Los Angeles, CA — The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride added a new maze in 2026 that turned guests into a doomed 1980s rock band, brought back Elvira, and served alcohol in its haunted town of Midnight Falls for the first time. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group detailed the 2026 season at its Midsummer Scream panel, where producer Melissa Carbone called that year’s hayride trail its most ambitious in years.
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride ran select nights from September 18 through November 1, 2026, in Griffith Park, and my Los Angeles Haunted Hayride 2026 guide has ticket, add-on, and parking prices and my walkthrough video.
Fallen Angel Turns You Into a Cursed Rock Band
The season’s new maze, Fallen Angel, dropped guests into an ’80s Sunset Strip that never let go of a tragedy. As Carbone told the story, the band Fallen Angel was the loudest act on the Strip and was rehearsing for the biggest Halloween show of its life when a pyrotechnics mishap set the stage on fire. The doors were chained for the private rehearsal, and every member died on the stage. The venue was condemned and chained shut, fans left candles at the doors every Halloween, and a late-night rock station began playing 30 seconds of the band’s final rehearsal tape at midnight each Halloween before going silent.
In the 2026 story, a cult of superfans cuts the chains and plays the tape, and the band starts to wake up. “You, the guest, are the band. And obsessive fandom is the monster,” Carbone said. “I have not been this excited about a maze in a really long time,” she said. A new opening scaremony in the town square served as the teaser for the maze.
Elvira Returned, and Midnight Falls Got a Bar
Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem, the candy-and-chaos maze that debuted in 2025, returned for 2026 alongside the Elvira Pop-Up Shop. Cassandra Peterson, who plays Elvira, confirmed it in a video message. “I’ll be back at the LA Haunted Hayride this fall with Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem, exclusive Elvira merchandise you won’t find anywhere else,” she said.
For the first time, in 2026 the Hayride served alcohol inside Midnight Falls. “For the first time ever in Midnight Falls, you’ll be able to enjoy adult beverages while you’re getting your scare on,” said Amy Hollaman, the 13th Floor director of Halloween attractions.
A New Villain and a Deepening Curse
Midnight Falls also picked up a new threat in 2026. The town’s popular prankster, Herschel, the friendly face who works the ice cream truck, turned out to have an evil twin. The team introduced Allister, a pyromaniac who was banished from the town on November 1, 1981, and found his way back in 2026 looking a lot like Herschel but bloodier.
The town’s resident medium, Madame Aurora, expanded her seance show in 2026 to dig into why Midnight Falls is cursed to relive Halloween night 1985, and she hinted the answer traces to a character guests already know. Down at the end of the street, Hellbilly Halloween returned, the backwoods maze where a cannibal family invites guests to a dinner where they are the meal, then chases them out with chainsaws.
The 2026 Trail Upgrade
“This year’s Hayride trail represents our most ambitious evolution in years,” Carbone said, describing a darker ride where the hayride of the past and the hayride of the future collide. The upgrade brought back the sway poles, the towering aerial scare-actor rigs the event had not used on the trail in more than a decade, and a reimagined drive-in movie scene with original choreography by Pussycat Dolls choreographer Bobby Newberry. “This scene by itself is worth the ticket price,” Carbone said. An expanded cinematic soundscape ran the length of the trail.
The 2026 Dates and the Full Guide
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride ran select nights from September 18 through November 1, 2026, in Griffith Park, and tickets started at $34.99 for the hayride alone, or $49.99 with the haunted houses. On November 5, its site thanked guests for an amazing 2026 season and took sign-ups for news of future events. For the full attraction lineup, add-on prices, and parking, see my Los Angeles Haunted Hayride 2026 guide.
Last updated: November 5, 2026.
