Face your darkest fears in Southern California’s scariest, most intense event – Universal Studios™ Halloween Horror Nights™. The movie studio that invented the horror genre brings to life all-new immersive worlds of living, breathing icons from the most twisted imaginations in film and television. Taking place on select nights through Nov. 3, this year's HHN invites you to discover the dark secrets lurking in the Upside Down world of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Plus, brace yourself for these other spine-chilling mazes: Poltergeist, Halloween 4, Universal Monsters, Trick 'r Treat, The First Purge, The Horrors of Blumhouse: Chapter Two, and AMC's The Walking Dead. The screams and thrills continue with Terror Tram: Hollywood Harry's Dreadtime Storiez, five new scare zones with horrors lurking around every dark corner, and an all-new Jabbawockeez live show.

Tickets are now on sale at the HHN website. Options include General Admission, Day/Night (including theme park entry), Frequent Fear Passes for multiple nights, and the R.I.P. Tour for groups up to 14.

Treat the imagination at Boo at the L.A. Zoo, taking place throughout October at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens. The spooky and safe family festivities offer Halloween adventures every day in October and special entertainment on weekends, including roaming costumed characters, pumpkin carving, a musical puppet show, crafts, and more. Costumes are encouraged!

Daily Adventures include the Spooky Stroll, Animals & You The L.A.I.R., and Boo Bird Show. Weekend Adventures (Saturday and Sunday) include Fearsome Feedings & Creature Treats, Swazzle's Monster Menagerie Puppet Show, "Spooktacular Science" Show, and Masterpiece Pumpkins. Don't miss trick-or-treating on Oct. 20-21 and 28-29, featuring treat stations throughout the zoo, with treats and bags courtesy of 99 Cents Only Stores. (Available while supplies last.) For a full schedule of animal feedings, visit the L.A. Zoo website. Boo at the L.A. Zoo is free with zoo admission.

This Halloween season, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood dares you to enter their iconic backlot for Horror Made Here, an incredible Halloween party where evil clowns, demon nuns, super villains, possessed dolls and the devil himself will come to life. Be prepared to face your deepest fears and see what nightmares await you from the twisted minds that brought you IT, The Conjuring, Freddy vs. Jason, The Exorcist, and from the DC Universe, Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Horror Made Here will run for 13 nights: Oct. 5-6, 12-14, 18-21 and 25-28. Tickets start at $59 per person and are now on sale at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood website. For a premium experience, join “The Losers’ Club” for the night to enjoy one-time front-of-line access to each maze with dedicated VIP security and entry lanes, two complimentary beverages, one free IT photo-op, and free priority parking. 

The area surrounding the "Old Zoo" and "B Rock" in Griffith Park has been called one of the most paranormally active sites in California, and is once again the site of the annual Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. Vicious clowns wait in the haunted woods, ready to unleash their bags of tricks on unsuspecting victims. The hayride will wander through unforgettable life-sized sets and cast of characters from the safety of the wagon. That is, until you disembark to experience the Corn Maze smack dab in the middle of the ride! Also featuring the House of Shadows dark maze, "Trick Or Treat" interactive neighborhood, and an Old World haunted village, Purgatory. Ticket options include Hayride Only, General Admission, VIP (front-of-line access), Group Rates, and a Private Wagon for up to 30 guests.

As Dark Harbor descends upon the haunted Queen Mary in 2018, a leader has emerged from the darkness to inflict her will upon her evil cohorts and those that dare enter the gates. The Ringmaster's corrupt control of more than 200 monsters has dragged six terrifying mazes further into the depths of decay. There are 23 nights of terror this year, from Sept. 27 – Nov. 2, for guests to brave new paths and secret rooms, nightly live entertainment, haunted bars and exciting rides. Tickets start at $20 and are now on sale at the Queen Mary website.

LA Opera's annual Halloween mash-up of opera and cinema returns to the spectacular Theatre at Ace Hotel with two rare screenings of filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer’s surreal 1932 masterwork, Vampyr. Championed by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Guillermo del Toro, the previously underestimated Vampyr is now regarded as an important landmark of the horror genre. Pioneering special effects, eerie visual poetry and off-kilter characters combine to weave a bizarre, dream-like narrative that will haunt audiences. Composer Joby Talbot creates a compelling new score for chamber orchestra and singers, performed live under the baton of Matthew Aucoin, to accompany this cinematic gem. The October 27 performance is followed by the Ace's annual Halloween party, The Fanged Fête. The Halloween Night performance is followed by LA Opera's costumed after-party. Admission to either party is included with purchase of a Vampyr ticket.

L.A.'s reigning Pumpkin King, Danny Elfman will return to the Hollywood Bowl for three nights to perform his role of Jack Skellington, singing live to film for a special screening of Disney's timeless holiday classic, Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas" for the film’s 25th anniversary. The immersive experience will include live scenery projections, live orchestra, spectacular guest artists, and an all-star cast. Elfman will be joined by other original cast members including Catherine O'Hara (Sally) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie). The Bowl will be transformed into Halloween Town with special pre-show activities including an audience participation costume contest, unique photo opportunities and trick-or-treating stations. Tim Burton-inspired costumes are encouraged.

Lucha VaVOOM is an action-packed scream-a-thon, featuring heroic Mexican masked wrestlers performing breathtaking acrobatic feats while battling evil luchadores. Lucha VaVOOM is inspired by the bizarre world of 1960s Mexican Lucha Cinema, where masked wrestling crime fighters save the world from evil brains, vampires, Martians and more, always with an obligatory stop at the local go-go club. Between wrestling matches, burlesque acts from around the world entertain the audience with raucous aerial acts, pogo-stick peelers, hula-hoopers and much more.

Lucha VaVOOM: Circo de Vampiros is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 24-25, at The Mayan in Downtown L.A. Featuring Cavernario, Flamita, David "Infinito" Arquette, Extreme Tiger, Karis, Neon Music, Veronica Yune, special performance by Bionic Viktoria Modesta, and more TBA. Tickets are $40 for General Admission, $55 for Ringside Seating, and $75 for Golden Circle & No Fly Zone. 21 and over with ID.

The 15th annual Mourning Tours take place at Heritage Square Museum on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, from noon to 4 p.m. each day. On Saturday, learn about how Edwardians grieved their dead, the movement of Spiritualism and the lure of séances , a re-creation of Phantasmagoria, and the dangers of turn-of-the-century beauty. Sunday is more family-friendly - children ages 2 to 12 can play period games, make 19th-century inspired crafts, choose a pumpkin for the pumpkin patch (while supplies last), and trick or treat at each of the Heritage Museum's buildings. Admission is $20 for Adults, $15 for Seniors, and $8 for children 6-12. Free for children under 6 and Museum Members.

Taking place Oct. 27-28 at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, the Marina Spooktacular offers Halloween fun for the whole family. Daytime activities are kid-friendly, but when night falls at this two-day festival the park evolves into a field of frights with tours of L.A.’s only haunted pirate ships, recommended for brave souls age 13 and up. All-day activities include a scavenger hunt graveyard, a blackout maze of terror, trick-or-treating, Dia de los Muertos celebrations, DJ music, food trucks, and more. Other highlights include costume contests and cultural dances. Admission to the Marina Spooktacular is free.

Happy Harbor Halloween welcomes the entire family to the Port of Los Angeles. Happy Harbor Halloween takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at two locations: in San Pedro, along the Promenade on Harbor Boulevard between 3rd and 4th Streets; and Wilmington Waterfront Park on West “C” Street.

Kick off the day with a Halloween-themed Pet Parade from 10-11 a.m. (Halloween costumes are admired but not required.) Then from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., enjoy Happy Harbor Halloween, a free, family-friendly event that features a costume parade, music, arts and crafts, face painting, games, and fun for kids of all ages.

On Saturday, Oct. 27 the annual Sea Scare is washing ashore at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro with lots of family-friendly thrills, chills and of course gills. Favorite attractions include the Trick-or-Treat Trail, Seaside Boardwalk, Sea Scare Party Zone and Skull Alley. Come in costume and join the masquerade of ghosts and goblins, it’s sure to be a frightfully good time for the whole family! Online tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The 23rd Annual Pumpkin Festival is taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 27-28, at the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena. The family-friendly event is hosted at Brookside Park, directly in front of the museum. The all-ages festival includes a petting zoo, pony rides, bouncers, carnival games and seasonal crafts. The kids can participate in a costume parade, make their own take-home fall crafts, enjoy face painting, and select pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. Parents will love the book and costume sale, and the tasty picnic treats. Entrance to the festival, parking and live performances are free. Tickets are available for purchase to enjoy activities and food.

First leased by Paramount Pictures in 1923, Paramount Ranch has been the filming location for generations of movie productions, from "The Last Outlaw" (1927), “Island of Lost Souls” (1932) and "The Adventures of Marco Polo" (1938) to "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957), "Spinout" (1966), "Reds" (1981), “Van Helsing” (2004) and "The Lake House" (2006). The Western Town built in the 1950s has appeared in numerous TV shows, from "The Cisco Kid," "Gunsmoke" and "The Rifleman" to more recent series like HBO’s "Westworld," "The X-Files," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "The Mentalist."

Today, Paramount Ranch is managed by the National Park Service, which will host a special Halloween event, Scare-amount Ranch on Saturday, Oct. 27. Taking place from 6-9:30 p.m., the family-friendly event will combine elements of film history and nature. Kids activities will include making fake movie blood and nocturnal-animal-themed crafts. Groups can choose from two self-guided hikes into the backlot woods - one will be family-friendly, the other for those looking for a little scare. Other activities include a screening of the 1940 classic Dr. Cyclops, which was filmed at Paramount Ranch; selfies in the jailhouse, costume contest, face painting, a spider zoo, and ranger stations throughout the grounds. Admission and parking for Scare-amount Ranch are free. Flashlights and a jacket are recommended.

The annual Scarium of the Pacific is a spooktacular, educational Halloween event for the whole family. Special Halloween programs include the annual children’s costume contest, creepy coloring contest, magic shows, underwater pumpkin carving, spooky storytelling, kooky crafts, and the eerie animals of the Great Hall. Scarium of the Pacific takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27-28. Admission is free with General Admission, and free to aquarium members. Members' guests receive 20% off admission. Admission is free for kids in costume!

Children and their families living in Downtown Los Angeles are invited to the 11th Annual Halloween Festival, taking place from 5-8 p.m. in Grand Hope Park at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). Enjoy face painters, bounce houses, arts and crafts tables, puppet shows, trick-or-treat doors, and more. This year, the kids will get to meet pirates, superheroes and fairies! Costumes are requested for children and optional for adults. Remember to bring a bucket or bag for candy. (Sorry, no pets are allowed.) Pre-sale tickets are $8 and $10 at the door. Tickets include all activities and snacks.