Southern California is the Halloween Haunt capitol of the world. They’ve got the best events like Halloween Horror Nights, Fright Fest, LA Haunted Hayride and others. We’re pretty deep in the Halloween season, but I’ve been to all of the major haunts in SoCal and now it’s time to rank them from worst to best. We’ll be going through Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Scary Farm, LA Haunted Hayride, Delusion: The Red Castle, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, and Fright Fest Extreme. What’s the best one for your money? Find out below!

6. LA Haunted Hayride

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This isn’t for it being bad, it’s not. This just has the least amount of houses and the hayride. If you’re taking people who don’t normally go to haunts, this is perfect. There’s plenty to do whether that’s the actual hayride, seeing the Monty Revolta band, the mazes, food, and even an escape room.

5. Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

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The SoCal event returns after an absence with the old stylings and some great mazes. The two off the ship could use some work, but this is also an amazing “starter” event. If you’re in the mood for some historical haunts, this is it. The three mazes on the ship are all based on historical characters and are equally as eerie.

4. Six Flags Fright Fest Extreme

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This one has the most mazes, but some are better than others. Saw is fantastic, Stranger Things is too short, the “original” houses are in dire need of updates. Worst value of them all with a park ticket and haunt ticket at $120+. If you’ve been in previous years, this is a different event for most of the houses. If you like roller coasters, they do them with the lights off as well.

3. Knott’s Scary Farm

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Knott’s comes back for year 51 with two new mazes that are amazing. If you like set decoration, this is for you. They could use more scare actors in the mazes themselves though. Great value at $60 per night. The park is covered with scare actors and decor, so even if you’re just into walking around, this is a great haunt.

2. Halloween Horror Nights

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HHN is still the king. They have the best scares, the best licenses, and the best makeup. The other haunts have bridged the gap from recent years. They do need to work on the amount of people they’re forcing though and attendants being rude. It’s kind of a waste of time to go in the two weeks leading up to Halloween because it’s far too busy, even if you have the Express passes. They’re still jamming people in like sardines. The best time to go is still September.

1. Delusion: The Red Castle

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Delusion is the best Halloween event you can make it to in SoCal. This is interactive horror theater that brings you through a story as a participant. It’s scary, intriguing, and absolute fun. This one runs into November, so make sure to check it out.

For more on Halloween, make sure to check out Fright-A-Thon.

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