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Best Halloween Events in Los Angeles 2025 for Kids and Families

Treat yourself to an adorable Halloween. Photo courtesy of Kidspace Children's Museum
Treat yourself to an adorable Halloween. Photo courtesy of Kidspace Children's Museum
9/21/25 - By Toby B

Halloween events are creeping up on us, bringing chills and thrills, bags full of sweets, and loads of Halloween events in Los Angeles—including Boos at Zoos, Halloween haunts, cemetery tours, and trunk-or-treats. Among the Halloween events in Los Angeles we're looking forward to are Carved at Descanso, Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland Resort, and Boo at the LA Zoo, plus tons of Halloween shows and movie screenings.

Some kids (and adults) like the spooks and scares while other kids prefer gentler Halloween activities, so in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles & Orange County Kids, you'll find our picks for not-so-scary events for preschoolers as well as scary Halloween haunts for big kids—plus free Halloween events in Los Angeles for kids, and much more.

 

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Bring your little penguin to meet some other sea creatures. Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific
Bring your little penguin to meet some other sea creatures. Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific

Halloween Events at Zoos and Aquariums

Spider Pavilion

Exposition Park
Daily, September 14 - November 30, 2025
The spiders return to The Natural History Museum, in the improved Spider Pavilion that debuted a few years ago. Guests have the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the spiders’ habitat and witness the day-to-day lives of these often misunderstood, but uniquely talented creatures. READ MORE

Scarium Family Night

Long Beach
Friday, October 17, 2025
Scarium, the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Halloween celebration is once again presented as a nighttime event. Guests can don costumes to explore the Aquarium’s animal exhibits at night, including the shark, ray, and sea jelly touch tanks, and go trick-or-treating with provided goodie bags.   Event highlights include a costume contest, a vampire magician, a DJ spinning tunes, photo booths, and kids activity booths. READ MORE

Sea Scare at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

San Pedro
Saturday, October 18, 2025
The siren's song is calling you to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for Sea Scare, its annual Halloween event.  A family friendly night of thrills, chills, and gills awaits! READ MORE

Boo at the LA Zoo

Griffith Park
Saturday & Sunday, October 18 - 26, 2025
A trip to the LA Zoo is always a treat, but the last two weekends of October are especially sweet: this year's Boo at the Zoo includes trick-or-treat stations with wildlife-friendly candies made with sustainable ingredients.  READ MORE

Boo at the Moorpark Teaching Zoo

Moorpark
Saturday & Sunday, October 18 - 26, 2025
The Teaching Zoo's annual Halloween festivities are quite the treat, with two weekends of family fun.   Highlights include interactive trick-or-treating and family photo ops, plus wildlife programs and meet & greets. READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo (Santa Ana)

Santa Ana
Saturday & Sunday, October 18 - 26, 2025
The zoo presents a "merry not scary" Halloween event with a decorated trail along the animal enclosures. Kids follow a fun Halloween trail through the zoo during extended admission hours, taking home goodies from 10 toy/treat stations. Family-friendly costumes encouraged. READ MORE

Halloween Zoo-tacular

Irvine
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Orange County Zoo throws a party to get the animals in the mood for Halloween. Activities include trick-or-treating, spooky crafts, and a scavenger hunt for kids under the age of 12. The animals, meanwhile, get to munch on treat-filled pumpkins throughout the day. READ MORE

Boo at the Bay: Family Halloween Party

Newport Beach
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center hosts a fun family Halloween party featuring spooky stories, creepy crafts, weird science experiments, bizarre animals, and hair-raising games. Costumes encouraged. READ MORE
Stroll through a jack-o-lantern wonderland at Carved. Photo courtesy of Descanso Gardens
Stroll through a jack-o-lantern wonderland at Carved. Photo courtesy of Descanso Gardens

Halloween Walk-thrus and Immersive Experiences

Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns

Palos Verdes
Select dates, September 19 - November 2, 2025
The pumpkins are on the move! In 2025, Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns is held in a new location: South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. As before, guests are treated to a larger-than-life pumpkin experience. This year’s event is reimagined as Enchanted Hollow: a place where nature glows, jack-o’-lanterns shimmer, and wonder lives around every bend. READ MORE

Nights of the Jack

Calabasas
Select dates, September 26 - November 1, 2025
Nights of the Jack is a family-friendly, Halloween-themed show situated on a mile-long nature trail filled with thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns and endless photographable moments. Through the magic of light projection mapping, ordinary buildings are transformed into hauntingly fantastic wonders. This year a reimagined illuminated field debuts, promising a thrilling and chilling display. Also new, the "Almost Dark" trail allows guests to explore the experience as day becomes night, just as the sun is setting, as the lights are first coming on. READ MORE

Carved

La Canada Flintridge
Daily, October 3 - 30, 2025
Carved is a family-friendly Halloween event for all ages; visitors can enjoy a mile-long walk through Descanso's beautiful gardens and woods, viewing hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns carved from real pumpkins along the trail.  2025's event features a new route. READ MORE
Don your costumes at the Kidspace Halloween Bash. Photo courtesy of Kidspace
Don your costumes at the Kidspace Halloween Bash. Photo courtesy of Kidspace

Kid-Friendly Halloween Festivals & Celebrations

Kidspace Halloween

Pasadena
Tuesday - Sunday, September 19 - October 31, 2025
Halloween season at Kidspace starts September 19 this year. Kiddos can strut their stuff in the daily Halloween Parades - costumes encouraged! READ MORE

Pumpkin Palooza at Discovery Cube OC

Santa Ana
Saturdays & Sundays, October 4 - 26, 2025
Discovery Cube OC has a real treat for us this Halloween: Pumpkin Palooza, a seasonal festival of science fun. Kids can come in costume to enjoy two floors of freaky fun, an interactive dance party, bumper cars, life-size corn mazes, and trick or treating.  New this year: the Pumpkin Paths maze. Guests can journey through interactive spaces with a special pumpkin device to learn about composting and more. READ MORE

Enchanted Halloweekends at Discovery Cube LA

Sylmar
Saturdays & Sundays, October 4 - November 1, 2025
This enchanting evening event at the Discovery Cube is full of spooky science, trick or treating, magic, a costume contest, and plenty of happy Halloween fun. Kids are encouraged to come in costume.  New this year:  "Mystery at the Cube," a family-friendly escape room, as well as a new corn maze. READ MORE

A Faery Hunt Show and Fairy Halloween Party

Tarzana
Sunday, October 12, 2025
The faery folke lead a fun and gentle immersive quest for the fairy royalty at this interactive, musical performance. Kids are invited to come in costume for this special Halloween performance. Following the show the fun continues with a fairy fun Halloween party, that includes one-on-one time with the fairies, dancing, games, storytelling, fairy unicorn readings, frolic, & fun!  READ MORE

Spooky Science Night

Downey
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Columbia Memorial Space Center hosts a spooky-themed night of science! A variety of hands-on activities, such as a spooky robotics lab and super slime, are available for all ages. READ MORE

Battleship IOWA Halloween STEMebration

San Pedro - FREE
Saturday, October 18, 2025
This Halloween season, Battleship IOWA welcomes guests on board to enjoy STEM stations, craft stations, a spooky reading corner, and games. Treats can be gathered at six candy stations and Trunk-Or-Treating with first responders. READ MORE

Pumpkin Race Festival

Manhattan Beach - FREE
Sunday, October 19, 2025
The city of Manhattan Beach holds its annual Pumpkin Race on the pier. Families are encouraged to attend in costume and create their own crazy pumpkin race cars at the pier's colorful Pumpkin Race Land. READ MORE

Halloween Spooktacular Boo Crew Workshop at One Colorado

Pasadena
Saturday, October 18, 2025
It paints a spooky picture: the Unicorn Store at One Colorado hosts a Halloween-themed craft event. Each child ticket includes all the supplies needed to paint a ghostly masterpiece in a shimmering gold frame. READ MORE

Halloween Bu Bash Carnival

Malibu
Friday, October 24, 2025
This special celebration in Malibu is catered to younger children. For $10, families can enjoy bounce houses, carnival games, art activities, and a trick-or-treat street. Kids can show off their costumes on the costume catwalk.  READ MORE

37th Annual Halloween Carnival in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach
Saturday, October 25, 2025
This local festival in Manhattan Beach scares up the Halloween fun, with carnival games, a costume contest and parade, a haunted house, and a cupcake walk. This non-spooky boo bash is free to attend, though some activities may cost money. Carnival bracelets are available for $20 per person.  READ MORE

Marina Spooktacular

Marina del Rey - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 2025
Marina del Rey's Halloween Spooktacular is appropriate for all ages, but the scares get scarier as darkness falls. Celebrants can experience thrills and chills navigating the kids giant grid maze, embarking on graveyard treasure hunts, playing carnival games and braving the giant slide, buccaneer pirate ship, fun house obstacle course, and inflatable maze. READ MORE

Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade

Long Beach
Sunday, October 26, 2025
The parade for animal charities features more than 500 dogs in colorful costumes.​ Even for folks who don't normally venture down Long Beach way, some of these canine costumes really are worth the drive. The Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade claims to be the "World's Largest Halloween Pet Event."  The event is held at the former Belmont Pool grassy area and paths. READ MORE

Halloween DTLA Festival for Kids

DTLA
Friday, October 31, 2025
Downtown families can celebrate Halloween at this fun kid-friendly party right in their own backyard. Activities include a trick-or-treat trail, character meet-and-greets, hands-on arts & crafts, a dance party, yummy snacks, and puppet and magic shows. READ MORE

Lakewood Halloween Carnivals

Lakewood - FREE
Friday, October 31, 2025
Lakewood's traditional Halloween Carnivals offer fun and safety for youngsters on the year's spookiest night. Each park has a special theme, such as Minecraft. Phineas and Ferb, or Stranger Things.​ READ MORE
Come face-to-face with villains at Oogie Boogie Bash. Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort
Come face-to-face with villains at Oogie Boogie Bash. Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Halloween Events at Theme Parks (Kid-Friendly Only!)

Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party

Anaheim
Select dates through October 31, 2025
Trick-or-treating at Disneyland - what could be better? This year's spooooookiest Halloween celebration is a villainous bash at Disney California Adventure Park. READ MORE

Brick or Treat

Carlsbad
Select dates, September 20 - November 1, 2025
Legoland offers a festive kid-centric Halloween celebration on select weekends this fall. The fun includes tons of candy, an all-new show lineup, never-before-seen exclusive Lego characters, and more. New features for 2025: the Coast Cruise transforms into the Ghost Cruise, complete with ghostly surprises and giggles, the Driving Schools become a haunted highway full of silly scares and boo-levard detours, and the the Park entrance comes alive with Halloween mischief in the  Monster Halloween Hub, where guests can meet and greet with favorites like Mummy, Monster... READ MORE

Knott's Spooky Farm

Buena Park
Thursday - Sunday, September 25 - October 31, 2025
Knott's Berry Farm invites kids to a daytime non-scare Halloween celebration that's about cheer, not fear. Kids can dress in all their Halloween finery to go trick-or-treating around the town of Calico’s shops and buildings, plus enjoy additional Halloween activities. READ MORE

Tricks and Treats at Magic Mountain

Valencia
Friday - Sunday, September 26 - November 2, 2025
The fun is spooky, not scary, at Six Flags Magic Mountain's daytime Halloween festivities. At the all-new daytime fall festival "Tricks and Treats" scares up family-friendly activities, a trick-or-treat trail, and access to Magic Mountain's world-class rides. READ MORE
Bob Baker’s Halloween Spooktacular is an LA fall classic. Photo courtesy of Bob Baker's Marionettes via Facebook
Bob Baker’s Halloween Spooktacular is an LA fall classic. Photo courtesy of Bob Baker's Marionettes via Facebook

Halloween 2025 Movies & Shows

Bob Baker’s Hallowe'en Spooktacular

Highland Park
Select dates, September 6 - November 9, 2025
A beloved Bob Baker tradition returns! The Bob Baker Marionettes presents Hallowe'en Spooktacular, a family-friendly musical revue, set to haunting and jazzy holiday-themed tunes celebrating nearly every decade. READ MORE

Coco at the El Capitan

Hollywood
Daily, September 26 - October 2, 2025
Remember Coco? The El Capitan brings back the award-winning Disney-Pixar feature for a limited run.  Mariachi Divas and the Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles perform live on stage as guests enter the theatre. The audience is then treated to the Fiesta of Lights featuring music from the movie. READ MORE

Absolutely Halloween

Santa Monica
Saturday & Sunday, October 4 - 26, 2025
Santa Monica Playhouse presents the tale of a sweet young girl named Candy, who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter, and sugar. A colorful array of characters takes her on a magical All Hallows Eve adventure, and the audience must help Candy save Halloween. READ MORE

Halloween Historical Cemetery Tour

Long Beach
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Historical Society of Long Beach conducts its annual living history tour at the city’s two oldest cemeteries, which are located adjacent to each other on Willow Street between Orange and California. READ MORE

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert with Danny Elfman

Hollywood Hills
Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 2025
What's this? What's this?  There's people singing songs... Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas screens at the Hollywood Bowl with the music performed live to screen, with special guests sure to give you chills. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center
Kidspace Children's Museum
Tarzana Community and Cultural Center
The Unicorn Store at One Colorado
Multiple Parks in Lakewood, including Palms Park
Long Beach Municipal Cemetery & Sunnyside Cemetery