Seasonal guide · Los Angeles

Halloween with kids in LA, 2026

October fills up fast. These are the Halloween outings around Los Angeles worth planning a weekend around, from toddler-friendly trick-or-treat trails to after-dark pumpkin walks for older kids. Most need tickets in advance, and the best evening slots go first.

Checked with organizersSeptember 23, 2026

Free

No tickets, no budget math.

Downtown LA

Downtown Día de los Muertos at Grand Park

Not Halloween exactly, but the best free cultural outing of the season: altars by artists and community groups throughout the park, plus face painting, lantern-making, and sugar-skull workshops at the celebrations.

When: Altars on view Oct 25 – Nov 2, 8am–9pm. Opening and closing celebrations with family workshops; confirm their dates on the park's page.
Cost: Free
Ages: All ages

Details from the organizer

Toddlers and preschoolers

Early, short, and built for small legs.

Pasadena

Halloween at Kidspace Children's Museum

The lowest-effort Halloween outing for little kids: indoor and outdoor play, daily costume parades, and free face painting and balloon twisting at the Oct 30 party. No extra ticket to juggle.

When: Through Oct 31, museum hours. LEGO Monster Build Oct 3–4. Halloween Party Fri Oct 30, 10:30am–2pm.
Cost: Included with museum admission
Ages: Young kids

Details from the organizer

Arcadia

Trick-or-Treat in the Garden at the LA Arboretum

A trick-or-treat trail with a point: nature-based treats instead of candy, and educators showing off snakes, spiders, and hissing cockroaches along the way. Bring a flashlight; it's required.

When: Fri Oct 23, 4–8pm. Timed trail entry every 30 minutes, 4–7pm.
Cost: Pre-registration required for every adult and child; prices on the Arboretum's site
Ages: Families with young kids · strollers welcome

Details from the organizer

Downtown LA · Grand Hope Park

DTLA Halloween Festival for Kids

Halloween night itself, built for small kids: trick-or-treating at real doors, character meet-and-greets, puppet and magic shows, and dinner handled.

When: Sat Oct 31, 5–8pm
Cost: Ticketed, all-inclusive with a hot dog meal · under 3 free · prices on the organizer's site
Ages: Ages 2–8

Details from the organizer

All ages, daytime

Costumes on, back home for naps or dinner.

Griffith Park

Boo at the L.A. Zoo

Two weekends only. Trick-or-treat stations, pumpkin treats for the animals, an inflatable corn maze, and costumed characters in the Children's Zoo, all on a regular Zoo ticket.

When: Sat–Sun Oct 24–25 and Oct 31 – Nov 1. Trick-or-treat stations 10am–3pm.
Cost: Free with Zoo admission or membership
Ages: All ages

Details from the organizer

Culver City

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

The Westside's pumpkin patch. Opening day and weekday mornings are the cheapest and calmest; peak October weekends cost the most.

When: Oct 2–31. Hours vary by date; check the calendar before you go.
Cost: $10–$25 depending on date · ages 3+ pay · activities extra
Ages: All ages · under 3 free

Details from the organizer

Moorpark

Underwood Family Farms Fall Harvest Festival

The full-day farm version of fall: wagon rides, a corn maze, the pumpkin patch, and an animal center. Worth the drive from the Valley or the Westside, and a weekday visit costs about half a weekend one.

When: Sep 26 – Oct 31, 9am–6pm. All About Pumpkins weekend Oct 24–25; Halloween Day Oct 31.
Cost: Weekdays $16 at the gate · weekends $25–$38 online only · under 2 and parking free · many rides extra
Ages: All ages

Details from the organizer

After dark, better for older kids

Glowing pumpkins and a later bedtime.

La Cañada Flintridge

Carved at Descanso Gardens

A walk through the gardens lined with carved and lit pumpkin installations. Book early: the flexible anytime tickets have already sold out.

When: Oct 2 – Nov 1, evenings
Cost: Timed tickets, bought in advance, non-refundable · prices on the Gardens' site
Ages: All ages · late night

Details from the organizer

Calabasas · King Gillette Ranch

Night of the Jack

Thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns along a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, with a new family carnival this year. The closest big pumpkin walk for the West Valley and Conejo Valley.

When: Select nights Sep 25 – Nov 1. Grounds 5:30–10pm; trail 6–9:15pm.
Cost: Advance timed tickets required · carnival is a separate ticket · prices on the organizer's site
Ages: All ages

Details from the organizer

Long Beach

Scarium Family Night at the Aquarium of the Pacific

After-hours trick-or-treating through the Aquarium, with a scavenger hunt and touch pools. No full-face masks, toy weapons, or flashlights.

When: Fri Oct 23, 6:30–9pm
Cost: $30.95 · members $20.95 · under 3 free · advance tickets
Ages: All ages

Details from the organizer

Dates, prices, and hours come from each organizer's own page and can change. Check before you go.

Every Friday through October

Get each Halloween weekend’s best picks.

Join the Friday morning list ↗