No one does Halloween like the Golden State! Fall is a fantastic time to visit California, it’s not quite as hot, the crowds are smaller and for fans of Halloween, there’s a spooky experience around every corner.

From the Bay Area’s Fear Overload Scream Park (voted one of the scariest experiences in America) to LA’s West Hollywood Costume Carnaval and good old-fashioned fun at Knott’s “Scary” Farm, California knows how to party at Halloween. Here’s a round-up of California's favourite must-see Halloween and fall experiences that are worth the trip.

If you’d like to learn more about a specific activity or there’s an area of interest, Visit California can connect you with experts from that region and suggest some amazing Halloween and fall itineraries. Click here for more Halloween fun. 

SoCal:

• The Haunted Hayride is a timeless go-to, transporting you to spooky themed mazes and horrifying haunted houses
• Since its first iteration in 1987, the West Hollywood Costume Carnaval has grown into the biggest street party in LA
• Sports fan? This year’s event on the historic Queen Mary ship is Shaqtober Fest – hosted by none other than NBA legend Shaquille O’Neil 
• Family-fun is a guarantee this Halloween at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights or Knott’s Scary Farm
• While you’re there: check out the many Oktoberfest events, or go apple picking in Oak Glen

San Diego:

• Walk the mile long Haunted Trail at historic Balboa Park where you never know what’s around the corner 
• Not for the faint of heart, the Scream Zone at the Del Mar Fairgrounds lives up to its name
• Known as the most haunted home in America, a tour of the Whaley House always offers a scare, but especially at Halloween
• While you’re there: celebrate San Diego Beer Week at the participating pubs, breweries and restaurants and stick around after Halloween to honour Dia de los Muertos

The Bay Area:

• A tour of the historic Winchester Mystery House, with its unique floor plan believed by some to have been designed to confuse spirits in the endless corridors, is especially unnerving this time of year
• If you’re really looking for a fright, Fear Overload Scream Park has been voted one of the scariest attractions in North America 
• While you’re there: view the fall foliage in the Japanese Tea Garden, or enjoy some fresh Dungeness Crab at Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.

Napa Valley:

• Enter a different era with the Spirits of St. Helena Cemetery Tour and finish off the night at the Buena Vista Winery Masquerade Ball
• While you’re there: take a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train to enjoy the scenery and some vino 

Off the Beaten Path:

• For a more unique experience, head to the Calico Ghost Town, a mostly abandoned town that hosts pumpkin carving, carnival games, nightly ghost hunts and adrenaline-pumping haunted houses each October
• Bodie State Historic Park is an abandoned mining town perfect for self-guided ghost hunting
• While you’re there: Visit the Rainbow Basin Natural Area near Calico and finish the day at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner for dinner.  If you head to Bodie, check out the Travertine Hot Spring