2014 Halloween Haunt Itinerary: Tarzana and Woodland Hills
Tarzana and Woodland Hills offer happy haunting every Halloween, but this year a trip is mandatory.
Woodland Hills and Tarzana – the names sound innocuous enough. However, these two quiet towns unleash a horde of horrors every October, yielding one of the densest areas of Halloween haunting in Los Angeles. Avid haunt-goers are strongly advised to take advantage.
For 2013, Hollywood Gothique recommended a tour including three home haunts, with an optional detour to the FrightFair ScreamPark. For 2014, we are adding another yard haunt, which is returning from hiatus. Also, since this will be FrightFair’s final season in Woodland Hills, we think it best that you set aside a separate date to enjoy that professional haunted house attraction one last time.
A. The Haunt with No Name Yet at 19351 Hatteras Street in Tarzana
Capturing some of the ambiance of the late, lamented Hallowed Haunting Grounds, this yard haunt is low-key, relying on lighting, decor, and a handful of special effects to create a spectral mood. The proprietors’ specialty is elaborately carved Jack O’Lanterns, which usually are not fully ready until Halloween night.
The Haunt with No Name will be open on October 29, 30, 31, and November 1. Hours are 6-10pm on the Wednesday and Thursday; dusk till 11pm on Friday (Halloween Night); and 6-11pm on Saturday.
Click here for the official website.
B. The House at Haunted Hill at 4400 Saltillo Street in Woodland Hills
The most incredibly elaborate home haunt in Los Angeles features spectacular lighting and effects, timed to a narrative depicted through music, sound effects, narration, and projections of ghostly characters who died long ago. The show runs approximately fifteen minutes, so you really have to time your visit accordingly; you cannot just breeze through for a quick glance.
The House at Haunted Hill runs on October 30, 31, and November 1 and 2. Hours are 7-10pm on Thursday; 7pm-midnight on Friday and Saturday; and 6-9pm on Sunday.
The official website is here.
C. The Forest of Mirrors at 6124 Lederer Ave in Woodland Hills
This unique back yard haunt features an amazing illusion, consisting of mirrors placed at strategic angles to suggest a garden of forking paths extending far beyond the actual boundaries of the property. Distracted by arched passageways that lead to nowhere, you will not notice the leafy monsters lurking among the dense foliage – well, you will notice them, but by then it will be too late! You don’t want to miss this one!
The Forest of Mirrors is traditionally open on Halloween Night only, from 6:30pm until 10pm. However, we have not been able to confirm that it will be in operation this year; we will update this post as soon as we hear from the proprietor. Update: We still have not heard from the owner of the Forest of Mirrors, but a second-hand source tells us that he does plan to haunt this Halloween.
You can check the official website for this year’s hours of operation, if any.
D. Fallen Angel Cemetery at 23830 Berdon Street in Woodland Hills
Having gone on hiatus in 2013, Fallen Angel Cemetery returns for 2014. This amateur yard haunt takes a classic approach to Halloween – spooky, not gory. The front yard is decorated with skeletons, tombstones, and bodies, while light and sound effects create the illusion of lightening, thunder, wind, and rain. A hearse parked at the curb has the Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney version) in the driver’s seat and a “passenger” in back. The result is good fun for neighborhood families and a worthy stop on this itinerary.
Fallen Angel Cemetery is open from dusk till 10 pm, October 24 through 31.
FrightFair Scream Park at 20800 Victory Boulevard in Woodland Hills
This mini Halloween theme park features hayrides and merry-go-rounds for children, and fear-filled mazes for adults. The Factory of Nightmares Haunted House – one of our favorites – has reportedly been upgraded and improved for its final appearance on the campus of Pierce College. Also worth checking out are the Creatures of the Corn trail and Insane Reaction – a literal maze, peopled by monsters taunting your while you search for a way out.
FrightFair’s remaining dates are on October 10-12, 15-19, 21-26, 28-31, and November 1 and 2. The kid-friendly stuff is open all day. The night-time frights begin at dusk and run till 10pm on weekdays, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Get information about ticket prices, etc., at the official website.
Travel Notes
October 31 is the only night when all five haunts would be open. However, it’s probably a good idea to hit FrightFair early in the season and save the four yard haunts for Halloween Night.
You can view the complete itinerary (with FrightFair inserted as the second stop, designated with a letter “B”) at Mapquest.
The yard-haunt-only itinerary covers nearly 11 miles, requiring approximately 22 minutes of drive time. With FrightFair included, the trip would be 12 miles, taking 30 minutes. The shorter tour is displayed in the map below.
Note: If you have made it all the way out to Woodland Hills, why not continue to Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley? Here is what you will see.
Click here to find more Halloween Haunts in Los Angeles.