What to Know
- Sept. 24 through Oct. 31, 2021 (select nights)
- Tickets on sale Aug. 25 (look for early bird specials)
- A Midnight Falls Scare Zone, a trio of mazes (including the impish Trick or Treat), and the classic hayride will be back
Autumn, the night, hay, an open-air vehicle, spooky sights, moonlight, and the spirit of anticipation?
Weaving these not-so-disparate ideas can take an especially deft hand and a creative mind, but the team members behind LA Haunted Hayride have proven that they can braid all of these notions together in one terrific under-the-stars spectacular.
It's a spectacular that's been around for several years, but it changed up, in 2020, in response to pandemic safety. The hayride moved from its longtime home in Griffith Park to San Dimas, and a number of the event's known-and-loved features were put on pause.
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Now the rows of riser-based pumpkins, the photo-ready sight that welcomes guests entering the experience's airy space, will be back in Griffith Park, which will again transform into the terrifying town of Midnight Falls.
Well, a small but scare-filled corner of the experience will. That's the LA Haunted Hayride's atmospheric scare zone, and you can count on all sorts of monstrous characters, structures, and details to give part of the area an unsettling feel.
That feel continues at the three mazes, including the always-impish Trick or Treat, which involves guests going door-to-door for goodies or ickies. You really never know who will answer which door and whether you'll walk away with something sweet or a scare.
And the hayride? Prepare to slooowly pass by several large-scale sets with a host of haunting themes.
Sometimes one of the figures occupying these sets, a figure you could have sworn was a mannequin, moves every so slightly. Did you just see that? You'll need to keep those peepers well-peeled and on the lookout.
There's a pre-sale on now, but official ticket sales begin to growl on Aug. 25. Early bird specials? Those will happen, so purchase yours far sooner than much later if you'd like to save some dough.
The hayride is ready to glow, er, go in Griffith Park this fall, bringing Halloween season joy, and jumps, to fright fans ready to trek into the Southern California-style woods for an atmospheric, out-in-the-open evening.
