Los Angeles, CA — The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is open in Griffith Park on select nights through Sunday, November 1, 2026, with the hayride, three haunted houses, and a stage show inside a Halloween town called Midnight Falls. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and tickets start at $34.99 for the hayride alone, or $49.99 with the haunted houses included.
Last updated October 1, 2026, with my walkthrough videos, current ticket prices, and add-on and parking prices.
Dates and Hours
The Hayride’s 18th season runs on these nights:
- September: Fri 18, Sat 19, Fri 25, Sat 26, Sun 27.
- October: Thu 1, Fri 2, Sat 3, Sun 4, Thu 8, Fri 9, Sat 10, Sun 11, Tue 13, Wed 14, Thu 15, Fri 16, Sat 17, Sun 18, Tue 20, Wed 21, Thu 22, Fri 23, Sat 24, Sun 25, Mon 26, Tue 27, Wed 28, Thu 29, Fri 30, Sat 31.
- November: Sun 1.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on every operating night, every ticket gets you in at that time, and closing times vary by date. On Friday, October 9, timed hayride entries run every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.
The time on your ticket is only for the hayride line, which you can join up to 15 minutes before that time. The haunted houses, shows, and food are open to you from the moment you clear security. The Hayride’s help center says to plan on two to three hours.
Tickets and Pricing
Tickets are sold online only, with no walk-up or box-office sales, and prices change by night. These were the starting prices on October 1:
- Thursday, October 1: Hayride Only $34.99, General Admission $49.99, VIP Fast Pass $59.99, Platinum $119.99.
- Sunday, October 4: Hayride Only $39.99, General Admission $54.99, VIP Fast Pass $64.99, Platinum $124.99.
- Saturday, October 3, and Saturday, October 31: Hayride Only $42.99, General Admission $62.99, VIP Fast Pass $72.99, Platinum $129.99.
Every Friday and Saturday left on the calendar starts at $42.99, and so does Sunday, October 25. The $34.99 nights are October 1, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, and November 1.
The four ticket types:
- Hayride Only: the hayride, without the haunted houses.
- General Admission: the hayride and all three haunted houses.
- VIP Fast Pass: everything in General Admission, with about a third of the General Admission wait.
- Platinum: unlimited skip-the-line access to the hayride and every haunted house all night, plus a lanyard and digital photo access.
A Flexible Hayride Entry ticket costs $5 more than a timed one and lets you join the hayride line at any point until 60 minutes before closing. Food, drinks, and parking are not included in any ticket.
To pay less, join the free Fright Club at losangeleshauntedhayride.com/fright-club for presale access at the season’s lowest prices. A Season Pass costs less than two General Admission tickets and covers unlimited visits, and group rates are available by inquiry.
Add-On Prices
The add-ons are sold on top of admission, and these were the prices on the ticket page for Friday, October 9:
- Madame Aurora Seance Theater: $10.
- Zombie Splat, a GellyBall shooting range with live zombie actors: $10.
- Midnight Falls Axe Throwing: $8 for five throws.
- Mini Escape Games: $8 per person for one five-minute game.
- S’mores Package: $8.
- Scary-Go-Round, a skeleton-horse carousel: $5.
- Combo Pack: $25 for the seance, the Scary-Go-Round, Zombie Splat, and five axe throws.
- Digital Photo Album Access: $5.
Getting There and Parking
The Hayride is at the Old Zoo Picnic Area, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, set in the ruins of the original Griffith Park Zoo. Navigate to the Old Zoo Picnic Area, not the current LA Zoo.
Free parking is at the northwest corner of the LA Zoo parking lot, with a free shuttle to the entrance trail near Spokes ‘N Stuff. The last shuttle leaves 30 minutes after the event closes.
Premium Parking, which skips the shuttle, was $35 on the ticket page for October 9 and is at Merry Go Round Lot 1, about a five-minute walk from the entrance. Gold Parking, near the Hayride entrance, was $60. Both are limited, and the ticket page says parking costs more at the gate. Accessible parking is near the Griffith Park Ranger Office and also avoids the shuttle.
Crystal Springs Drive is down to one lane in each direction because of a new bike lane. The Hayride’s location page says to enter Griffith Park from the northwest entrance and to avoid turning onto Crystal Springs Drive from Los Feliz Boulevard.
My tip from this year’s visit: check which lot your parking is in before you leave home, because most people park at the zoo lot and ride the shuttle down.
The Hayride
The Hayride is a ride through the foothills of Midnight Falls on a hay wagon, which has seats this year, past monsters, sets, and live performers.
Melissa Carbone, the event’s creator and producer, called this year’s trail “our most ambitious evolution in years” at the Midsummer Scream panel. The sway poles are back after more than a decade, and the drive-in movie scene has new choreography by Bobby Newberry.
The Curse of Monte Revolta
The Curse of Monte Revolta is a stage show of songs and jokes led by The Late Monte Revolta, an undead performer, and his co-host Ms. Muerte. It plays several times a night on the main stage inside Midnight Falls. It’s my pick of the whole event, especially for horror and slasher fans. Monte Revolta is also on two tracks of LVCRFT’s new Halloween album.
The Three Haunted Houses
Fallen Angel (new for 2026) is set in an abandoned theater on the 1980s Sunset Strip, where a rock band died in a fire during its last Halloween rehearsal. A cult of superfans revives the band’s final recording, and the guests are cast as the band.
Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem is a candy-themed maze hosted by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, set in her new home in Midnight Falls. It’s back for a second year, and the Elvira Pop-Up Shop sells Elvira merchandise during attraction hours.
Hellbilly Halloween is a walk through the backwoods of Midnight Falls, where a cannibal family invites you to dinner.
Midnight Falls Town Square: Food, Drinks, and the Seance
Midnight Falls Cider Company is a cider mill inside Midnight Falls that sells hot cider with a cider donut on top.
The Town Square of Midnight Falls also has food vendors, s’mores stations, and merchandise. Alcohol is sold inside Midnight Falls for the first time this year.
Madame Aurora’s Seance Theater, a $10 add-on, is a staged seance, and this year’s version tells some of the backstory of Midnight Falls. At the Midsummer Scream panel, the creative team said it explains why the town relives Halloween night 1985.
The season’s new villain is Allister, the pyromaniac twin of the town’s prankster, Herschel.
Bag Policy, Age, and What to Know Before You Go
- Ground: The event is outdoors on dirt and grass, and the ground is uneven, so dress for it. The restrooms are portable toilets.
- Bags: Only small bags, clutches, and purses are allowed, and all are inspected. Large bags, backpacks, duffel bags, and oversized totes are not permitted.
- Not allowed: Outside food and drinks, cameras with flash, flashlights, and smoking or vaping products.
- Re-entry: Tickets are valid for one entry. Once you leave the grounds, you need a new ticket to return.
- Age: The event is recommended for older teens and adults. It is not recommended for children 12 and under.
- Actors: Performers never intentionally touch guests, and touching actors, props, or sets is prohibited. On the hayride, stay seated with your hands and arms inside the wagon.
- Accessibility: Staff can set up a ramp into the hayride wagon on request.
- Weather: The event runs rain or shine, and all sales are final.
- Private wagons: A private hayride wagon for up to 40 guests is $1,895 for the first 20, plus $49.99 for each additional guest.
Ownership, History, and Venue
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride was founded in 2009 by Melissa Carbone and Alyson Richards under Ten Thirty One Productions. The event’s first year was in Calabasas at King Gillette Ranch, and it moved to Griffith Park in 2010. In 2013, Carbone appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, and Mark Cuban invested $2 million for a 20 percent stake in Ten Thirty One Productions.
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group acquired Ten Thirty One Productions in 2018. The first season under Thirteenth Floor was 2019, which introduced the Midnight Falls story created by Jon Cooke of Plague Productions. In 2020, the event ran as a drive-up experience at Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it returned to Griffith Park in 2021.
Eldridge Industries owns part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, and the 2024 City of Los Angeles license for the Griffith Park venue is held by TFEG ABG LA JV LLC, a joint venture between Thirteenth Floor and Authentic Brands Group’s ABG Entertainment.
Jen Bendik is the general manager, and Ted Dougherty of Plague Productions is the writer and live entertainment director who created the Midnight Falls townsfolk. Chris Stafford is CEO and founding partner of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.
Other Southern California Halloween Events
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach comes from the same producer and runs through November 1 too. Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood are the area’s theme park Halloween events, and my Los Angeles haunted houses guide has the rest of the city.
Event Details
- Event: Los Angeles Haunted Hayride 2026, the event’s 18th season.
- Location: Old Zoo Picnic Area, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, in Griffith Park.
- Dates: Select nights, September 18 through November 1, 2026.
- Hours: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. each operating night, and closing times vary by date.
- Tickets: Online only, from $34.99 for the hayride alone, or $49.99 with the haunted houses, at losangeleshauntedhayride.com.
- Producer: Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.
More Los Angeles Haunted Hayride Coverage
- The LA Haunted Hayride adds an ’80s rock maze and brings back Elvira (2026)
- Elvira Joins LA Haunted Hayride for 2025 Season
- Los Angeles Haunted Hayride to Return to Griffith Park on Select Nights
- Los Angeles Haunted Hayride Celebrates 15 Years of Fear With Brand-New Features and Attractions
This event is part of my Haunted Houses in California 2026 guide.
