Los Angeles Haunted Hayride Review (2025)

Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem:

We made our way through the front porch of a spooky-looking house, where Elvira had a special trick or treat adventure waiting for us! The house’s matron watched us pass solemnly and followed us for a while – I wonder if she had some idea as to the fate we were about to walk into? An eerie-looking, yet playful schoolgirl asked group members to check out her car… by actually having them crawl through it! Sweet ride. Other characters, whom we can only assume were there to trick or treat, lurked throughout the haunt – vampires, prison inmates etc. The actor posted next to a claustrophobia tunnel shaped like Elvira herself had some funny lines: “Don’t be afraid to go through the t*tties! Get in there, you’ll be fine!” Towards the end, we walked through a theater and were shown the door- rather frightfully- by a creepy usher.

Haunted Hayride:

All of Los Angeles Haunted Hayride was loosely centered around the town of Midnight Falls, and their signature attraction followed suit in that they laid siege to our wagon with a variety of creeps and monsters that found residence in prominent parts of the town. And man, did they have some crazy creatures out there! Most of them were original too; we saw our share of clowns and at least one set of movie characters, but everyone and everything else we saw was unique. The Hayride’s cast was energetic and bold; completely unafraid to strike at the wagon from multiple points, get in riders’ faces, and even climb on board with us! Some of the characters we met along our ride were several chainsaws, a priestess sending a literal band of monsters after us (no, really – they were scaring with drumsticks!), wicked schoolgirls, a cult with embers of X’s burning across their chests, animal-headed townspeople, a circus of aggressive killer clowns, and much more. Many times they would continue to chase or harass the wagon as we fled!

Dialogue included a lot of threats, creature noises, and other stuff appropriate to each character. We did enjoy some personal interactions with the actors – let’s just say a couple of group members went home with souvenirs. If you’re offered any sort of paper, take it!

Monae Manor:

The iconic Janelle Monae was hosting one hell of a Halloween party – and all of us were invited! Too bad several nasty things awaited us in her house of horrors. The cooks setting up dinner for the party attacked us with axes and tasers, and other deranged party guests came after us at various points in the haunt with knives and hammers. Out in the graveyard behind the house, other monsters stalked us as well. (Besides the beat playing in the background, this wasn’t a very fun party!)

Hellbilly Halloween:

This family of HELLbillies sure didn’t appreciate us intruding on their property, and they weren’t shy about letting us know it! Animal-masked maniacs and good ol’ boys and gals hunted us throughout the farmhouse and barn. Most of our interactions with them were brief, with actors popping out for scares or just staring us down and following. We did run into some previous unlucky visitors begging us for help with getting out before they were slaughtered. There wasn’t much real interaction going on in this maze, but the ghoulish long-haired granny did react immediately when our leading lady commented that the “guy with the shiny light” (a.k.a. our cameraman) was for dinner instead of her. Uh oh!

While the Hayride was well-staffed, we had several gaps in the other haunts where not much was going on. There were also many moments where actors would just reset after getting a jump scare and didn’t continue to remain in character or interact while they were visible on set. Interactivity could have used a bump; we’d try to talk to characters and just get a look and that was it.

The overall costuming effort across LA’s Haunted Hayride was a mixed bag that varied quite a bit between the four attractions.

​Starting with the Haunted Hayride, the costumes generally looked good, featuring an elaborate, shiny jacket on one clown, and interesting looks on the white-robed characters with light-up masks and the burn victim monsters. The characters were appropriate for their respective scenes, although we noted the goat people were just in flannels and jeans, and the burn victim makeup didn’t quite match the detail of their costumes. We were especially impressed with the queue actors at the Hayride, who looked great roaming the lines.

Over at the walk-throughs, the effort was less consistent. In Elvira’s Haunted House, the costumes were unimaginative, often just torn and tattered clothing. It felt like some effort was missing; for example, one actor was wearing their staff pass outside their costume, and we saw some bare arms that weren’t properly addressed with makeup.

In both Monae Manor and the Hellbilly Halloween maze, the costumes were more theme-appropriate (zombies dressed for a formal dance, or overalls/flannels for the hillbillies). However, makeup blending was a recurring issue across multiple haunts, with several characters (like the goat people on the Hayride and several in Hellbilly) not blending their masks to their skin.

The general makeup tended towards white face paint and black around the eyes, or just basic scarring and blood. We did have an interesting Monae Manor chef who looked appropriately dirty and bloody, but overall, the costuming needs a unifying vision to lift the lower-tier attractions.

Our GPS took us straight to the haunt with no problem, and parking couldn’t have been much simpler to figure out. Pre-paid parking is available in Merry Go Round Lots 1, 2, and 3, while free parking can be found at the LA Zoo in the northwest corner of their lot. A shuttle runs from there and conveniently drops guests off near Spokes ‘N Stuff, just a short walk from the entrance path. We recommend buying your paid parking pass online in advance, as the closer lots were already sold out when we arrived.

For such a large outdoor event, we were impressed by how easy it was to navigate. Every haunt and attraction was clearly marked, and even getting on and off the hayride was smooth thanks to helpful staff and solid ramps. Most of the team members we met were friendly and welcoming, though one at a haunt entrance came off a bit unnecessarily rude. Thankfully, that was the exception in an otherwise well-run operation.

Finding key info online beforehand was also a breeze, and we appreciated that the website includes a live chat option for quick questions. That said, we’d love to see them add a dedicated FAQ page with commonly asked details like parking, accessibility, and show schedules, all in one easy spot.

And a big shoutout for one of our favorite features: guests can upload their own photos to the park and have them printed right there! It’s a creative, modern touch that adds a fun keepsake to an already memorable night.

We’d also like to note that VIP guests would love to have access to a VIP restroom area.

Upon entering LA Haunted Hayride, patrons are immediately pulled into its world, surrounded by roaming characters, food options, music, and photo opportunities on the way to the main attractions.

Elvira’s Trick or Treating Mayhem feels like stepping into a movie. You are greeted by Elvira’s name in large, illuminated lights, setting the tone for the attraction. Inside, her storyline unfolds through voice recordings and character interactions, and each scene flows smoothly into the next. Mischievous spirits try to persuade you to linger, leading to an exciting exit back into the main area.

The Haunted Hayride amps up the tension. The wagon stops at each scene, leaving you in suspense as new stories unfold. Talented actors keep you on high alert, and the feeling of being watched makes the experience feel alive. When the ride ends, you are returned to the attraction grounds, free to explore other areas.

Monae Manor immediately immerses you in a creepy, unsettling atmosphere, as though you’ve stepped into Janelle Monae’s home. The storyline continues through voice recordings and interactions with the deceased chefs, who seem to lurk around every corner, trying to convince you to stay a little too long. A standout scene brings a playful, chaotic energy before you traverse Mable Crept Grave and are guided back outside.

Hellbilly Halloween throws you into full-on chaos. The realistic facade sets the stage, and inside, deceased hillbillies appear from every corner as you navigate the maze, chased through the house in a way that makes the experience feel intense and unpredictable. After a wild experience in the house, you are chased back into the midway.

Across all attractions, LA Haunted Hayride keeps you engaged and immersed. From wandering characters on the grounds to the chaotic, story-driven experiences inside each haunt, it’s easy to get lost in the world they’ve created.

The Special Effects are where the event delivered some high points, particularly in the namesake attraction, though the event’s quality was inconsistent.

​The Haunted Hayride used lighting exceptionally well to enhance the aesthetics of all its scenes, which included realistic cemetery headstones and caskets and some cool animatronics. The effects were creative and well-used, featuring tons of fog and strategic lighting, foam/bubbles in the decontamination scene, strobes, an actor flying around with a victim’s head, and a house that genuinely looked like it was on fire.

The Monae Manor also had some strong aesthetic elements, including a realistic run-down house, a great-looking cemetery outside, swamp lights, and giant upside-down bats hanging from the ceiling on the exit.

​In Hellbilly Halloween, the scene designs, particularly the Devil’s Rejects-looking house, were realistic, and we were impressed by props like bloody pigs hanging from the ceiling and bodies hanging by rope. Sound effects for this maze, and the event generally, featured effective music and sounds, like the evil-sounding music in Hellbilly and the metal music on the Hayride.

​Elvira’s Haunted House was narrated by Elvira herself, which was a fun sound effect choice, with music playing throughout. The scene designs were okay, featuring a ransacked house, a junkyard outside with broken-down cars, and pictures of Elvira everywhere. A memorable, creative effect was walking through a claustrophobic tunnel formed by Elvira’s cleavage. Creative effects here included strobes, fog, water blasting barrels, and air blasts. Overall, the event offers a decent variety of effects, but the standout quality was primarily seen on the Hayride itself.

The LA Haunted Hayride offered a mix of highs and lows when it came to scares, but overall it was a really fun experience with plenty of energy.

The Elvira section was cute, but not really scary. There were a few jump scares, but they were predictable and spaced far apart. Going through her “boobs” for the claustrophobic tunnel and crawling through the car were fun touches, but the section really needed an Elvira character inside to tie it all together. The theater scene at the end looked cool, but it didn’t deliver much in the way of scares. Part of our group went back through later in the night and said there seemed to be more actors, so consistency might have been an issue earlier in the night. Even then, there was still no sign of Elvira, which felt like a missed opportunity.

The Haunted Hayride portion itself was easily one of the best hayrides we’ve been on. It starts off strong with chainsaws stalking the wagon, instantly setting a tense and exciting tone. The creepy preacher-like character and the congregation that suddenly attacked the wagon were a great touch, and some characters even flew over the wagon, which was a really cool visual. One scene looked like it was actually on fire, adding to the intensity even though it wasn’t real flames. Actors climbing onto the wagon and big animatronics made everything feel larger than life. The Strangers appeared to attack, and clowns climbed up on the wagon to torment everyone, keeping the chaos going until the end. The last scene could have gone out with a bigger pop, but overall it was great for the type of scares a hayride can provide. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Monae Manor had a few jump scares, with characters running up to us, but most were predictable. Even in a smaller group, the focus seemed to stay on scaring the first person walking through. There were some fun animatronic moments in the graveyard, and the walkthrough ended with walking through some cool bats, which looked great but weren’t particularly scary. It could definitely use a bigger bang at the end to leave a lasting jolt.

Hellbilly Halloween had a strong House of 1000 Corpses vibe, filled with cut-up body parts and grim details that gave it a gritty, backwoods horror energy. The chainsaw chase in and out of the house was a fun highlight and kept everyone on edge. These Hellbillies were more in your face than some of the other haunts, which added some really good intensity. This was easily the most explicit house at LA Haunted Hayride, and while it delivered some jump scares, most were fairly predictable. It had a cool concept and atmosphere, but a few more unexpected moments could really take it up a notch.

Overall, LA Haunted Hayride was a blast. Some sections definitely hit harder than others, but there were so many memorable moments and intense visuals that made it really fun to go through. The energy was non-stop, and even the predictable scares didn’t take away from how much we enjoyed ourselves.

On the night of our visit, general admission tickets were priced at $59.99 online, though prices vary depending on the date and time you attend. We spent roughly 27.95 minutes venturing through all of the haunted attractions, bringing the MPD (minutes per dollar) to 0.47. While that lands on the lower end of the value scale based on time alone, the amount of entertainment packed into this event helps balance it out.

Included with every admission are stage shows, photo ops, and roaming characters that keep the Halloween energy alive throughout the night. For an additional upcharge, guests can hop aboard the Scary-Go-Round or grab some delicious bites from a wide selection of food vendors. Don’t forget to swing by the Midnight Falls General Store, where you’ll find a massive variety of themed merch and souvenirs.

The Haunted Hayride itself was hands down one of the best hayrides we’ve seen in a long time! It was creative, scary, and an absolute blast from start to finish. If you’re short on time, hayride-only tickets are available, but we definitely recommend upgrading to VIP if you can—the lines were already growing long by mid-October.

A variety of ticket options are available, including VIP, season passes, and more. So if you’re searching for a one-of-a-kind night of fright, look no further – Los Angeles Haunted Hayride delivers Halloween magic by the wagonload!