Living My Pumpkin Queen Dreams At Hauntoween LA [REVIEW]
Fall in Southern California means a smorgasbord of events - from the terrifying to the mild - just about every day though October 31. But how do you decide what is worth your money and time? With activities for those 21+ and kids alike, Hauntoween in Woodland Hills is sure to check most of the items on your list.
Below I’ll break down the many, many things you can do at Hauntoween, as well as what my favorite activities were.
For the kids:
Face-painting
Sand art
Science experiments
A pumpkin bouncy house
Inflatable slides
Rides!
Chalk art
Glow-in-the-dark coloring
(L to R) @alanajjordan and @editor_kay at Hauntoween
For adults:
The Happy Dad lounge, where you can rest your feet by relaxing on the couch and watching the game, playing spiked seltzer pong or foosball, or grabbing yourself a Happy Dad seltzer.
Bars offering wine and cocktails in a can, beer, and spiked seltzer
Fun for the whole family:
Trick-or-treating in the town of Haunt O’Ween
The “Beyond the Grave Rave” (AKA dance party!)
A pumpkin patch
So many photo ops!
Plenty of carnivalesque snacks - popcorn, cotton candy, Italian ice, caramel apples, krispy treats
Food trucks
Hauntoween is not a timed exhibit, so you can walk through the many different themed areas at your leisure. Though it’s worth noting the last entry is at 9pm, and it closes at 10pm. There is plenty to do, so this can be a whole evening’s event if you like - though if you’d like to speed walk through to get to the trick-or-treating, that works, too.
When you enter, you walk through the delightful “Funnybones Ranch,” which has a plethora of photo ops, as well as cute vignettes of horse skeletons and pumpkin farmers. * Editor’s note: You will see treasure chests with fake gold coins all over Hauntoween. Grab a coin when you pass them, and at the end you’ll be able to trade them in for prizes, courtesy of upcoming magical Netflix series, Daniel Spellbound!
“Hidden Hollows” is next, and it was one of my absolute favorites. There is an amazing cemetery display, as well as a mausoleum that is great for photographs. From there you walk through a tunnel to get into “Ghoul Town,” which is a colorful town square, where you will see dancing ghouls, and where the kiddos can get their face painted. (Also, the pay phones are a great photo op.)
Next is the “Beyond the Grave Rave,” which features a bar, dance party, and photo op. There are skeletons everyone, and it’s all neon paint and black lights. This area has plenty of activities for the kids, including sand art, science experiments, tables you can draw on with chalk, and fun, glow-in-the-dark coloring posters. In “Moonlight Magic,” you can meet a lovely witch, and walk through her magical abode, pick up another drink, cotton candy, or frozen treat, and visit the photo booth where you can make a witchy video of yourself.
To get to the “Town of Hauntoween” and the trick-or-treating, you must pass through the famous pumpkin tunnel. There are 35,000 pumpkins throughout Hauntoween as a whole, and a good many are featured in this tunnel full of smiling Jack O’ Lanterns and flashing lights. Not only does the “Town of Hauntoween” have trick-or-treating, but they really have created a spooky little town full of mini houses, all painted differently.
It seems like it can’t get better than the “Town of Hauntoween,” but then you walk into “The Fantastic Fair,” which has food trucks, oodles of pumpkins, a bouncy house, an inflatable slide, fair games, rides, and picnic tables so you can enjoy your snacks.
Swipe for more Hauntoween pictures
The entire family-friendly adventure is 200,000 square feet of fun that is well worth the ticket price. Hauntoween is running most nights (with multiple time slots) now through October 31, with general admission tickets starting at $36, VIP starting at $60, and group bundles available. On top of everything else, your ticket lets you leave with a pumpkin! Best part? Parking is free, since 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd is in a mall parking lot.
Get your tickets for Hauntoween here.
