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Halloween Odyssey 2020: The Verdugos

The Verdugos occupies a sort of no-man’s land in the mind’s of many Angelenos, who don’t distinguish it as one of the sixteen designated regions making up Los Angeles; consequently, Halloween Home Haunts in the region often get lumped in with those in either the San Fernando Valley or San Gabriel Valley, even though the Verdugos is not a valley.

In any case, Hollywood Gothique has been slow to report on yard haunts in this region, because not many have been open. Here, then, are the handful we have visited this season, along with notes on others that will be open on Halloween Night.

Verdugos Home Haunts 2020: Glendale

Catastrophe Cabin
1541 Garden St, Glendale, CA 91201
October 24 – November 1, 7-9:30pm

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With a strange assortment of creatures and ghouls, the witches of Catastrophe Cabin conjured up a similar display to last year’s. With the two pathways up and down once again, you can explore the various props and monsters that roam the area. The difference so far is that not everything seems turned on, and there are no live actors interacting with visitors. However, ourvisit was in mid-October; if you’re lucky, the witches may make a return appearance on Halloween Night. – Warren So


Covid Volley Ball
Andenes Drive, Glendale
(across from Rise of the Dead)
Nightly in October

Verdugos home haunts
Skeletons playfully toss a Covid volleyball back and forth.

This anonymous effort is less a yard haunt than a porch haunt, with glowing, green Covid-19 virus swinging back and forth between two skeletons as if they are playing volleyball with it. Too soon? While it may seem tasteless, it is funny. It is also conveniently close to the next haunt on our list, making the trip to Andenes Drive worthwhile.


Rise of the Dead
1400 Andenes Drive, Glendale
October 30-31, 7:30-9:45pm

1400 Halloween Display 2019
Last Halloween’s display

Known last year as the “1400 Halloween Display,” Rise of the Dead was scheduled to be open most of October. Unfortunately, there was nothing but a skull on the lawn the two times Hollywood Gothique drove by, which is why we are running a photo from last Halloween. We understand the haunt is now open and will be running on Friday and Saturday, Halloween Night and the day before.


Also in Glendale (maybe)

Nightmare on Whiting Woods
413 Whiting Woods, Glendale, 91028
Halloween Night, 6-11pm

Nightmare on Whiting Woods has put its wonderful walk-through home haunt on hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the proprietor informs us that they may offer a “very minimal drive by” yard display instead.

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Verdugos Home Haunts 2020: Pasadena & Altadena

Ghostwood Manor
2001 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
October 10-31, 6-10pm

 

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This was a nice eerie display that featured a pumpkin tree, a few grave markers with pop culture references, and our favorite: a bat cage.  How did we know it was a bat cage?  Well for one the non-stop bat screeching noise and then the eyes that light up.  We definitely haven’t seen that before. – Warren So


Forgotten Hallows & Garden Path of Doom
1602 N. Roosevelt Avenue, Pasadena
October 23-24, 30-31 – 7-10pm

Forgotten Hollows 2018 yard
Forgotten Hallows 2019

This subtle, spooky home haunt returns for another season of trick-or-treating. It is conveniently close to the next haunt listed below, Midwick Manor. Along the way, if you drive north on Pepper Drive, you will pass through a neighborhood with several decorated yard haunts, the biggest of which is Garden Paths of Doom at 1903 Pepper Drive in Altadena.


Midwick Manor
1688 Midwick Drive, Altadena, CA 91001
October 1-31, 7-10pm

Midwick Manor Review
Midwick Manor

This neighborhood-friendly yard display would be a good destination for trick-or-treaters on Halloween Night. It is one of those nice, little surprises if you are just walking by or if you are in the region visiting other home haunts, especially if you’re into pumpkins and skeletons. – Warren So

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Also in the Verdugos

999 Happy Haunts (yard display)
3552 Prospect Avenue La Crescenta
Nightly until October 31 – 7:30-10pm, till 11pm on weekends

This is a family-friendly Halloween yard display, loaded with gravestones, Jack O’Lanterns, and inflatable figures.

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The Haunted Dome (yard display)
11057 Oro Vista Avenue, Sunland
October 31, 2020, 6:30-9pm

For Halloween 2019, the Haunted Dome offered live actors in a short but intense mini-maze set up in the front yard, which included famous movie monsters such as Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhees, and Pennywise. This year they have moved from Panorama City to Sunland, where they will present a yard display.

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Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.