, with community altars and evening processions. Consult the organizer’s program for the day you plan to attend. An October 24-November 2 planning window does not mean every venue holds a continuous festival throughout those dates.

I’d approach an altar as someone’s memorial, ask before photographing people and follow the host’s guidance. UNESCO’s account of the tradition provides cultural context. Our separate article on the history of Halloween covers the other holiday without treating the two as interchangeable.