Haunts for Teens in Los Angeles

Halloween is quickly becoming one of the most celebrated and anticipated holidays in America. While traditions like trick-or-treating and haunted houses are great fun for young children, they can be just as much fun for teens, too. With more and more cities passing laws and ordinances banning older children from participating in the festivities, teens must be even more creative to find Halloween fun — and parents want to be assured teens are having fun in a safe environment.

If you and your teen plan to be in greater Los Angeles during the haunting season, the following attractions should be on your list. These Halloween activities promote fun and a healthy dose of fright without placing your teens in dangerous situations.

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Theme Parks

Local amusement parks like Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm (aka Knott’s Scary Farm) and Universal Studios (Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights) all transform into wicked and monstrous versions of their former selves, with the parks and rides decorated for the holiday and ghastly mazes specially designed with terrifying monsters, zombies and ghouls for guests to wander through and be scared.

The Queen Mary Dark Harbor

A Los Angeles classic, this event is hosted annually in the Long Beach Harbor at the Queen Mary. Each year the World War 2 ship, well known as one of the most haunted places in Southern California, makes the most of its ghostly past and transforms into a spine-tingling horror-fest. With 200 monsters wandering through seven ghoulish mazes, guests can be spooked to their hearts delight. Pre-sale tickets for the mazes are available online with general admission starting at $24, but the truly brave souls will book a night in the hotel and take their chances with the Queen Mary‘s resident ghosts!

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride

Nothing says fall like a hayride … but this hayride is sure to thrill and fright! This Halloween event is held every year in Griffith Park and is designed to scare even the bravest of souls. This year’s haunt is clown-themed, making it one of the creepier events of the season. It is actually four separate attractions, the Hayride, Purgatory, the House of Shadows and even a Trick or Treat — so even the big kids get a chance to take candy from strangers! Tickets start as low as $30 online for hayrides; packages are available for up to $60 that include all events and front-of-the-line privileges. This event is only available on certain days throughout the month of October and tends to sell out, so check online for dates and ticket availability. To maintain safety, costumes are not allowed but the actors will be scary enough for everyone. If you miss it this year, don’t worry, it is becoming a Los Angeles tradition and should be back again next year.

None of us ever truly grow up, and nothing lets us be a kid again like the holidays, so enjoy Halloween with your little ones and your big ones. Be safe and don’t be afraid to be a little scared!