2013 Haunted House Itinerary: Torrance

Looking for scares in the South Bay Area? Check out Revenge of the Ninja, The Haunted Shack, and Spydrhill Cemetary.

[NOTE: Halloween Haunt Itineraries are self-guided tours of haunted attractions that are conveniently located in one area. With a map or a GPS, you can easily hit all of them in one night and save gasoline in the process.]

Los Angeles is a big city, which presents a dillema for haunt-chasers: is the yard haunt you want to see really worth a thirty-mile drive in heavy traffic? Perhaps not, but if you can kill three vampire bats with one stake, then the journey may be worthwhile after all. The City of Torrance is a perfect example: it’s a bit distant for anyone living in the heart of L.A., but what are a few miles when you can see three Halloween haunts? Follow this itinerary, and you are guaranteed to get bagful of scary Halloween treats.

A. The Haunted Shack at 5112 Maricopa Street, Torrance, CA 90503. This great little walk-through home haunt is full of surprises and scares. Usually, it is open only on Halloween Night, so the crowds can be thick, but this Halloween, the Haunted Shack will be terrifying the neighborhood on both Saturday, October 26 and Thursday, October 31.  Hours are 7pm to 10pm both nights. Free.

B. Revenge of the Ninja Maze and Bock Party at 18727 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance CA 90504. The Way of the Shadow Martial Arts Academy’s annual Halloween maze is not, strictly speaking, a home haunt, but it is neighborhood event that charges only a donation to refurbish the maze for next year. The ghost lurking inside (ninja ambushed and dishonorably killed centuries ago) unique among Halloween haunts in Los Angeles, and there are some startling effects. The maze runs on October 26, 27 & 31. On Halloween Night only, the maze is joined by a block party, featuring food, fun, and games. Maze hours are 7pm to 10pm; block party runs 6pm to 9pm.

C. Spydrhill Cemetery at 1522 w 222nd Street, Torrance, California 90501 (pictured at top). We have never seen this yard haunt in person, but the photographs look great, suggesting an old, abandoned graveyard wrapped i spider webs. Halloween 2013 is being billed as its final year of haunting, so we wouldn’t miss it. Spydrhill Cemetary runs on Halloween Night only, probably from 6:30pm until 10pm (possibly later, if trick-or-treaters continue to arrive). Free, dub accepts donations to defray costs.

We have arranged this itinerary so that the route is less than eight miles, taking approximately 16 minutes of drive-time. However, October 31 is the only evening on which you can see all three haunts, and on that night you might want to hit Revenge of the Ninja last, so that you can linger at the block party after going through the maze. This will add a couple miles to the trip and lengthen the drive time a few minutes.

Hollywood Gothique would like to take a moment to sadly note the passing of the Realm of Terror, which haunted Torrance for eight years before calling it quits in 2009. Though we never got to see it, we are sure it would have made a nice addition to this itinerary.

Get directions on Mapquest.

Click here to find more Halloween Haunts in Los Angeles.