Halloween Yard Haunt Odyssey: Glendale & Northeast L.A.
Glendale is home to many fine home haunts, but in the past we have tended to focus on those in the hilly areas to the north, such as Nightmare on Whiting Woods and 999 Happy Haunts. This Halloween, we decided to route our Glendale Yard Haunt Odyssey through lower elevations and eventually turn south to visit homes in two Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods, Atwater Village and Glassell Park.
The happy result of this approach is that all of the haunts below are included for the time, allowing us to highlight entertaining displays we had previously overlooked.
Glendale Yard Haunts 2023
Rather than alphabetically, we are listing these Glendale yard haunts in the order we visited, so as to provide an idea of their geographical proximity. Drive time to reach all of them is less than twenty-five minutes, and ending with Bog of the Banshee leaves you conveniently situated to move on to Gourd Times in Atwater Village for the next leg of your journey.
Forever Present Cemetery
700 Arden Ave, Glendale
October 1-31, 7-10pm
Our first stop, Forever Pleasant Cemetery turns out to be a frightfully pleasant surprise. The yard of the corner house is loaded with gravestones, skeletons, and other spooky figures, presided over by a garrulous animatronic witch, warning that those who foolish enough to visit the accursed place clearly do not value their lives.
Adding to the eerie atmosphere, digital phantoms of various forms float through the large front window, and the smaller window near the porch display silhouettes of knife-wielding characters stalking victims. Past the yard, the side of the house features more decorations, including a monstrous animatronic figure who engages in dialogue with the talking Jack O’ Lantern held in his hand; both wax poetic on how much they enjoy the mayhem they can inflict during the Halloween season, when the barrier between the land of the living and the dead is thrown wide open. Very nice!
The Spooky Strip
939 Concord Street, Glendale
October 1-November 4, 7-10pm
Never has a Halloween home display been more accurately titled. The Spooky Strip is literally a small strip of land between the sidewalk and the wall of an apartment house. The creator of this haunt, we are told, is not allowed to use the whole yard, but he makes fabulous use of the tiny terrain available to him. Consisting almost entirely of static figures, gravestones, and artificial pumpkins, the display is artfully arranged and beautifully lit, with a waft of fog adding just the right touch.
Best of all, it is easy walking distance and literally visible from Forever Present Cemetery, creating a lovely Halloween yard haunt double bill. And as if these two displays are not enough, there are two more around the corner…
The yard at 714 W Glen Oaks Boulevard features a small spooky display with plastic skeletons and Jack O’ Lanterns. A couple houses further down from the corner of Concorde Street, 726 W Glen Oaks Boulevard showcases inflatable figures from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The massive figure of Oogie Boobie towers over Jack and Sally, while Zero floats overhead. Neither of these is worth a special trip, but their close proximity to Forever Present Cemetery and The Spooky Strip makes them a worthy bonus feature for haunt-seekers already in the area.
Madame Mysterium
518 n Howard Street, Glendale
October 17- 31, 6:30-10pm
Madame Mysterium is a relatively small yard hunt, but it benefits from being almost entirely custom-made, including the beautiful oversized tarot cards displayed on the lawn. The haunt is a mini-show with the face of the titular psychic materializing at short intervals to make predictions, with an occasional sly, deadpan joke carefully inserted. Madame Mysterium’s projected appearances were shot specifically for this haunt, so you will not be seeing her anywhere else.
We very much appreciate the custom-made approach of Madame Mysterium. The proliferation of high-quality decor and props has created a situation in which too many yard haunts feature the same elements, so it is nice to find one that is unique unto itself. We also admire the low-key tone; without so much as a thunderclap to inflict a jolt your nerves, it is mystical rather than overtly scary and very much in keeping with the Halloween spirit.
Spider House
708 East Palmer Avenue, Glendale
October 1-31, 6-10:30pm
Spider House is a small yard display featuring prop spiders on the walls, projected spiders on the windows, and one big-ass spider on the lawn. Also there is a gravestone tipping left and right and a trio of talking Jack O’ Lanterns, who alternate between singing songs and telling tales, such as the unfortunate story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
Bog of the Banshee
3964 Brunswick Ave, Glendale
October 7-31, 7-10pm
Bog of the Banshee is a relatively modest displays that benefits from the property where it is situated. The house is surrounded by high hedges, making it difficult to get more than a glimpse of what lies on the yard inside. Ominous red light filters through the foliage, and the fence around the hedges has a skeleton or two held in place by spider webs. When you reach the gate, you can see a giant spider on the roof and several tombstones on the lawn. We imagine that on Halloween Night terrified trick-or-treaters will be very reluctant to enter the gate and walk through the gap in the hedges toward what lies beyond. Not the most elaborate yard haunt every – but a very clever setup.
Atwater Village & Glassell Park Yard Haunts 2023
According to Mapping L.A. (the source we rely on), the neighborhoods of Atwater Village and Glassell Park are in the Northeast Los Angeles region, but the two haunts listed below are barely over the border, making it very easy to tag them on the end of a Halloween Yard Haunt Odyssey through Glendale.
Gourd Times!
3019 Petite Ct, Atwater Village
October 27-31, 7-10pm
As the name suggests, Gourd Times emphasizes pumpkins – to such a large extent, in fact, that it feels more like a fall festival than a Halloween yard haunt. The decorations are actually cute, but this one is definitely for the neighbors. Put it on your list only if you are visiting other displays in the area.
Horror Hunters
3973 Cazador Street, Glassell Park
October 1- 31, 7-11pm
More spiders haunt this yard display on a twisty, hilly road in Glassell Park – one with no sidewalk, so watch out for cars as you peruse the decorations. The lighting is very nice, and the eccentric juxtaposition of spiders on a green-glowing bamboo fence suggests a weird combination of surf shack and horror movie. Colorful illumination adds a layer of atmosphere that is beautiful to behold despite the display’s small size. The creepiest bit is tucked off to the side of the house, a miniature female figure glowering with malevolent intent from behind a gravestone.
Glendale, Atwater Village & Glassell Park Yard Haunts 2023: Conclusion
Seeking something new, we have bypassed several other yard haunts in the region that are worth visiting, especially if you have never seen them. Besides the previously mentioned Nightmare on Whiting Woods and 999 Happy Haunts, Glendale has Catastrophe Cabin, Bats and Cats, and a few other unlisted/unnamed yards. Moving further east will take you into Altadena and Pasadena, which have their own fair share of haunted homes. You can find our recommendations from the past on our Halloween Home Haunts page, or you can check out the So Cal Haunt List.
Glendale, Atwater Village & Glassell Park Yard Haunts 2023 Photo Gallery
