Kids & Family
Patch Parents: The Best Family-Friendly Halloween Events In California
Celebrate Halloween at one of these fun and not-so-scary events happening across the state.
CALIFORNIA — Halloween doesn't have to be filled with frights. There are many not-so-scary Halloween events happening across California that the whole family can enjoy.
Celebrating the holiday also doesn't have to break the bank.
In fact, if you live in or are planning a trip to the San Diego area, kids can get in free at dozens of museums and other attractions in October in San Diego County.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Kids Free San Diego is happening at more than 60 aquariums, gardens, museums and other cultural attractions across the county. Participating attractions offer free admission for children 12 and younger with a paid adult ticket.
In addition to local museums, major local attractions participating in the annual program include Belmont Park, Legoland California Resort and Sea Life Aquarium, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld San Diego and Sesame Place San Diego. These popular San Diego destinations have ongoing Halloween events, such as Brick-Or-Treat Monster Party at Legoland and Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Not headed to the San Diego area? Not-too-worry. Take a look at our Patch-curated list of the best family-friendly things to do this Halloween in Northern and Southern California.
Northern California
- What: The event will feature a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt and costume contest.
- When: Oct. 25-27
- Where: Oakland Zoo, Oakland
- What: The two-day event will feature a costume parade and contest, the all-new Franken-stomp Dance Party, Haunted Nature Trail and the chance to see zoo animals gobble up gourds and enjoy Halloween-themed enrichment treats at various habitats.
- When: Oct. 26 and 27
- Where: San Francisco Zoo and Gardens, San Francisco
- What: The event will showcase spiders and snakes, as well as a spider hunt and spider activities.
- When: Nov. 2
- Where: The Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley
- What: The fundraising event will give kids the chance to build-a-beast with collage paper, create surreal animal prints, and see live insect demonstrations.
- When: Oct. 19-20 and 25-27
- Where: Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito
- What: The event will feature special performances, arts and crafts, puppet shows, bouncy houses, treat stations, and games and prizes.
- When: Oct. 19-20 and 25-27
- Where: Children's Fairyland, Oakland
- What: The event will feature aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration, glider and helicopter construction and a scavenger hunt.
- When: Oct. 19-20 and 26-27
- Where: Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos
- What: The event includes a haunted pavilion, pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating and costume contests.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
- Where: Jellystone Park Tower Park, Lodi
- What: The event offers a trick-or-treat trail, festive decorations and interactive activities such as pumpkin painting and costume contests.
- When: Saturday and Sundays through Nov. 3
- Where: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo
- What: The event features a display of laser-drawn images and music under the planetarium sky.
- When: Oct. 19 and Oct. 26
- Where: De Anza College Fujitsu Planetarium, Cupertino
- What: The event includes train rides, trick-or-treating, a pumpkin patch and carnival-style games and activities.
- When: Select dates in October
- Where: River Fox Train, West Sacramento
- What: The event includes train rides and family-friendly activities.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
- Where: Western Railway Museum, Suisun City
- What: The family-friendly Halloween party will offer trick-or-treat stations, crafts, face painting, live animal demonstrations, a giant pumpkin ride, a silent disco and more.
- When: Oct. 26
- Where: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
- What: The event includes trick-or-treat stations, the "Do the Boo" live musical show, Halloween-themed light displays and interactive adventures, and more.
- When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
- Where: Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy
Thomas and Percy's Halloween Party
- What: The event offers a 20-minute train ride, entertainment and Halloween-themed activities.
- When: Oct. 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27
- Where: Roaring Camp Railroads, Felton
- What: The event has a trick-or-treat trail, a costume contest, live shows and other Halloween activities.
- When: Select dates through Oct. 26
- Where: California's Great America, Santa Clara
Southern California
- What: The event includes a maze with not-so-scary scarecrows, an interactive country dance party, live music and more.
- When: Every Saturday and Sunday in October
- Where: San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Escondido
- What: The event offers an interactive Halloween light-up experience, exhibits, live animal presentations and performances.
- When: Select dates through Oct. 31
- Where: Natural History Museum, Los Angeles
Boo at the Bay: Family Halloween Party
- What: The family-friendly party will feature animals, crafts, games, science experiments and spooky stories.
- When: Oct. 26
- Where: Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, Newport Beach
- What: The event will offer trick-or-treating stations, as well as animal pumpkin feedings, education stations and an extinct animal graveyard.
- When: Oct. 19-20 and 26-27
- Where: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles
- What: The event will feature a decorated trail along the animal enclosures, trick-or-treat stations, the "Boofari" Express Train and more.
- When: Oct. 19-20 and 26-27
- Where: Santa Ana Zoo, Santa Ana
- What: The event features "brick-or-treating" down the park's Candy Trail, Lego Monster characters, the all-new Prehistoric Pumpkin Patch and more.
- When: Select Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
- Where: Legoland California Resort, Carlsbad
- What: The event includes acrobatic spider performers, ghoulish live music, the opportunity to meet unique wildlife and more.
- When: Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October
- Where: San Diego Zoo, San Diego
- What: The two-day event offers a costume contest, games, live music, trick-or-treat stations and the Living Light Experience.
- When: Oct. 25 and Oct. 26
- Where: Birch Aquarium, La Jolla
- What: The event features an all-new pirate-themed adventure filled with interactive activities, a new candy quest and the new Pirate Sea Shanty Band. Other new activities include story time with Captain Sweet Tooth and First Mate Peggy, a cavalcade with themed floats, and a waterfront pumpkin patch.
- When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3.
- Where: SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego
- What: The event will have crafts, a scavenger hunt, trick-or-treating and the chance to see animals receive treat-filled pumpkins.
- When: Oct. 26
- Where: OC Zoo, Orange
- What: The event includes festive mazes and a trick-or-treat trail in Bugs Bunny World.
- When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3.
- Where: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia
- What: The event features trick-or-treating, costume contests, pumpkin decorating, shows and more.
- When: Every weekend in October, plus Halloween
- Where: Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park
- What: The Disney event offers Halloween-themed entertainment, immersive treat trails and spellbinding attractions.
- When: Select nights through October
- Where: Disney California Adventure Park, Anaheim
Professor Phineas T. PennyPickle's Steampunk Halloween Party
- What: The Victorian Steampunk fun house will feature scavenger hunts, magical science demos, snacks, a peek at a Haunted Mansion and more.
- When: Oct. 19
- Where: Pennypickle's Workshop - Temecula Children's Museum, Temecula
The Count's Halloween Spooktacular
- What: The event offers a costume parade, dance party, scarecrow scavenger hunt, trick-or-treating and more.
- When: Saturdays and Sunday through Nov. 3
- Where: Sesame Place San Diego, Chula Vista
Patch Parents is written by Patch Editor Kristina Houck, a mom of three boys. Have a story idea? Email kristina.houck@patch.com.
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