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Not-So-Scary Halloween Events in Los Angeles for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Underwater pumpkin carvings are a treat to see! Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific
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10/6/23 - By Kylie Williams

Halloween events can be magical in Los Angeles. Neighborhoods go over-the-top with decorations, which shouldn't be a surprise since this is home to Hollywood, after all, and that means we know a thing or two about costumes. But the littlest trick-or-treaters are often overwhelmed by some of the most common Halloween elements: darkness, scary faces, and things that go bump in the night. With that in mind, these Halloween outings are perfect for preschoolers, delivering just the right atmosphere for your pint-size "ghouls" and "boos."

For some hauntingly good, money-saving deals, check out these free Halloween events in Los Angeles, see the best spots to go trick-or-treating in Los Angeles, and find more spooky activities in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles & Orange County Kids. 

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Hop on the train, pick a pumpkin, and play all day. Photo courtesy of the Irvine Park Railroad
Hop on the train, pick a pumpkin, and play all day. Photo courtesy of the Irvine Park Railroad

Big Halloween Events in Los Angeles Perfect for Preschoolers

Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns

South El Monte - Friday - Sunday, September 22 - October 31
The pumpkins are on the move! In 2025, Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns is held in a new location: South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. As before, guests are treated to a larger-than-life pumpkin experience. This year’s event is reimagined as Enchanted Hollow: a place where nature glows, jack-o’-lanterns shimmer, and wonder lives around every bend. READ MORE

Boney Island

Exposition Park - Thursday- Sunday, September 28 - October 31, 2023
Please note: Boney Island is not being held in 2025.   READ MORE

El Dorado Frontier Pumpkin Market and Train

Long Beach - Friday - Sunday, September 30 - October 29, 2023
Admission to the Pumpkin Market includes a train ride & unlimited carousel rides! Additional attractions, activities, and pumpkins are available at an additional cost. READ MORE

Absolutely Halloween

Santa Monica - Saturday & Sunday, October 7 - 29, 2023
Santa Monica Playhouse presents the tale of a sweet young girl named Candy, who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter, and sugar. A colorful array of characters takes her on a magical All Hallows Eve adventure, and the audience must help Candy save Halloween. READ MORE

Pumpkin Palooza at Discovery Cube OC

Santa Ana - Thursday - Sunday, October 7 - 31, 2023
Discovery Cube OC has a real treat this Halloween: Pumpkin Palooza, a seasonal festival of science fun. Kids can come in costume to enjoy two floors of freaky fun, an interactive dance party, bumper cars, life-size corn mazes, and trick or treating.  New this year: the Pumpkin Paths maze. Guests can journey through interactive spaces with a special pumpkin device to learn about composting and more. READ MORE

Fall Festival (Original Farmers Market)

Mid-City - Saturday & Sunday, October 21 & 22, 203
Free
Kids can enjoy the wonders of a country fair in the middle of the city. The Original Farmers Market on Fairfax plays host to the Fall Festival, featuring such family-friendly attractions as a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, fall-themed games, kids crafts, photo ops, and live entertainment.  READ MORE

Fall Fun Fest & Pumpkin Patch at Santa Anita Park

Arcadia - Saturday & Sunday, October 21 - 29, 2023
The infield at Santa Anita Park comes alive with carnival rides, bounce houses, carnival games, pony rides, face painting, and a pumpkin patch. All that, plus you can enjoy the horse racing. READ MORE

Carved

La Canada - Daily through October 29, 2023
Carved is a family-friendly Halloween event for all ages; visitors can enjoy a mile-long walk through Descanso's beautiful gardens and woods, viewing hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns carved from real pumpkins along the trail. There's a new route to try this year!  READ MORE

Brick or Treat

Carlsbad - Select Saturdays & Sundays through October 29, 2023
Legoland offers a festive kid-centric Halloween celebration on select weekends this fall. The fun includes tons of candy, an all-new show lineup, never-before-seen exclusive Lego characters, and more. New features for 2025: the Coast Cruise transforms into the Ghost Cruise, complete with ghostly surprises and giggles, the Driving Schools become a haunted highway full of silly scares and boo-levard detours, and the the Park entrance comes alive with Halloween mischief in the  Monster Halloween Hub, where guests can meet and greet with favorites like Mummy, Monster... READ MORE

Kidspace Halloween

Pasadena - Tuesday - Sunday through October 31, 2023
Halloween season at Kidspace starts September 19 this year. Kiddos can strut their stuff in the daily Halloween Parades - costumes encouraged! READ MORE

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch

Orange - Daily through Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Irvine Park Railroad and the Pumpkin Patch once again open for the season with the Pumpkin Train, a moon bounce, hayrides, and a haunted house.  Other daily fun includes panning for gold, carnival games, John Deere races, face painting, cookie decorating, and more.  New this year: reservations are required on weekends.  $20 per person includes a train ride and entrance into the Pumpkin Patch. READ MORE

Spooky Science (LA)

Sylmar - Daily through Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Discovery Cube's Spooky Science rings in the Halloween season. This year’s edition of Spooky Science features a Pumpkin Composting Catapults station, where kids can launch faux pumpkins through the air-straight into composting bins. Dia de los Muertos is represented with a beautifully crafted ofrenda where visitors can honor loved ones. Other fun includes photo ops, tractor rides for toddlers, a hay bale maze, and trick-or-treat stations.  READ MORE

28th Annual Fall Harvest Festival at Underwood Farms

Moorpark - Daily through Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Underwood Family Farms' annual Fall Harvest Festival features pig races, animal shows, a corn maze and gourd tunnel, a combine slide, tractor rides, Farmer Craig’s Chicken Show, hay pyramids, and animals to feed, as well as a gigantic pumpkin patch. READ MORE

Nights of the Jack

Calabasas - Daily through Tuesday October 31, 2023
Nights of the Jack is a family-friendly, Halloween-themed show situated on a mile-long nature trail filled with thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns and endless photographable moments. Through the magic of light projection mapping, ordinary buildings are transformed into hauntingly fantastic wonders. This year a reimagined illuminated field debuts, promising a thrilling and chilling display. Also new, the "Almost Dark" trail allows guests to explore the experience as day becomes night, just as the sun is setting, as the lights are first coming on. READ MORE

Bob Baker’s Hallowe'en Spooktacular

Highland Park - Select dates through Sunday, November 12, 2023
A beloved Bob Baker tradition returns! The Bob Baker Marionettes presents Hallowe'en Spooktacular, a family-friendly musical revue, set to haunting and jazzy holiday-themed tunes celebrating nearly every decade. READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo and Animal Halloween Events for Los Angeles Preschoolers

Boo at the Zoo (Santa Barbara Zoo)

Santa Barbara - Friday - Sunday, October 20 - 29, 2023
Santa Barbara Zoo's evening Halloween celebration returns, scaring up beastly fun with safe trick-or-treating and “monster-ous” thrills and chills. READ MORE

Sea Scare at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

San Pedro - Saturday, October 21, 2023
The siren's song is calling you to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for Sea Scare, its annual Halloween event.  A family friendly night of thrills, chills, and gills awaits! READ MORE

Boo at the LA Zoo

Griffith Park - Saturday & Sunday, October 21 - 29, 2023
A trip to the LA Zoo is always a treat, but the last two weekends of October are especially sweet: this year's Boo at the Zoo includes trick-or-treat stations with wildlife-friendly candies made with sustainable ingredients.  READ MORE

Boo at the Moorpark Teaching Zoo

Moorpark - Saturday & Sunday, October 21 - 29, 2023
The Teaching Zoo's annual Halloween festivities are quite the treat, with two weekends of family fun.   Highlights include interactive trick-or-treating and family photo ops, plus wildlife programs and meet & greets. READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo (Santa Ana)

Santa Ana - Saturday & Sunday, October 21 - 29, 2023
The zoo presents a "merry not scary" Halloween event with a decorated trail along the animal enclosures. Kids follow a fun Halloween trail through the zoo during extended admission hours, taking home goodies from 10 toy/treat stations. Family-friendly costumes encouraged. READ MORE

Halloween Zoo-tacular

Irvine - Saturday, October 28, 2023
The Orange County Zoo throws a party to get the animals in the mood for Halloween. Activities include trick-or-treating, spooky crafts, and a scavenger hunt for kids under the age of 12. The animals, meanwhile, get to munch on treat-filled pumpkins throughout the day. READ MORE

Scarium of the Pacific

Long Beach - Saturday & Sunday, October 28 & 29, 2023
In 2024, Scarium will be presented as a one night only nighttime event. Brace yourself for the Scarium of the Pacific, the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Halloween celebration. Guests can don costumes to enjoy spooky décor and creepy creatures, along with a vampire magician, underwater pumpkin carving, and more. READ MORE
Kiddos can get their Halloween candy in nature. Photo courtesy of the LA Arboretum
Kiddos can get their Halloween candy in nature. Photo courtesy of the LA Arboretum

One-Day Halloween Events in LA Perfect for Preschoolers

Monterey Park Monster Mash

Monterey Park - Thursday, October 19, 2023
Free
Kids can bring a decorated goodie bag to collect treats at Monterey Park's annual Halloween event. The seasonal fun includes carnival games, giveaways, food trucks and activities from 4pm to 7pm. Live entertainment starts at 6pm. READ MORE

Long Beach Halloween Spooktacular

Long Beach - Saturday, October 21, 2023
Free
Long Beach Towne Center hosts a spooky good time for Halloween with family-friendly entertainment, including costumed characters, balloon twisters, trick-or-treat stations, kids' crafts, and a live DJ spinning Halloween-themed music. READ MORE

Spooky Science Night

Downey - Saturday, October 21, 2023
Columbia Memorial Space Center hosts a spooky-themed night of science! A variety of hands-on activities, such as a spooky robotics lab and super slime, are available for all ages. READ MORE

Halloween & Magic in the Park

Simi Valley - Saturday, October 21, 2023
Free
Admission is free to this old-fashioned Halloween event at Strathearn Historical Park featuring games, trick-or-treating, a costume parade, and a magic show. READ MORE

Trail or Treat - Camarillo Grove Park

Camarillo - Saturday, October 21, 2023
What could be better than following a trail lined with fun surprises? Costumed kids are invited to trek along the Camarillo Grove Park Nature Center trail and collect treats by answering nature questions. All treats will be nature or Halloween related, but will not include food items.  It costs $5 per person to participate in the trail, but parents can walk alongside their little ones for free. Register your children online.  READ MORE

37th Annual Halloween Carnival in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach - Saturday, October 21, 2023
This local festival in Manhattan Beach scares up the Halloween fun, with carnival games, a costume contest and parade, a haunted house, and a cupcake walk. This non-spooky boo bash is free to attend, though some activities may cost money. Carnival bracelets are available for $20 per person.  READ MORE

A Faery Hunt Show and Fairy Halloween Party

Tarzana - Sunday, October 22, 2023
The faery folke lead a fun and gentle immersive quest for the fairy royalty at this interactive, musical performance. Kids are invited to come in costume for this special Halloween performance. Following the show the fun continues with a fairy fun Halloween party, that includes one-on-one time with the fairies, dancing, games, storytelling, fairy unicorn readings, frolic, & fun!  READ MORE

Halloween Spooktacular Boo Crew Workshop at One Colorado

Pasadena - Sunday, October 22, 2023
It paints a spooky picture: the Unicorn Store at One Colorado hosts a Halloween-themed craft event. Each child ticket includes all the supplies needed to paint a ghostly masterpiece in a shimmering gold frame. READ MORE

Trick-or-Treat in the Garden

Arcadia - Friday, October 27, 2023
Little ones can dress in their Halloween costumes and come trick-or-treat in the Arboretum garden to learn about the “spookier” side of nature! While searching for trick-or-treat stations, children can discover fun facts about the plants at each destination and receive a nature-based treat when they reach them. READ MORE

Boo Bop! Halloween Music Party

Pasadena - Saturday, October 28, 2023
Join Minibop at the 3rd Annual BOO BOP! Halloween Music Party. Celebrate with your family and friends at this fun outdoor festival made for little ones. There will be costumes, kid sized trick or treating stations, soft-play, face painting, games, activities, storytelling, hair braiding, giveaways and of course special performances by Minibop Music and more. READ MORE

Magnitude Cheer Trunk-or-Treat 2025

Northridge - Saturday, October 28, 2023
Free
Magnitude Cheer invites neighbors to Trunk-or-Treat. Kids have an opportunity to dress up and trick-or-treat in a safe, family-friendly environment. READ MORE

Battleship IOWA Halloween STEMebration

San Pedro - Saturday, October 28, 2023
Free
This Halloween season, Battleship IOWA welcomes guests on board to enjoy STEM stations, craft stations, a spooky reading corner, and games. Treats can be gathered at six candy stations and Trunk-Or-Treating with first responders. READ MORE

Little Pumpkins Tot Party

Burbank - Saturday, October 28, 2023
Little kids can enjoy a morning of Halloween fun at the Little Pumpkins Tot Party. The event includes carnival games, activity stations, craft and treat making, and a goodie bag. READ MORE

Family Days: Día de los Muertos

DTLA - Sunday, October 29, 2023
Free
The dead come to life at LA Plaza! Guests can explore the historical and cultural significance of Day of the Dead traditions at this annual event READ MORE

Hip and Historic Halloween 2024 in Culver City

Culver City - Sunday, October 29, 2023
Free
Put on your costumes and stroll downtown Culver City to collect candy for local businesses.  Participating businesses display a “BOO CREW” sign. READ MORE

Halloween at Pretend City

Irvine - Sunday, October 29, 2023
Pretend City starts off Halloween Day with fun trick-or-treating around the City. Kids can then step into a world of enchantment, mystery, and creepy crawlers with Doodlebugs Animal Adventures. READ MORE

Halloween at One Colorado

Pasadena - Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Free
One Colorado and Old Pasadena offer tricks and treats this Halloween. Costumed kids can do their trick-or-treating among businesses throughout the mall, with a free outdoor silent  screening of Dracula at 7pm. READ MORE

PAL Spooktacular

Santa Monica - Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Free
The Santa Monica Police Activities League holds its annual Halloween celebration with trick-or-treating, costumes, games, and more.  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Boney Island at the Natural History Museum
Kidspace Children's Museum
Tarzana Community and Cultural Center
The Unicorn Store at One Colorado

About the Author

Kylie Williams
Kylie Williams is a mom of four who loves exploring Los Angeles with her kids and reporting back about the exciting events, attractions, and hidden gems she discovers. When she's not schlepping the kids around the city, she's probably at the gym, reading a book, or putting together snack bags for one of the kids' sports teams. If you know of a place she should check out, drop a line at Kylie@MommyPoppins.com.
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