California’s Halloween season stands out for its variety: every major theme park runs a Halloween event, professional haunts operate from San Diego to Sacramento, and the state’s home-haunt scene is the largest in the country. The season also starts early, with the first ticketed event opening August 18. This guide covers the multi-day, ticketed Halloween events operating in commercial spaces across California in 2026. Single-day events and home haunts are not listed. Every event links to our full guide, where you will find current prices, lineups, and updates.
City guides: Los Angeles | San Diego | Bay Area
Southern California at a Glance
| Event | Location | 2026 Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Oogie Boogie Bash | Disney California Adventure, Anaheim | Aug 18 – Oct 31 |
| Halloween Time at Disneyland | Disneyland Resort, Anaheim | Aug 21 – Oct 31 |
| Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood | Universal Studios Hollywood | Sept 3 – Nov 1 |
| Howl-O-Scream San Diego | SeaWorld San Diego | Sept 11 – Oct 31 |
| Knott’s Scary Farm | Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park | Sept 17 – Oct 31 |
| Six Flags Fright Fest | Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia | Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Queen Mary Dark Harbor | The Queen Mary, Long Beach | Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Los Angeles Haunted Hayride | Griffith Park, Los Angeles | Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat | LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad | Sept 19 – Nov 1 |
| The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park | Balboa Park, San Diego | Sept 25 – Nov 1 |
| Carved at Descanso Gardens | Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge | Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
| Black Casket | Yucaipa | Oct 2 – TBD |
| The Haunted Car Wash | Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Diego | Oct 2 – Oct 31 |
| Wicked Lit | Chance Theater, Anaheim | Oct 29 – Nov 2 |
| Delusion | Los Angeles | TBD |
| Nights of the Jack | Calabasas | TBD |
Northern California at a Glance
| Event | Location | 2026 Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Festival Fright Nights | Winchester Mystery House, San Jose | Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Terror Vault | The San Francisco Mint, San Francisco | Oct 2026, dates TBA |
| Heartstoppers Haunted House | Rancho Cordova, Sacramento area | Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
| Pirates of Emerson | Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton | Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
Southern California Haunted Houses
Oogie Boogie Bash
Oogie Boogie Bash returns to Disney California Adventure on a record 33 nights from August 18 through October 31, 2026.
| Dates | 33 select nights, Aug 18 – Oct 31 |
| Location | Disney California Adventure, Anaheim |
| Tickets | $139 to $199, separate ticket (details) |
| New for 2026 | Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake street party, Yzma’s first US face-character appearance, record 33 nights |
Halloween Time at Disneyland
Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort runs August 21 through October 31, 2026, across both parks.
| Dates | Aug 21 – Oct 31 (Plaza de la Familia through Nov 2) |
| Location | Disneyland Resort, Anaheim |
| Tickets | Included with park admission (details) |
| New for 2026 | Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake street party replaces the Frightfully Fun Parade |
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is running its 2026 Halloween Horror Nights over 42 select nights from September 3 through November 1.
| Dates | 42 select nights, Sept 3 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Universal Studios Hollywood |
| Houses | 3 announced so far: Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser |
| Tickets | On sale now (see our HHN tickets guide) |
| New for 2026 | The event’s first-ever Hellraiser house |
Howl-O-Scream San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego has confirmed Howl-O-Scream will return on select nights from September 11 through October 31, 2026.
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 11 – Oct 31 |
| Location | SeaWorld San Diego |
| Lineup | 6 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, 3 vile vignettes, 1 show, 11 bars and speakeasies |
| Tickets | From $41.99 single night (details) |
| New for 2026 | Area 64: MOTHERSHIP house with an 80-foot facade, three all-new scare zones |
Knott’s Scary Farm
Knott’s Scary Farm returns for its 53rd season, the longest-running theme park Halloween event in Southern California.
| Dates | 26 select nights, Sept 17 – Oct 31 |
| Location | Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park |
| Lineup | 10 mazes, 5 scare zones, 3 shows |
| Tickets | From $65 online (details) |
| New for 2026 | Two new mazes replace Grimoire and Mesmer; full lineup at Nightmares Revealed, Aug 18 |
Six Flags Fright Fest
Fright Fest presented by SNICKERS returns to Six Flags Magic Mountain for its 33rd year on select nights from September 18 through November 1. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo also runs Fright Fest (see our all-locations guide).
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia |
| Tickets | Mazes are a paid add-on; 2026 pricing TBA (details) |
| New for 2026 | Lineup reveal expected at Midsummer Scream, Aug 7 to 9 |
Queen Mary Dark Harbor
Queen Mary Dark Harbor returns for its 2026 Halloween season on select nights from September 18 through November 1.
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Location | The Queen Mary, Long Beach |
| Tickets | Not yet on sale (details) |
| New for 2026 | 2026 maze and entertainment lineup expected at Midsummer Scream, Aug 7 to 9 |
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride returns to Griffith Park on select nights from September 18 through November 1, 2026.
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Griffith Park’s Old Zoo, Los Angeles |
| Tickets | Not yet on sale (details) |
| New for 2026 | Full lineup expected at Midsummer Scream, Aug 7 to 9 |
LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat
LEGOLAND California’s Brick-or-Treat returns for the 2026 Halloween season on 12 select dates from September 19 through November 1.
| Dates | 12 select dates, Sept 19 – Nov 1 |
| Location | LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad |
| Tickets | Included with park admission on event dates (details) |
| New for 2026 | The event carries over from 2025 essentially unchanged |
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park returns to Marston Point for its 27th year on select nights from September 25 through November 1.
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 25 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Marston Point, Balboa Park, San Diego |
| Lineup | Mile-long trail plus the 3,500-square-foot eXperiment Maze and the free Dark Carnival scare zone |
| Tickets | From $34.99 timed GA, $49.99 Fast Pass (details) |
| New for 2026 | The free-entry Dark Carnival returns for its second year, expanded |
Carved at Descanso Gardens
Carved, the nighttime jack-o’-lantern and light installation at Descanso Gardens, returns October 2 through November 1, nightly from 6 to 10 p.m.
| Dates | Nightly, Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge |
| Tickets | Non-member adults from $29 (details) |
| New for 2026 | Alexander Reichstein sculptures in his US debut, new Anytime Tickets, Halloween-night trick-or-treating |
Black Casket
Black Casket Productions, the Inland Empire haunted attraction known for changing its theme every year, enters its fourth season with Cannibal Creek.
| Dates | Oct 2 – TBD |
| Location | Yucaipa |
| Tickets | On sale Aug 22 (details) |
| New for 2026 | All-new Cannibal Creek theme |
The Haunted Car Wash
The Haunted Car Wash returns for its sixth season this October, expanding to four Southern California regions.
| Dates | Oct 2 – Oct 31 |
| Location | Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Diego |
| Tickets | $25 per vehicle (details) |
| New for 2026 | Largest footprint in its six-year history, new lower price |
Wicked Lit
Wicked Lit returns for its first season since 2017 with 10 performances from October 29 through November 2.
| Dates | 10 performances, Oct 29 – Nov 2 |
| Location | Chance Theater, Anaheim |
| Tickets | On sale Aug 1 (details) |
| New for 2026 | First season in eight years, two plays: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Las Lloronas |
Delusion and Nights of the Jack
Delusion (Los Angeles) and Nights of the Jack (Calabasas) have not announced 2026 plans. We will add them to this guide when dates land.
Northern California Haunted Houses
Festival Fright Nights
Festival Fright Nights returns to Winchester Mystery House on select nights from September 18 through November 1.
| Dates | Select nights, Sept 18 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Winchester Mystery House, San Jose |
| Tickets | Pricing TBA (details) |
| New for 2026 | 2026 storyline announcement expected in August |
Terror Vault
Terror Vault returns to The San Francisco Mint in 2026 with a new production titled Slashed: Return to Hellville.
| Dates | Oct 2026, dates TBA |
| Location | The San Francisco Mint, San Francisco |
| Tickets | TBA (details) |
| New for 2026 | All-new 1980s-slasher theme |
Heartstoppers Haunted House
Sacramento’s Heartstoppers Haunts is entering its 18th season with a new exclusive VIP experience and a new stage show.
| Dates | 13 select nights, Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Rancho Cordova, Sacramento area |
| Lineup | 4 haunted houses plus the new hourly Redemption! stage show |
| Tickets | On sale Sept 5 (details) |
| New for 2026 | Frightfully Fancy Club VIP experience, new stage show, new scenes in all four haunts |
Pirates of Emerson
Pirates of Emerson returns to the Alameda County Fairgrounds on select nights from October 2 through November 1 for its 36th season.
| Dates | Select nights, Oct 2 – Nov 1 |
| Location | Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton |
| Lineup | 4 walk-through haunted houses on six acres, plus Frightmares & Oddities and live bands |
| Tickets | From $38 (details) |
| New for 2026 | Midway games now included with every ticket tier |
California Haunted House FAQ
When do haunted houses open in California in 2026?
The earliest events start in mid-August: Oogie Boogie Bash on August 18 and Halloween Time at Disneyland on August 21. Most major haunts open between September 11 and September 25, and nearly everything runs through November 1.
Which California haunted houses are family-friendly?
Carved at Descanso Gardens has no scare actors at all, Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND is built for young kids, Halloween Time at Disneyland is all-ages during the day, and The Haunted Car Wash scares the whole family from inside the car.
What is new to California for 2026?
Hellraiser debuts at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, Wicked Lit returns after eight years, SeaWorld adds the Area 64: MOTHERSHIP house, and the Haunted Car Wash grows to its largest footprint in six seasons.
When will the unannounced lineups be revealed?
Dark Harbor, the LA Haunted Hayride, Fright Fest, and Festival Fright Nights are all expected to show their hands at or around Midsummer Scream, August 7 to 9 in Long Beach, and Knott’s reveals its full Scary Farm lineup at Nightmares Revealed on August 18.
Updated July 16, 2026. This guide is updated as announcements land, with the next big waves expected at Midsummer Scream (August 7 to 9) and Knott’s Nightmares Revealed (August 18).
