Fun things to do in LA on Halloween

Trick-or-treating may have been exciting as a child, but high schoolers are now beginning to look for alternative options on Halloween night. In Los Angeles there are hundreds of thrilling options for Samo students, from petrifying horror parks to Día de los Muertos celebrations, that will all leave lasting memories of an exhilarating and terrifying Halloween with friends. 1) Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights: Universal Studios is a production company best known for their massive theme park at the base of the Hollywood Hills, however in the past few years they have increased their popularity immensely with an event they call “Haunted Horror Nights” during the Halloween season. Every day at sunset starting in late September, the park transforms the entire lot into a haunted house that never rests. Masked actors dressed as zombies, monsters and murderers sprint around the park ready to scare the excited patrons. Universal sets up eight mazes based on many of the most popular and terrifying on-screen thrillers, such as American Horror Story and The Shining. The admission is $75 per person, so it is a little pricey for a casual night with friends. However, going on Halloween night will be worth every dollar. The scream-worthy memories you create at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights with your friends will be moments you’ll never forget. 2) Los Angeles Haunted Hayride:The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is nowhere near your typical kid-friendly ride through the pumpkin patch. Hosted in Griffith Park, this attraction requires a lot of bravery to face the terrifying scares ahead of anyone who dares to enter. The theme of the 2017 ride is “Clown”, and the company has created a haunted house-style hayride in which groups are taken on a cart and wheeled through a maze-like course with masked actors jumping out attempting to scare the patrons. In addition to the usual hayride, the LA Haunted Hayride is creating three equally as frightening attractions, named “Purgatory”, “Trick or Treat” and “House of Shadows”. Ticket prices range from $35 to $60 per person, depending on the VIP level you wish to purchase and the amount of access to the park you want to have, so this is definitely one of the least expensive options for teens to buy with their friends for Halloween night. 3) Día de los Muertos:Hollywood’s Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is hosted in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Oct. 28. The event is less about the thrill of being scared and more focused on the celebration of death and life in Mexican culture. Throughout the night there are performances from Grammy award winning artists, lively theatrical shows, Aztec rituals and lots of celebration. All attendees are encouraged to dress in full “Día de los Muertos” attire, with lace veils, vibrant floral patterned dresses/suits and a full face of white, skeleton-style face paint. Hosted in a graveyard creates an eerie vibe for the patrons, and makes it more spooky and exciting to watch people perform rituals in which they attempt to connect to the dead and the spirits lurking in the cemetery. The admission is only $20 per person for the entire day and night experience, so this is a great way to spend the weekend before Halloween night with friends. If you are seeking an exciting and spooky attraction with no big scares, Día de los Muertos is for you.  4) Knott's Scary Farm:Knott's Scary Farm is an event put on during the Halloween season in which a fun amusement park, normally full of rides and food, turns into a haunted horror park. Knott’s Scary Farm takes place on select nights from Sept. 21 through Oct. 31 The theme park completely transforms and encompasses 13 terrifying mazes and sinister shows. As well as more than 1,000 lurking creatures looking like clowns, zombies and other grotesque creatures that will be hiding in the fog, waiting for the perfect time to pop out and scare you. Of course, if you need a break from constantly being scared, Knott’s Scary Farm has safe zones in which you may stand and take a break. Tickets are on sale from $33 to $40, but if you do plan to watch all the shows and get on the rides in addition to doing the mazes, then it is recommended to get the Fright Lane pass. 5) Six Flags Fright Fest:Six Flag’s annual Fright Fest is something you don’t want to miss. Much like Knott’s Scary Farm, the park gets transformed into a creepy, ghoul filled nightmare. The park sells treats for the Halloween theme, and every ride is transformed into something even more terrifying than normal. If you’re looking for something a little more scary than Knott’s Scary Farm, Six Flags Fright Fest is the way to go. Unlike Knott’s, there are no safe zones in the park, meaning all creepy creatures could scare you at any point and time during your visit. The event is not recommended for, but was rated best Fright Fest theme park of 2017. The park has many mazes, haunted houses and frightening roller coasters that are sure to give you quite a scare. Tickets are as low as $54.99, and the season passes are $84.99. Six Flags Fright Fest ends Oct. 31, so be sure to go soon! 6) Stanwood Haunted House:The Stanwood street haunted house in Mar Vista is something put on by a friendly family that turns their average two story traditional home into a terrifying haunted house full of ghosts, a graveyard, witches and much more. On Halloween night, they let all the trick-or-treaters have a small tour of the house, where inside there are spooky rooms and decorations. The Woodbine Street haunted house is a main attraction for the Mar Vista neighborhood. On average, the home gets 500 to 600 trick-or-treaters a night, but is only open during certain hours for a tour of the inside of the house. The special effects, creepy noises and insane transformation makes this haunted house unlike any other. Be sure to go as soon as it gets dark to get a good look at the house, along with a yummy caramel apple the family makes just for the trick-or-treaters.