One of the best parts of the year is undisputedly the Halloween season. I say this, again, as an undisputed, irrefutable fact. The end-of-year holiday season and Fourth of July certainly make a dent, but what other time of year offers you the ability to walk through a house full of chainsaw-wielding murderers and demon-possessed children under constant threat of an impending death? Exactly.

Joking aside, this time of year, (often, and rightly so) referred to as ‘Spooktober,’ opens up a wide new array of entertaining options throughout the month of October. Sometimes even spilling a little bit into November. So, as it is rightly just, we decided to take it under our belt to highlight some recommended, anticipated and amazingly terrifying experiences in the Los Angeles area, including the little guys that deserve a spotlight. We’re sure at this point you’re well aware of Knotts Scary Farm and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We, ourselves, have NOT gotten the chance to explore all of these ourselves this year, but as we do, hyperlinks will become available for you to read our individual reviews. Make sure you visit back to the page to check out those updates, as well as any other haunts that we deem worthy to add!

CREEP LA: LORE: The first on our list is one of the newest Angeleno favorites. Guaranteed to sell out every year that it has been running, CREEP LA always puts on a hauntingly intimate performance, putting you in the drivers seat of an intense, multi-sensory, hour long walkthrough haunt. This year, they’ve teamed up with Amazon to bring one of their upcoming series, entitled ‘Lore’ to life! This is easily one of our most anticipated, and you can grab tickets here (though we recommend you do it fast – this WILL sell out).

Reign of Terror: Another staple in the Los Angeles area for those that are looking for it, Reign of Terror is located a bit far out, in the Thousand Oaks area – but what you get when you arrive makes the entire trip extremely worth it. Started over a decade ago in a residential house, the haunt has expanded to take over a warehouse with over 100 rooms dedicated to 8 different themes sprawling across 23,000 square feet. As far as traditional haunt experiences go, this takes the cake hands down, as the dedication to immersion (even the wait in line is elaborately decorated) offers a uniquely thrilling night out. You can grab tickets here, which we recommend you grab in advance.

Urban Death: Tour of Terror: If you’re interested in checking out an alternative haunt experience, come no farther than what is offered at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group in NoHo. This is NOT a traditional haunt as far as walking through a “haunted house” goes, but plays more as a play with a beating heart. The experience begins with a walkthrough of a short maze, leading you to a nightmare land on the other end, where for the next 20-30 minutes, you will be exposed to some of the most horrifying sights you can imagine. You can grab tickets here.

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor: If you’ve lived in Los Angeles for an extended amount of time, you’re probably aware of The Queen Mary, a docked ocean-liner that now serves as a permanent hotel and attraction. However, what many don’t know is that the ship offers a haunted house of its own, with 7 mazes featuring a wide array of horrifying  characters and scares. This one is also a bit of a drive, located down in the Long Beach area, but the scenery and unique approach of a haunted house on a ship makes the whole experience very worth it, ranking as another one our most anticipated. Tickets are available here, including VIP passes that allow access to all mazes, entry to the RIP lounge, and a mysterious “secret bar.”

Beware the Dark Realm: An award-winning haunted house located up in Santa Clarita, this free attraction is currently based in a residential home, offering one of the most intense and awe-inducing homemade haunts that California has to offer. Admittedly, we have not personally checked this one out yet, but have heard nothing but spectacular things about its impressive effects and scares. You can read more info here, including the nights it will be open.

Haunted Hayride at Griffith Park: Another highly anticipated yearly recurrence (now in its ninth iteration) is Griffith Park’s October offerings, this year with the theme of clowns. Tickets include access to the four different major scare zones, including Trick or Treat, House of Shadows, Haunted Hayride, and Purgatory. This is another Los Angeles favorite, utilizing Griffith Park’s Old Zoo, and including what (sadly) seems to be a rare commodity for the area: a corn maze. You can grab tickets here.

Honorable mentions include The Haunted Shack, The Haunt with No Name, and The House on Haunted Hill, all of which will have a lot to offer – just not until the end of the month.

Let us know what some of your favorite haunt experiences are in the comments below!