The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters roaming around. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. For its 13th anniversary, the event dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with reimagined mazes set both on shore and in the ship’s swimming pool and corridors. New this year is the “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact” maze, as well as carnival rides Alien Abduction and blacklight bumper cars. When you tire of the terror, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

In between his Broadway debut in Cabaret and his upcoming feature-film acting debut in Street Fighter, masked outlaw-slash-country crooner Orville Peck rides into town to make his Hollywood Bowl debut. His Roy Orbison–esque voice is a natural fit for the iconic amphitheater. He’ll be joined by Lucius and Deloyd Elze.

In celebration of the late Bob Baker’s legacy, his namesake puppet theater hosts this annual celebration at Los Angeles State Historic Park. The free fest and outdoor carnival features puppet performances throughout the day, plus an assortment of other entertainment, vendors, crafts and family-friendly activities. For the first time this year, there will be a doggie costume contest you can enter your pup into. Though it usually takes place in April, this year’s event has been pushed to September due to rain. Stay tuned for the grand marshal announcement and lineup of special guests.

Face your fears and head to the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion, where you can observe several hundred orbweaver spiders in a living exhibit just outside of the museum. Scared the spiders might be hard to spot in the wild? Fret not. In previous iterations, we’ve spotted ones about the size of an adult’s palm. Gulp. (But don’t worry: The scariest ones—from tarantulas to wolf spiders—are in enclosed habitats.) 

Frogtown is full of free, family-friendly programming, from its First Fridays to its Artwalk, the Elysian Valley neighborhood’s artist-centric biennial. Luckily, this is an even-numbered year, which means the event is back in action. Walk along the river—or ride a free pedi-cab—and check out artwork by over 70 local artists in their studios and pop-up exhibitions. There will also be stages with live music and dance performances, food trucks and local vendors along the route. And new this time around is the L.A. River Art Parade, where you can dress up and show off your own creativity (6:30pm, sign up here). Note: Parking is notoriously tricky in Frogtown, so biking and rideshare are encouraged.

Over two September weekends, this Lincoln Heights beer and cider brewery is bringing Oktoberfest to Northeast L.A. with a celebration full of German-style beers, stein holding contests and sausages. Saturday programming includes live music and keg bowling (free with the purchase of a stein pour), while Sunday attendees will be able to watch a weenie dog race at 2pm and sing karaoke backed by a live band later on in the evening. Revelers in dirndls and lederhosen will get $1 off steins.

This haunted Griffith Park hayride once again returns to the mid-’80s fictitious town of Midnight Falls, which borrows a little bit of the road culture of Sons of Anarchy and the isolation of Twin Peaks. 

The Griffith Park tradition, which has been running for 18 years now, centers on a relatively lengthy hayride, which runs on select nights from September 18 to November 1. The premise: A witch has summoned spirits of the underworld, who’ve hidden themselves among Halloween decorations in the town’s foothills. This year’s event features a brand-new maze, “Fallen Angel,” set in a fictitious Sunset Strip theater, where fans try to resurrect a heavy-metal band killed by their pyrotechnics. 

The event’s various other attractions will be centered around the jack-o’-lantern–filled Midnight Falls Town Square. Returning favorites include the Scary-Go-Round, the Hellbilly Halloween maze and Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem, which was a highlight last year. Mini escape games and axe-throwing (harder than it looks!) will also be back.

For refreshments, there’s Halloween-themed food including apple cider and doughnuts, plus plant-based fast food from Mr. Charlie’s. For the first time this year, the Hayride will be serving alcohol at new themed bars.

Can I wear a costume?

No. Costumes, face paint and props are not allowed for guests.

Where do I park for the Haunted Hayride?

Prepaid parking is available but limited in the trio of nearby lots (Merry-Go-Round lots 1, 2 and 3). You can also park for free in the much larger L.A. Zoo parking lot and take a shuttle from the lot’s northwest corner to the event.

Note: While the hayride used to take place at the Griffith Park Old Zoo, in recent years it’s moved downhill to the Crystal Springs Picnic Area—a larger, flatter field.

Oktoberfest is coming to the zoo—because beer gardens have always needed more giraffes. The brand-new Zootoberfest takes over the L.A. Zoo September 19 and 20 with German-inspired food, giant pretzels, specialty beers, root beer floats, live Oktoberfest bands, lawn games, a braid bar, themed photo ops and plenty of fall vibes. Admission to the family-friendly celebration is included with your general admission zoo ticket. Food and drinks are available for purchase, so come for the animals, stay for the pretzels.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to SoCal with over 10,000 thousand hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a mile-long pathway at the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. This year’s event adds a whimsical circus scene, a Día de los Muertos tribute and an under-the-sea display. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

Its past installments have found attendees stealthing their way through a Victorian home and embarking on a Blade Runner-esque bounty hunt. And now this celebrated immersive horror theater event is returning to its roots at the Beckett Manion in West Adams for its longest and most interactive play yet.

Delusion, an interactive seasonal event that combines elements of immersive theater with a more story-based approach to a walk-through haunted house, will host visitors on select nights from September 17 through Halloween till November 8. This year’s theme, “Den of the Mosquito,” is set in a New Orleans brothel in the 1920s, with a cast of mobsters, monsters and vampire prostitutes. You’ll play an agent with a secret organization, and the event promises more interactivity and split paths than ever, perfect for those who want to be part of the story.

If you’re in the mood for a night out but don’t want to sacrifice sleep, you’re in luck: Earlybirds Club—a dance party that provides a safe space for middle-age-ish women, nonbinary and trans people—is returning to L.A. this month for with a soundtrack of ’80s, ’90s and 2000s pop, hip-hop, new wave and R&B. The parties start early (6pm) and end early (10pm), “because people our age have sh*t to do in the morning,” explain cofounders and friends Laura Baginski and Susie Lee. Plus, 10% of ticket proceeds benefit a hand-picked nonprofit.

Jackalope Arts and Pasadena’s Playhouse Village are teaming up once again for the City of Roses’ art walk, which features over 180 hand-selected artisans. Shoppers can browse fine art, photography, fashion and jewelry design, paper goods and home decor along Green Street from Los Robles to El Molino, then refuel with food from local vendors. Adding to the fun, you’ll also find live music, drawing workshops and face-painting for kids, and tarot readings for the grown-ups.

Go beyond low-quality celebrity-owned agave spirits with this daylong festival dedicated to mezcal de campesinos held at Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. Organized by Madre (home to the largest mezcal selection in the country), Mezcal Por Siempre will bring together visiting mezcaleros from all over Mexico—most of whom don’t normally import their product to the United States. Each $82 ticket nets guests unlimited mezcal samples from visiting producers, plus access to cultural programming including ballet folklórico performances, live music and art installations. Food from local-favorite vendors will also be available for purchase. 

Want to peer through the eyepiece of Mt. Wilson’s historic telescopes? Your best and most economical bet just might be one of the Talks & Telescopes events. These monthly Saturday-night astronomy lectures are followed up with a few hours of stargazing on portable telescopes on the grounds, as well as the 60- and 100-inch telescopes, for only $50 (a fraction of the price of the observatory’s late-night stargazing sessions).

Artist and composer Emmit Fenn turns an Arts District soundstage into a multisensory music experience during this limited-run performance. The phone-free, roughly two-hour event progresses across three environments: a snowy field where you can enjoy tea, the main music space where synchronized lights appear to float atop a darkened pool of water and a post-show gallery with behind-the-scenes imagery.

Listen to DJ sets from Bass Pueblo and Cyrus while sipping cocktails on the Santa Monica Proper Hotel’s Calabra rooftop during this fundraiser for Hearts Over Hate, which supports survivors of violent crime and domestic abuse.

Forget the usual museum stroll—let’s dance! LACMA is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with a traditional lion dance accompanied by live music from the Immortals Lion Dance crew. The free performance takes place Sunday, September 20, at the David Geffen Galleries’ Plaza Level, as part of the museum’s free Third Weekends program and in celebration of its exhibition “Fashioning Chinese Women.” No ticket required: Just show up and prepare to make your museum visit a considerably livelier one.

While you won’t find much Alice in the Wonderland series of festivals, you will find a whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere drenched in Day-Glo and pulsating lasers. The multiple stages at Glen Helen Regional Park are musical platforms just as much as they’re art installations, with names like Mystic Wild and the Rave Cave. This year’s lineup includes the likes of deadmau5, James Hype, Illenium, SVDDEN DEATH, Malaa, Deorro and a DJ set by T-Pain.

“Let’s hang out at the Pier” is something Santa Monica locals probably say next to never, but this monthly series is trying to change that. Every third Thursday from September to May, you’ll find everything from live music to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend. 

Encounter free-roaming monsters, stage shows and 10 terrifying mazes—this year’s new additions are “Inked,” which brings 1930s cartoon characters to life, and the excavation-themed “Unearthed”—as well as a menu of eerie eats and sinister sweets, five scare zones and the theme park’s thrill rides during Knott’s Scary Farm, SoCal’s original and longest-running Halloween theme park event. Also new this year are two shows: Voodoo: Bayou's Edge and Occultum, featuring magicians from the legendary Magic Castle.

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Fresh off a wildly successful first edition of her Daisy Chain Fields music festival, Olivia Rodrigo is stepping into the spotlight at the Grammy Museum, where a new exhibition is devoted to the pop star. Running through February 22, 2027, “Olivia Rodrigo: the cure unraveled” will feature an exclusive look at the handcrafted hospital sets, costumes, props, stop-motion animatronics and original artwork from the singer’s music video for single “the cure,” off her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. An expanded career-retrospective version will land later in this fall, so stay tuned.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. A newer addition is the Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Each fall for the past 20 years, the Getty Villa’s Outdoor Classical Theater series has brought a dramatic work to life—often with a unique spin—in the museum’s outdoor, ancient-Greece-style amphitheater. This time around, the Latino Theater Company takes on the tale of the heroine Antigone, setting Sophocles’s story instead in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and incorporating Aztec mythology. Enjoy the ocean breeze while you dine on concessions like esquites, tortas, tamales and Mexican wedding cookies, then settle in for the show.

When he’s not busy penning songs with Taylor Swift, playing guitar in Fun or racking up Grammys, you can catch Antonoff fronting his ’80s-inspired indie pop moniker, Bleachers. Catch them at the Troubadour for five nights of intimate shows.

Comedian and horror buff Jon Schnitzer has created immersive horror experiences for none other than Tim Burton and Barack Obama, and now he’s bringing his signature show, Something Spooky, to its biggest audience yet at Dynasty Typewriter fresh off a sold-out run at Hollywood Fringe. Expect an evening of both laughs and screams as the host regales the audience with a scary story from his family history. 

Swim, bike and run for a good cause along Malibu’s iconic coastline at this spectator-friendly triathlon. If you’re not feeling quite up for a 1/2-mile swim, 16-mile bike ride and 4-mile run (or even longer distances for the Olympic race), you can always just spend a day at the beach cheering on the athletes. A kids’ triathlon will take place the day before, on September 19. This year’s event will again support the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Boys and Girls Club of Malibu. 

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 12 and November 8, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

In addition to its robust theater lineup, Topanga Canyon’s Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is also hosting an alfresco salon series each Thursday in September. The lineup of music and cultural performances includes original works by L.A. composers (Sept 3), the debut of a musical-in-development about beer (Sept 10), a cabaret tribute to Marvin Gaye (Sept 17) and an evening dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. (Sept 24). 

Well, well, well, what have we here? The Nightmare Before Christmas’s bug-stuffed sack is once again taking over the Halloween duties at Disneyland Resort for Oogie Boogie Bash, an after-hours, specially ticketed seasonal event at Disney California Adventure Park on select nights from mid-August through October. You’ll find trick-or-treating trails, kid-friendly shows, the maze-like Villains Grove and, new this year, Madame Leota's Swinging Wake—A Haunted Mansion Street Party. And the perks of the after-hours event aren’t just Halloween-y: You’ll be able to venture through and hop on rides in most areas of the park (with considerably shorter wait times), including at Avengers Campus (the Guardians of the Galaxy ride will flip to its Monsters After Dark edition). While tickets usually sell out immediately, there are actually still some available this year for select dates ($139–$189).

You’ve probably seen the nostalgic black-and-white photos of Los Angeles on LA Explained’s Instagram account. And now you can see historical sites in person on its walking tour series, where, instead of just your typical tourist spots, you’ll also see often-overlooked landmarks, historic homes, architectural gems and hidden pathways and learn about the city’s storied past. The ever-expanding lineup includes tours through Hancock Park, Silver Lake, Whitley Heights and Venice Beach, with new routes in West Hollywood, Pasadena, Franklin Village and Los Feliz—so no matter where you are in L.A., there’s a convenient choice. Some options even include snacks and shopping at select spots on the itinerary. Tours are typically offered Wednesdays through Sundays; check the calendar for the current offerings.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. During the spring, summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of outdoor parties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucks and even a live music performance from a cool local band. The screenings are held in venues across L.A. into October and alternate from week to week, so make sure to check the schedule. Some of the outdoor venues are dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your four-legged cinema lover along. 

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen, Oasis, which will be serving up wagyu burgers and classic film concessions.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theater aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, catch William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Noël Coward’s Waiting in the Wings and The People of Pompeii, a new dark comedy Bernardo Cubría wrote in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires.

Catch free outdoor movies at Burton Chace Park. Bring a low-back chair to claim a first-come, first-served space. Tickets aren’t required, but RSVPs are appreciated to stay up to date on any changes.

Just in time for silver screen starlet Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the Academy Museum is presenting a centennial celebration dedicated to the woman and her work, offering “unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon.” In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items, highlights from the exhibition include two screen-worn costumes from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Borrowed from Woody Guthrie’s egalitarian folk anthem, the title of this exhibition at the Huntington offers a pretty literal teaser of what you can expect to see: lots of relics tied to land, specifically American land. But that lens provides an insightful and profound perspective on 250 years of ambition, achievement, struggle, exclusion and belonging in the United States. There are some truly remarkable documents on display here—including Guthrie’s original lyrics sheet for “This Land is Your Land,” paired with one of his acoustic guitars with a faded proclamation that “this machine kills fascists” scratched into the back. But the most humbling piece on display just might be the one that first greets you: the cross section of an oak tree that stood on the grounds of the Huntington for 250 years.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated upcoming show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” will allow visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum will transform the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Also on display will be Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969) anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together. Tickets for the special exhibition are available at thebroad.org.

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. From the Great Depression through Y2K, comics reflected the national moment and actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from Superman and Black Panther to Little Lulu and Archie.

This L.A.-centric exhibition looks at the Declaration of Independence’s promise of life, liberty and happiness, and how that promise has been fulfilled—or not—throughout the city’s development. Told via the stories of diverse Angelenos alongside historical and contemporary objects, media and art, the show “invites you to step into a conversation that has been shaping Los Angeles for over two hundred years.” 

This show aims to give Black queer culture in California—particularly in Los Angeles—the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Through historical materials, photographs, film and vintage newspapers, the exhibition recovers a history that’s been largely excluded from the record, introducing visitors to sites, protagonists and allies who played a role in the fight for democracy and free expression. 

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a nectar “lollipop” to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the beautiful gardens afterward.

You may have come across Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s massive troll sculptures—which he makes from reclaimed wood and hides in nature to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors—on Instagram. But you don’t need to book a trip to Denmark to see the gentle giants. The 87 acres of Palos Verdes’s South Coast Botanic Garden are currently home to 12 of the whimsical figures, and you can glimpse them all with your general admission ticket. For $33, you can take a guided walking tour of the Twelvelings (with general admission included). To see the trolls in a different light, one night a month, the gardens will host the Canopy Club—an after-hours dance party in the woods with pop-up performances, food and drinks ($34–$50).

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A., between Universal Studio’s roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition of the movie franchise. The Petersen Automotive Museum is showcasing movie vehicles, stunt cars and production prototypes in its second-floor galleries, including the 1993 Toyota Supra “Stunt #3” and 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the original film, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and 1993 Mazda RX-7, Suki’s (Devon Aoki) 2001 Honda S2000 and more.

The reopened Getty Villa will descend into the underworld with this exhibition, which looks at the ritual spells and religious writings ancient Egyptians employed to garner favor with Re and Osiris in the afterlife. See the Getty’s collection of rare Book of the Dead rare hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts, dating back to around 1000 BCE, which were last displayed in 2023. The show should dovetail nicely with the museum’s “Sculpted Portraits From Ancient Egypt,” which runs through January 2027.

Do you get a little thrill every time you go to the Beverly Hills Hotel? You have architect Paul R. Williams to thank, even if you might not know the name. This exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art aims to fix that. “Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” specifically spotlights the visionary architect’s multifamily housing projects through original drawings, photographs and plans, juxtaposed with new commissions by contemporary artists and architects. The message is clear: Williams didn’t just shape Los Angeles; he imagined a more livable version of it, one gorgeous building at a time. Complementary Williams exhibitions at LACMA and the Getty Center will open later in the year.

First up on the Academy Museum’s 2026 calendar is a deep dive into Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo. One of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films, Ponyo was notable for its focus on hand-drawn animation, with not only the characters but the backgrounds drawn frame-by-frame rather than using animation cels or CGI. Last year, Studio Ghibli donated original production materials to the Academy Collection, so this show will highlight those items, including art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original drawings—some of which will be displayed in North America for the very first time—pairing them with immersive and interactive elements like an animation table and a play environment for kids.