Halloween 2020 Yard Haunts: Inland Empire

Hollywood Gothique made the trek out to the Inland Empire, which seems to be home to an ever-expanding community of haunters, located in such cities as Corona, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and Riverside.

These places may be less geographically appealing to Los Angeles haunt-seekers, but we like to be where the action is so we can bring you the news that will hopefully factor into your decision to break quarantine and make the long trek out to some lesser known but still worthwhile Halloween Home Haunts.

Note: We have grouped the haunts by city, but for those planning their own Halloween Home Haunt Odyssey, keep in mind that Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and Fontana are in almost a direct line heading east via the 10 Freeway; travel time between them is approximately forty minutes. Corona, Riverside, and Moreno Valley are farther south, accessible via the 91 and the 60, about forty-five minutes apart.

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Corona

Pirates Of Cindy Court
1788 Cindy Ct, Corona, CA 92882
October 30-31, 6pm to midnight

A first for us, Pirates of Cindy Court is essentially an excerpt from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. From the talking pirate skull, to the treasures, to even the Hans Zimmer record on repeat. We thoroughly enjoyed this yard display and spent a good amount of time trying to catalogue everything from every angle. As the first stop on our Inland Empire Halloween Home Haunt Odyssey, it definitely made the visit out here worthwhile. They even made a little wooden bridge that you can step on. Just be sure to watch your step – you wouldn’t want to fall in their man made water with all them dead pirates.

---

Corona Lights
1149 Carter Lane, Corona, CA 92881
Nightly Until October 31, 7-9:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/coronalights.us/

One of our favorite holiday light show houses, Corona Lights plays an assortment of Halloween and pop and classic songs. The LED lights of course are programmed and synced to the music, and there’s a mini-jumbo tron displaying additional graphics on top of the garage side of the house. Furthermore, they have Halloween decorations. We also recommend coming back for their Holiday light show during Christmastime!  

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Fontana

Groveway Graveyard
7622 Grove Way, Fontana, CA 92336
October 30 & 31, 7-10pm
facebook.com/GroveWayGraveyard

Another first we can add to the list for an “asterisk” season, we got really lucky with Groveway Graveyard. The proprietors were kind enough to stay open late for us after a tour of almost ten places in three hours had us arriving after hours. We also were really lucky in that we may have been the last ones to see Groveway Graveyard before it disappeared. The winds that have damaged to many haunts destroyed the graveyard a couple of days after our visit. But when it was around for about seventy-two hours, it offered a nice little spooky cemetery display with a hand-built gate and “keep out” signage! Having to reduce their display because of 2020’s restrictions, they were still able to grind out a jam-packed graveyard set with plenty of eye candy and stimulation. There was even a mini-scavenger hunt going on with three unicorns and a Batman. The owners were also doing an outdoor movie night when we arrived, so if you were lucky to drop-in, you might’ve been able to watch a free film while enjoying the haunt. They will be back next season and bigger; they shared their plans for a haunt that we simply can’t wait to see.

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Ontario

Greenewitch Cemetery
420 Plaza Serena, Ontario, CA 91764
October 30 & 31,  7-10pm

Greenewitch Cemetery features an impressive pumpkin and Jack O’ Lantern arch on top of the gates of the cemetery.  The cemetery features a pumpkin master figure, pumpkin scarecrow, a witch with her cauldron and tons of gravemarker eye candy.  The one thing that stood out, and it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, is the moon with a digital projection that changes.  You may catch an owl, a cat, some bats, or even a witch!  Though it’s not located on the cemetery set, it can be found at the obvious place where a moon typically is.  See if you can spot it!

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Rancho Cucamonga

Hellsir 666
10522 Lemon Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
October 30 & 31, 6pm to midnight
instagram.com/hellsir666

Having seen their work only at Midsummer Scream, we were able to finally make the trip east to experience their actual haunt. They decided to do a Purge this year…well, because this year needed a cleansing, so it makes perfect sense. The quality of the props and sets are superb – we felt like we were in the movie. The yard display looked like an actual set, with mannequins dressed as a few popular figures from the franchise. If only this wasn’t the year with a pandemic, we could’ve probably stepped inside the barricades labeled “NFA” (a nice touch), snapped a selfie, and told the world that we were on the set of the next Purge movie.

---

Samhain’s Lot
6351 Semillon Pl, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
October 30 & 31, 6-10pm 

Another first for us, Samhain’s Lot is the ultimate yard haunt that pays homage to yard haunts. Let us explain. Any avid haunt-goer may think that parts of the display look familiar. That’s because they are. The proprietor gave us the 411 of select pieces from his haunt: visitors can expect to see stuff from Hull House, The Farm, and even Rotten Apple 907, to name a few. Staying true to the theme of “Samhain’s Lot,” the proprietor wanted to include every aspect of what we know as Halloween, from the kiddy stuff to the spooky and more serious elements. What was most impressive, however, was the set from one of the opening scenes of The Walking Dead season 1. Ever seen the famous “Don’t Open Dead Inside” doors from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood? Well, this guy’s got ‘em at his Home Haunt, with zombie hands reaching and with motion effects as well! Last but not least, you can’t have a haunt that pays tribute to Halloween without none other than Mr. “Halloween” himself. See if you can find Mr. Myers somewhere. Definitely worth a trip, no matter what age group you fall into.

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Riverside

Bellamy Place Light Shows: Nightmare Before Christmas
5089 Bellamy Pl, Riverside, CA 92503
Nightly until October 31, 6:30-10pm
facebook.com/Bellamy-Place-Light-shows-310422768984356/

Our first time at this yard display, which (we learned from the owner that night) has been at it for 18 years! The Bellamy Place Light Show is the ultimate tribute to Tim Burton’s The Nighmare Before Christmas. Here you’ll find Jack Skellington, Halloweentown, and Oogie Boogie to name a few. There are a few different songs that cycle as well, so make sure you plan to stay and catch them all. There’s also a skeleton inside of an orange pick-up truck for a photo-op!

---

Reichland Asylum: Crawford Gardens
3980 Bandini Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
Nightly until November 1, 7-10pm
facebook.com/ReichlandAsylum

Our first time at Reichland Asylum, other than the experiences from Midsummer Scream. The thing about pandemic is that it has allowed us to venture to haunts that we don’t usually see because of time and scheduling conflicts: with fewer pro-haunts to conflict, scheduling home haunts is much easier. Reichland Asylum propped up their signature asylum facade seen at MSS. Though no walk-through is available this year, they are still treating patients! You will get to see the Doctor should you choose to wait in line.  No one, I repeat, no one will be turned down!

---

Pirates of Magnolia
Chapman Pl & Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
October 30 & 31, 7-9pm
instagram.com/piratesofmagnolia

Since Pirates of Magnolia was featured on the mainstream news, the crowds have been non-stop. Each window of the corner house is fixed with fluttery drapes and lighting to create the illusion that the house is on fire; of course, the thick fog adds to the illusion as well. Dead pirates and skeletons surround the house, and there is a pirate ship emerging from the front lawn. Be advised: it can get so crowded that there could be a logjam to view this haunt.

---

3595 Larchwood Place, Riverside, CA 92506
Nightly Until 31st, Dusk – 10pm

This anonymous yard display could be a nice add-on if you are journeying out to Riverside for home haunts. It offers a fun neighborhood display with a werewolf ready to jump out from underneath the garden arches.

---

5172 Glenhaven Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506
Nightly Until 31st, Dusk – 10 PM

Very noticeable at the end of a “T” intersection, this yard display features grave markers and tombstones all along the front property line. If you make your way up the driveway, you will see a bodiless ghost with a floating head threatening to hunt you down. Go up a little further, and you will encounter a pirate skeleton and a neatly decorated graveyard set.  

---

Ghostly Gourd Howlenshire
5343 Glenhaven Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
October 30 & 31, 6-10pm

Down the street from the aforementioned yard display, this is what we call a two-fer.  With an eclectic mix of gourds on display, these pumpkins were fun to look at.  The colors used to light the display made it feel magical and happy.  

---

2099 Elsinore Road, Riverside, CA 92506

We discovered this one as we were “getting lost.” No, we really just took a wrong turn and quickly noticed a haunt display with our trained eyes. It consists of two giraffes and one rider, all masked to prevent Coronavirus infection. We thought that this was an entertaining and funny way of making a statement. We definitely recommend hitting this one plus the other two above. All are less than  one-eight mile apart.

---

Xtreme Light Wizards
8381 Deercreek Dr, Riverside, CA 92508
October 30 & 31, 6:45-midnight
facebook.com/XtremeLightWizards/

Formerly known as the “Riverside Halloween House” or the “Halloween Light Show House,” this light show is back again with thousands of LEDs to stimulate your eyes. This was actually our first home light show experience a few years back in 2016, so we were happy to visit again. We stayed for a couple of songs, which were not Halloween-themed during our visit. The music and the lights of course are synced, and there is also a screen to show the music video of the song playing. There are some decorations on the house itself as well. Parking is available across the street at the park.

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Moreno Valley

Maze Of Mayhem
21605 Alcorn Drive, Moreno Valley, CA 92557
October 30 & 31, Dusk – 10pm

Though we arrived about fifty minutes before the closing time, the Maze of Mayhem was pretty dark.  But hey, you never know – the lighting level could be dark on purpose since it is a Halloween yard display. While it wasn’t a “maze” as the name states, we were able to walk on to the driveway past the prop pillars. As you near the garage, you’ll see a building facade with an open doorway where a girl on a swing resembles Sadako from Ring. What was especially creepy was that she looked absolutely real as we were standing on the sidewalk. Fortunately, one of us was courageous enough to approach the frightening female to confirm that she was only an illusion.

---

Haydenville Haunter: The Swamp
23291 Park Ln Ct, Moreno Valley, CA 92553
October 30 & 31, 7-10pm
facebook.com/haydenvillehomehaunter

After being invited to an exclusive viewing of their haunted walk-through last year; we just had to make another trip to Haydenville.  The owner built last year’s impressive walk-through one handed, so we had to see what he could do with two now!  The haunt did not disappoint.  In its new location, the owner built a 1600 walk-through display.  There are no actors, just creepy sets and effects that can still give you chills.  The lighting, lightning, effects, and soundtrack were all on-point and had us shocked that we were not in Hollywood.  If you are a fan of any bit of the old Ghost Town at Knott’s, or even the current one; we definitely recommend you to take a trip to Haydenville for a walk-through tour.  Oh, and we lied; there maybe one scare actor – his name is “Haunt Cat”.

2020 Inland Empire Yard Haunts: Conclusion

There seems to be a never-ending list of yard haunts to visit in the Inland Empire. Could it be the new mecca for Halloween haunts going forth into 2021? With looser restrictions than those in Los Angeles County, there could easily be an ever increasing number of home walk-throughs and yard displays in the future.