Halloween Happenings In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – As Halloween creeps closer you might begin to feel a tingle roll down your spine.  But the chill you feel is not the salty ocean air. If you feel you’re not alone in your empty hotel room… you’re probably not. Darkness falls over sunny Southern California every October, and the skeletons of unexplained disappearances, unsolved murders and untimely deaths can’t be kept in the closet. If you begin to see things you can’t explain, or hear things you don’t understand, you’re just in time to experience Halloween in Los Angeles. Popular LA area attractions announce Halloween holiday celebrations to draw and delight visitors this fall. LA is the entertainment capital of the world, and Halloween 2009 will see a host of spectacular events at local theme parks, museums and cemeteries. Curbside street fairs and festivals will present eclectic performances and cultural celebrations, while city tours blend history and haunts. A list of exciting events follows. Visit www.discoverLosAngeles.com for updates and information.

Events & Attractions

“Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood℠ (Hollywood) – “Halloween Horror Nights,” Southern California’s most terrifying Halloween event, begins a 16-night run Oct. 2. Universal Studios Hollywood has added four new maze experiences, four new “scare zones,” a new “Terror Tram” backlot experience, “Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute” and a new “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure” production to its “Halloween Horror Nights” for 2009. “Saw: Game Over,” a “live” maze experience based on the “Saw” film franchise, and an interactive maze, “Halloween: The Life and Crimes of Michael Myers,” are among the exciting new attractions at “Halloween Horror Nights” this season. “Halloween Horror Nights” will continue on consecutive weekends and selected weekday nights from Oct. 2 through Halloween, Oct. 31. Tickets are on sale now at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com; event dates are:  Oct. 2-3, 9-11, 15-18, 23-25, 28-31. The event will begin nightly at 7 p.m.; closing hours will vary. www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

Scarium of the Pacific at the Aquarium of the Pacific (Coastal) -- Discover creatures lurking in the depths of the Pacific Ocean at the Scarium of the Pacific. This spooktacular educational Halloween event for the whole family features a children’s costume contest, creepy coloring competition, magic shows, spooky storytelling, kooky crafts, eerie animals and much more. Oct. 24 and 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; special programs are free with general admission or aquarium membership. www.aquariumofpacific.org

“Boo at the Zoo” at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Downtown) – The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, located in Griffith Park, transforms into themed areas and welcomes trick-or-treaters to the annual “Boo at the Zoo” Halloween event.  “Boo at the Zoo” offers pumpkin carving, treats, crafts, music and performances. Zoo animals stomp and chomp pumpkin treats at this family-friendly event Oct. 24, 25 and 31 and Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.lazoo.org

Drama After Dark: A Night of the Macabre with Poe and Gorey at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (San Gabriel Valley) –Thrilling works by Edgar Allan Poe and Edward Gorey will be enacted throughout the moonlit gardens at the Huntington Library Oct. 24, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The audience will be given maps to select and view six of 10 performances during the evening. The night’s chilling theatrics will be presented by the actors of the Guild of St. George. The haunting works to be enacted include "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Gashlycrumb Tinies." These stories are not for the faint of heart, and guests must be age 10 or older to be admitted. Admission is $35. www.huntington.org

Sixth Annual Haunted Museum at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (Downtown) – The circus is coming to the Natural History Museum for the spookiest show on Earth. The haunted circus will feature fire eaters, jugglers and stilt walkers on a ghostly mission to find their mysteriously absent cast member, Human Cannonball Billy "Ballistic" Jones. Billy has recently been spotted throughout the museum's research and collections desperately seeking a way to fly back home. Search for Billy in the Haunted Museum Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. www.nhm.org

Fairs, Festivals & Tours

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnival (Westside) – The West Hollywood Halloween Carnival is a fantastic evening of outrageous costumes and top-notch entertainment. The glamorous street festival celebrates its 21st anniversary in 2009 and expects record crowds with more than a half million people anticipated! The Carnival is the Los Angeles area's second largest event, second only to the Tournament of Roses New Year’s Day Parade, and marks the finale of Halloween celebrations in West Hollywood. A week of free events including a youth carnival, a pet costume contest, “Drag Races” featuring competitive relay races for people dressed in drag and stiletto heels, pumpkin carving contests and more will lead up to the Halloween Carnival. The Carnival takes place Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to midnight between La Cienega Boulevard and La Peer Drive on Santa Monica Boulevard, “Route 66” in West Hollywood. www.weho.org/halloween

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