Halloween Chills & Thrills
by Milan Riley
It’s the time of the year that everyone looks forward to: Halloween! Whether you’re looking for a quick scare or something to satisfy your sweet tooth, here are some of the spookiest places around to visit with your friends.
1) Magic Mountain Fright Fest
Magic Mountain’s annual Fright Fest started in 1986 and quickly became a fan favorite for adrenaline chasers. With creatures waiting around every corner, good luck avoiding a jumpscare on your way to Magic Mountain’s famous rollercoasters!
In case you need a break, there’s also restaurants and souvenir shops scattered around the park. Due to the extreme spookiness levels, however, anyone under 15 needs a chaperone 21 or older past 4 p.m.
More info: https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/fright-fest-2024
2) Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights
Similar to Fright Fest, Universal Studios hosts their classic annual Halloween event, this year featuring haunted houses inspired by A Quiet Place, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and Insidious: The Further, as well as the famous Terror Tram. If you’re up for a good scare but prefer calmer rides, Universal Studios is the place for you.
More info: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hhn/en/us
3) Knott’s Scary Farm
Some would argue this is the scariest out of the three amusement park options. Like Universal Studios, Knott’s Scary Farm is known for their haunted houses. The most popular one is “10 Chilling Chambers,” a maze of horrors that has reappeared annually since 1977. Enter if you dare, and if you’re planning on going, I’d recommend bringing some buddies for support!
More info: https://www.knotts.com/events/scary-farm
4) Heartstoppers Haunted House in Rancho Cordova
While this Central California attraction may be less known than the above three, it’s definitely more than capable of giving you goosebumps. Heartstoppers takes place in an old mine shaft converted into the scariest place in town, with ghouls and zombies stalking the halls and underground tunnels, and consists of four scare zones: Blightwoods, Misery Mine, DeadZone, and The Ward: Operation Crossbreed. Thankfully, after a horror-filled experience, carnival games, live performances, and character photo ops await outside to calm the nerves. Worth the drive!
More info: https://heartstoppershaunt.com/things/new-2024
5) Winchester Mystery House in San Jose
No round-up of spooky sites in the Golden State is complete without this classic in San Jose: the most realistic haunted house yet. Set in a 160-room mansion, the background story alone makes people steer clear. The story goes that an eccentric heiress built the mansion to ward off ghosts, but judging from its current status as a genuine haunted house, that clearly failed. If you dare to finish what the heiress started, just make sure not to get lost or you may wind up haunting the place yourself! Always worth a visit, but even more so when they turn down the lights and turn up the chills as the mansion turns into the immersive Unhinged Hotel: “Check in, but never check out!”
More info: https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
