Best Halloween Events & Haunted Houses for Kids and Teens in San Diego

We're going to start our Halloween event and haunted house list strong with an event that our entire team agreed had to make the top of our list!

If you're up for a night of scares with the teenagers and young adults in your family, then we think you should attend Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego!

Howl-O-Scream is an annual, separately ticketed fright fest that takes place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings starting in mid-September and lasting throughout all of October, with the final day of the season falling on October 31st.

The event features themed decorations and dedicated scare zones with costumed actors waiting to jump out at unsuspecting guests. New for 2026 is a terrifying scare zone called Overgrowth. The zone features a disturbed botanist who has unleashed monstrous plants.

The park also will have haunted houses and vile vignettes. Two of my personal favorite haunted houses in 2026 are Simon's Slaughterhouse and the all-new Area 64: MOTHERSHIP. You'll have your choice of meat-hooks, buzzing saws, and butcher's blades or lethal security, mad scientists, and terrifying extraterrestrials. Also all-new for 2026 is the haunted house I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch.

And for my favorite vignette, don't miss Dolly Delightful: RECALLED. A scary toy with a terrifying 'Try Me' button on her box. She's got quite the temper!

The park will be set up with live shows like Monster Stomp and you'll also be able to enjoy the park's rides at night to get your adrenaline pumping, weather permitting.

SeaWorld San Diego's haunting, after hours Halloween event is one of the biggest and best in all of San Diego, which is why we've chosen to feature it as part of our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego for 2026!

Which Families Will Love It

SeaWorld San Diego recommends this event for kids ages 13 and up.

While it might be a little too scary for younger kids, it's perfect for families with teens like my own. My family and I attended last year and it was so good, we plan to go again so we can all get the pants scared off us together!

Where to Stay Nearby

Since you'll be out late enjoying Howl-O-Scream, booking a nearby hotel is a little added convenience.

We suggest the Colonial-style Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Old Town / SeaWorld Area. The hotel is just a 10 minute drive from the park and features an outdoor pool, spacious rooms, and casual onsite dining.

The San Diego Zoo is one of our team's favorite attractions in the city. But did you know the zoo has special shows and activities - plus evening hours - during Halloween? HalGLOWeen takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening starting at 5:00pm in October.

During the event, families can learn about spooky animals at the Featured Creatures presentation, dance along with a Skeleton Band, and see live shows like the Boolahoops and Spider's W.E.B. performances.

To me the real treat is the way the zoo lights up at night with glowing neon decorations. The Enchanted HalGLOWeen Forest elevates the decor into a fully immersive walk-through experience.

Zoo tickets are part of the Go City San Diego pass, which when combined with our discount code GVSD5OFF will give the adults in your party the cheapest admission price possible. And for your kids, they can get free admission as part of the Kids Free San Diego program in October.

Which Families Will Love It

The San Diego Zoo is very family-friendly, but I can also say that the animal encounters, live music, seasonal treats, and more also make the park a lot of fun for teens and adults.

I visit the zoo all the time and will be attending HalGLOWeen with the family in 2026.

Where to Stay Nearby

We have tons of recommendations for quality hotels near the zoo, but if you really want to treat your family, I suggest you stay at The Westgate Hotel.

Located just 3 miles south of the zoo on the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter, the 4-star property features a rooftop outdoor pool and hot tub as well as award-winning dining, large rooms, and an incredibly friendly staff.

The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park is a scary and thrilling experience, meant for teenagers and adults. This is a walking attraction similar to a haunted corn maze which includes multiple different set pieces, each with their own theme.

Before you can get to the trail, you’ll start off at The eXperiment Maze, which spans 3,500 square feet of twists and turns. Complete with scary fairy tales, crazy clowns, folklore creatures, and terrifying encounters, you’ll need about 15-20 minutes to get through the experience.

Once you’ve conquered the maze, you’ll continue on to The Haunted Trail. This is one of the longest trails of its kind, at a mile long, it’s a journey through fear, each stretch offering its own challenges, from a foggy graveyard to radioactive pursuers. There are even chainsaw-chasing nuns waiting for you this year!

If you can’t decide whether to attend the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park or Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego, check out our deep dive article where we compare the attractions side-by-side.

Which Families Will Love It

As someone that’s checked out The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park, I can say that it’s not for the faint of heart. While I laugh and scream when I’m scared, let’s just say I do a good bit of both while visiting this attraction.

The trail is recommended for kids older than 10, but I might even recommend waiting until your kids are teenagers for this one! You should know that if you have to leave because it’s too scary, you won’t get a refund.

Where to Stay Nearby

Balboa Park features multiple quality hotels in the surrounding area. But if you’re looking for something really special, I’d recommend making the 7 mile drive or grabbing a San Diego rideshare to the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in Mission Bay Park.

The property features five pools, a spa, walking trails, and comfortable rooms and bungalows, many with really nice views.

A part of our 2026 edition of the Best Halloween Events and Haunted Houses for Kids and Teens in San Diego, the Midway's Fright Deck: Halloween Party & Movie Night just looks like a lot of fun!

Scheduled for Saturday, October 24th from 6:00pm until 9:00pm, the seasonal event is set to take place on the Flight Deck of the USS Midway Museum. If you've ever been near the San Diego Bay then you've surely caught a glimpse of the iconic USS Midway aircraft carrier, moored in the harbor, now hosting curious visitors for day trips and special events like this swashbuckling evening of family-friendly Halloween fun high above San Diego Bay.

This year the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl will be shown on an outdoor screen.

But for $20 (or $16 for Midway Members), you and your family can be treated to pirate mischief, costume contests with prizes up to $500 for the best family/group costumes, and a trick-or-treating candy treasure hunt.

There will also be a truffle shuffle dance-off, a magic show, and live DJ. You can expect a cash bar and concessions featuring 'magic potion' cocktails, 'Chunks Chips' and more!

Which Families Will Love It

Can I say that I think all families could really enjoy this event?

The USS Midway is way cooler than I realized when I visited with my teenagers and this event has fun activities for younger kids as well.

Where to Stay Nearby

The USS Midway is located in the Embarcadero in Downtown San Diego so you really have your pick of fantastic Downtown San Diego hotels.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego or Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina would both be incredible choices that you could walk to after the event. Both 4-star properties, you can expect pools, upscale rooms, and city or bay views.

LEGOLAND California is one of San Diego' best attractions for young kids. If you have little ones in your family, then I think the Brick-or-Treat Monster Party is not to be missed

LEGOLAND California's Brick-or-Treat will feature unique not-so-scary and silly shows including Once Upon a Brick: The Tale of the Wolf Guy. You'll also be able to enjoy the Skeleton Brass Band and be invited to join the action with the Zombie Cheer Crew on the Fun Town Stage.

There will be special character meet-and-greets with the likes of Spider Lady, Monster Rocker, Mummy and more as well as themed attractions for the event like Ghost Cruise, the Department of Monster Vehicles, and the LEGO Halloween Tree.

You'll also find attractions from previous years like The Dragon: Roarsome Halloween Adventure, Monster Security Checkpoint and Spider Lady's Spiderling Build, to name a few of my favorites!

In addition to the spooky shows, friendly characters and attractions, your kids can dress up and be part of the daily costume contest or just enjoy their costumes as they trick-or-treat through the Brick-or-Treat candy stations throughout the park.

And for the adults (and kids), there will be some pretty awesome culinary treats like the Spider Bite Sundae with an oreo spider creation, the Creepy Crawly Apple Fries complete with raspberry 'blood, and my favorite, the Haunted Head Sundae which includes 'bloody' strawberry syrup and gummy eyeballs.

While LEGOLAND California is part of the Go City San Diego pass, the Brick-or-Treat Monster Party is a seasonal event that requires a special ticket, so you won't be able to use your Go City San Diego pass for admission. Also note that some, but not all, ticket types are part of the Kids Free San Diego program in October, so I highly recommend you make sure your kids show as free when you add them to your cart.

Which Families Will Love It

Like at Sesame Place San Diego, LEGOLAND California is best experienced with kids about 7 and under.

Parents of young LEGO fans will have the best time, but there's lots to capture kids' attention even if they don't yet know these friendly brick-shaped monsters.

Where to Stay Nearby

Nothing beats staying at one of the park's official hotels, both of which have some of the most awesome themed rooms I've personally ever seen plus special Halloween activities. Take your pick of the LEGOLAND Hotel California or our team's personal favorite for families, the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.

If you’re looking for an epic Halloween event perfect for teenagers, Knott’s Scary Farm might just be it!

As someone who grew up not far from Knott’s and has been to this event many times, I can tell you that it really is an experience that’s well worth the money. The special event has a similar feel to SeaWorld San Diego’s Howl-O-Scream complete with haunted mazes, sinister shows, scare zones, and some pretty creative limited-time food options.

One of the haunted houses is “Mary-the Haunting of Worth Home.” If you like haunted houses, this is a must! New for 2026 are the mazes Inked and Unearthed.

There are also special events like the Scary Farm Boo-fet Dinner and the Very Important Monster Tour. Just know that both of these require separate tickets.

If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll be intrigued by incredible Halloween-themed food and what they’re making at the Ghost Town Bakery.

Knott’s Berry Farm has held their Knott’s Scary Farm for over 50 years now which first makes me feel a bit old, but second is truly an incredible feat we wanted to recognize. Located slightly beyond San Diego, about a two hour drive from Downtown San Diego, our team decided this was the year to include the event as part of our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego.

Which Families Will Love It

Organizers recommend this for children ages 13 and older due to the scare factor.

So, if you have little ones, you may be better off taking them to Knott’s daytime Halloween all age event known as Knott’s Spooky Farm which we’ll talk about next!

Where to Stay Nearby

Why not make a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm and drive to Oceanside so you can experience the Fin Boutique Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton? The 1920’s refreshed hotel is about an hour drive south from the park. Just minutes from the ocean, this little hotel feels luxurious, yet with a casual vibe.

If you don’t want to make the drive, Knott’s Berry Farm does have its own hotel onsite which offers hotel packages.

If you have younger children who you think would enjoy some not-so-scary Halloween fun, the Knott’s Spooky Farm event could be a great choice as it’s quite a few notches down from the Knott’s Scary Farm on the fright scale.

The daytime event included with admission will feature Peanuts characters dressed in Halloween costumes and a costume parade. Charlie Brown was always my favorite Peanuts character and he’ll be there with games, music, spooky stories and a lot more!

There will also be trick-or-treating stations set up throughout Ghost Town for kids 11 and under.

It’s worth checking out the puppeteer show at the Bob Barker Marionette Theater and a Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies comedy country music show while you’re there.

And when your kids gets hungry, there will be plenty to eat. From the Ghoulrean Meatball Tots to the Vampire Bite Red Velvet Cheesecake Cup, you won’t be disappointed.

As a daytime Halloween event at Knott’s Berry Farm, kids can attend for free as part of the Kids Free San Diego program and adults can get the cheapest tickets with a Go City San Diego pass using discount code GVSD5OFF.

Which Families Will Love It

Knott’s Spooky Farm is perfect for families with children ages 5-12. It’s just the right amount of holiday fun minus the stuff that nightmares are made of!

Where to Stay Nearby

Another hotel I would recommend if you want to stay in San Diego but take a day trip up to the park is the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Oceanside.

It’s about an hour south from Knott’s Berry Farm, but well worth it if you want to be near the water with family-friendly amenities, have a swimming pool, and still be within driving distance to Downtown San Diego.

SeaWorld San Diego's family-friendly daytime Halloween Spooktacular event is back in 2026, this year as a pirate themed adventure!

While you'll get to enjoy some of last year's favorites like the waterfront pumpkin patch, there are also some exciting attractions for 2026. The Spookley Dance Party is bound to be a hit that will let your kids get out some of that energy! All-new this year is the Trick-or-Treat with Baby Shark show along with Live Character Meet & Greets.

There will be trick-or-treating for the kids along Captain Sweet Tooth's Candy Trail and those 12 and under are encouraged to wear their Halloween costume to the event.

As one more tip, our team at Go Visit San Diego recommends trying the Spooktacular Pumpkin Hunt, a family-friendly interactive scavenger hunt looking for painted pumpkins throughout the park with special prizes for those that complete the challenge.

Which Families Will Love It

SeaWorld San Diego is fun for kids and teens of all ages. As an adult, I also think the park is a lot of fun, especially their seasonal events.

While the Halloween Spooktacular event is probably best for kids ages 5 to 12, teens can enjoy the music, sweet treats, and the Manta rollercoaster which is getting a Halloween theme for the season.

Where to Stay Nearby

I recommend The Dana on Mission Bay. At just 5 minutes from SeaWorld San Diego, the hotel is family-friendly with an inviting pool and absolutely beautiful views right on the water.

And as a local tip, be sure to take advantage of the complimentary SeaWorld shuttle to and from the park!

When I think about the fall in San Diego, I think of pumpkin patches. Carving jack-o'-lanterns is an annual tradition in my family!

So when our team at Go Visit San Diego agreed that exploring a corn, straw, or hay maze should make this list, I was actually quite surprised at how many of the pumpkin patches and farms in San Diego include a maze for Halloween!

The corn maze at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company is my favorite. It's the longest maze in the San Diego area by far at 1.5 miles. They also have a haunted corn maze on weekend nights for older kids and teens!

Other pumpkin patch locations with corn mazes include Summers Past Farms in El Cajon, Mountain Valley Ranch Pumpkin Patch in Ramona, and the two Pumpkin Station farms in Rancho Bernardo and Bonita.

Oma's Family Farm Pumpkin Patch, a new addition to our 2026 best pumpkin patches in San Diego list, has a kid-friendly hay maze, which means the staff stacks up bales of hay for the kids rather than having a field of corn. Oma's also has duck races, playgrounds, giant slides and a petting zoo which believe it or not is not that uncommon. Many of the pumpkin patch farms turn picking out a pumpkin into a full-fledged Halloween event!

It's also worth mentioning that Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch has a straw maze perfect for younger kids and California Farm Life has a $20 deal that includes a maze, tractor rides, pumpkin smashing and more!

Which Families Will Love It

Even the youngest kids can have fun picking out a pumpkin or taking a hay ride on a tractor.

For the corn mazes, we think they're best for kids about 5 and older with the haunted corn maze versions being best for teens, though there are lots of other activities to choose from on these farms if you have younger kids.

Where to Stay Nearby

There are many different corn mazes to choose from, but if you're only looking within San Diego's neighborhoods, Carlsbad Strawberry Company is the clear choice.

For a great family hotel in Carlsbad, try the Carlsbad Seapointe Resort, which even has its own game room and a dedicated family pool.

San Diego has a couple of fantastic options if a haunted ghost tour is on your Halloween to-do list. I love these because many of them aren’t designed to just be scary but rather to tell a story, educate you about San Diego’s history and also, be incredibly entertaining!

Most are probably best for older kids or teenagers, but don’t be afraid to contact the tour operator to see if their tour would make sense for younger kids as well.

One of my favorites is the San Diego Haunted Ghost Tour. The two hour tour is a scare-tastic historical trip with some really haunted twists. If you’re a ghost hunter, this one is perfect for you.

Another great choice would be the San Diego Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour. This history-focused tour takes you by foot and trolley to notable haunted locations and gravesites. This tour is recommended for those 13 and over.

While many of these tours are offered year-round, there’s probably not a better time of year to take your teenagers along to enjoy one of the Best Haunted Tours in San Diego.

Which Families Will Love It

Many of these ghost tours are more adult-friendly than kid-friendly based on the serious topics. I think most teenagers would enjoy these tours but it’s a good idea to look specifically at what each entails before you sign them up.

Where to Stay Nearby

If you’re going to do a haunted ghost tour, I say go all-in and stay at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado which is rumored to be haunted.

Unexplained footsteps and paranormal activity have been reported at the hotel. But, it also has some coastal charm which keeps guests coming back.

The Whaley House is famous for being one of the Most Haunted Places in San Diego. With countless reports of ghost sightings, it’s even been called America’s most haunted house!

This isn’t your typical Halloween attraction, but the property’s paranormal reputation has secured its spot as a stop on many of San Diego’s ghost tours, including one of my favorites, the Haunted Ghost Tour by Bus.

You can tour the Whaley House by day, but if you’re hoping to see some ghosts or learn about the property’s history and the tales of its past inhabitants, I suggest that you book a nighttime tour. During special Paranormal Investigations, you’ll get to visit rooms that aren’t normally accessible and learn how to use ghost hunting equipment to see if there are any spirits still living in this San Diego haunted house.

In the lead-up to Halloween, the museum also offers extended nighttime hours and additional themed tours.

Which Families Will Love It

This is another event that’s better suited for teenagers or older kids, I’d suggest those 15 and up. Some of the stories are intended for older audiences that could frighten younger kids.

Where to Stay Nearby

Why not pair your visit to this world-famous haunted attraction with a stay at a haunted hotel?

Old Town San Diego’s Cosmopolitan Hotel isn’t just a Victorian-style, cozy, historic hotel, but it’s also rumored to be the site of some ghost encounters!

While more of a family-friendly fall activity than directly a Halloween event or haunted house, I couldn’t resist adding one of my favorite things to do with my kids during the holiday season!

The Autumn Festival at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, held on weekends in October, features special wildlife encounters, a dance party, lantern ceremony and dedicated radio station just for the event.

There’s a lot of special live musical performances like the Barn Owls blue-grass trio and Ash Meadows acoustic guitar and mandolin duo. There’s also an Autumn Festival Jamboree dance party and incredibly talented juggling Not-So-Scary Scarecrows.

For me though the highlight is Reflections at the Nairobi Village, Lagoon Loop. The musical, colorful, lantern ceremony will take you on a trip around the world to celebrate people, animals and our planet!

Your kids can get in free as part of the Kids Free San Diego program in October with the purchase of an adult pass and if you have more adults, get a Go City San Diego pass using discount code GVSD5OFF for the lowest admission price!

Which Families Will Love It

My kids are now teenagers and while they love the scares and thrills of a Howl-O-Scream or the Haunted Trails of Balboa Park, they also really love animals.

I think the autumn festival is quality fun for kids of all ages including picky teenagers, young adults, parents, and even grandparents.

Where to Stay Nearby

Our suggestion here is to drive about 15 miles to the Spanish colonial-style, 4-star Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

The property is gorgeous with eight beautiful pools (some with slides for your kids), views of one of two golf courses, a picturesque lobby, and very comfortable rooms & suites.