Whether you’re hankering for a little autumnal shiver or want to scream your lungs out in the dark, there’s a haunted house just for you. We've ranked this season's scary attractions, from kid-friendly to flat-out terrifying.
A WEE BIT CHILLING: Ghost Train
Photograph: Courtesy LALSRM
Griffith Park’s Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum revives this fund-raiser after a year off. Take a fun 25-minute ride on LALSRM’s small model train through creepy, humorous tableaux that are tame enough for children, but delightfully eerie for all ages.
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, 5202 Zoo Dr (323-662-8030, lals.org). Oct 12–29: Fri–Sun 7–10pm.Oct 30, 31 7–10pm. $20.
JUST SPOOKY ENOUGH: Wicked Lit
Photograph: Courtesy Daniel Kitayama
Wish to dip your toes in gothic terror without being chased by monsters? Of course you do, and Wicked Lit has your number. Amid the seasonally appropriate Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery, guests are treated to three short plays throughout the grounds, while a fourth unfolds over the course of the immersive evening. a
Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery,2300 Marengo Ave, Altadena (323-332-2065, unboundproductions.org). Thu–Sun at 7:30pm; $40–80. Through Nov 11.
GULP!: Universal Halloween Horror Nights
Photograph: Courtesy Universal Studios/David Sprague
The sound of chain saws fills the air when this favorite returns with eight new mazes—including ones inspired by American Horror Story: Roanoke, The Shining and Titans of Terror (think Freddy, Jason and Leatherface)—plus a frightful takeover of the studio tram.
Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City (800-864-8377, halloweenhorrornights.com). Thu–Sun 7pm–2am; $65–$95. Through Nov 4.
HOLD MY HAND, PLEASE: Creep Los Angeles: Lore
Photograph: Courtesy Hatbox Photography
The minds behind Creep LA and the Willows team with Amazon Prime Video on Lore, a walk-through experience based on Aaron Mahnke’s podcast of the same name about folklore and myths. Groups of eight at a time brave a one-hour journeythrough horrors both beautifully macabre and deeply unsettling.
The Reef, 1933 S Broadway Blvd (800-526-2784, creepla .com). Thu–Sun 7–11pm; $65. Through Nov 12.
I NEED MY MOMMY!: Urban Death
Photograph: Courtesy Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group hosts a chilling series of vignettes. Armed with a shoddy flashlight to illuminate the their path, each member of the audience navigates a labyrinth of terror before enduring a series of shocking scenes that will unsettle even the most stoic of horror fans.
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 48500 Lankershim Blvd (818-202-4120, urbandeath.com). Fri, Sat at 8, 9, 10, 10:45, 11:30pm; Oct 30, 31 at 8, 9, 10, 10:45, 11:30pm. $15. Through Oct 31.
NOPE NOPE NOPE (BUT ALSO, YES): Into the Black
Photograph: Courtesy Bone Yard Effects
This multisensory haunt from Bone Yard Effects unfurls via a short film online, followed by an on-site virtual- reality experience. It culminates in real life inside the Black House, a sprawling Victorian home. Oh, and scaredy-cats beware: You must enter all alone.
Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona(intotheblack.biz). Fri–Sun 2pm–midnight; Oct 30, 31 2pm–midnight. Haunted house $29, VR $13. Through Oct 29.