Last year, I noted that the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride was “baby’s first Halloween haunt”. That wasn’t supposed to be a derogatory remark about the event. There are tons of competitors in the Los Angeles Halloween field. You have to deal with Halloween Horror Nights, Six Flags Fright Fest, Knott’s Scary Farm, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Delusion, and other smaller haunts as well. The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is back at Griffith Park, where it’s been for the past couple of years now.

The Halloween institution is a slice of Halloween heaven/hell for residents looking for a super traditional Halloween event. This year, you have the Hayride, three mazes, and other entertainment like a seance, axe throwing, mini escape rooms, Zombie Splat Gellyball, and the Scary-Go-Round. That adds to all the food and drink options they have at the event. For those looking for alcoholic drinks, this might not be the event for you; it’s a dry event.

The three mazes for this year are: Monáe Manor, Elvira’s Trick Or Treat Mayhem, and Hellbilly Halloween. Starting with the Hayride itself, it’s changed from past years, but detractors will still have the same critiques. The actual hayride is hampered in its ability to scare you because you’re in a moving vehicle. It has to move quickly to pump guests through as fast as possible. The scare actors have the challenge of trying to scare a hayride full of people

The Hayride has some much-needed improvements this year, though. There are more scenes, and the ride is a bit longer than in previous years. The scare actors are also much more prominent and daring than in previous years. One of them jumped into the hayride vehicle to scare people.

It’s still a very fun time, especially if you get a group.

LA Haunted Hayride Mazes Ranked

3. Monáe Manor

Monáe Manor was new for 2024, and it doesn’t see too many changes from last year to this year. It takes up residence across from Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem. This is the longest maze of the event and really does feel like a maze at points inside. The annual Halloween party brings things that aren’t quite what they seem. As it goes on, the monsters come out to play, and music blares. The grisly ghosts and scare actors make for a great experience. I’m not too experienced with Janelle’s music, but it fits the vibes of the house. This is a big party, and you’re going through it as a guest.

If you’re a fan of Monáe and her music, you might get more experience out of it. Hopefully, there are actual changes for next year, but as it stands, this one is still a good experience overall.

2. Hellbilly Halloween

The Jasper family returns for Hellbilly Halloween at the Haunted Hayride in 2025. This is the most terrifying of the mazes at the event and makes up for any other fright hound that would be disappointed by the lighter scares of the other mazes. The cannibalistic family and their massive house/compound make for the best scares you can get.

It’s heavily inspired by the Texas Chain Saw Massacre and includes some sections that might actually make you feel lost while going through it. Hopefully there are some changes for next year that freshen it up a bit, but this is still a great experience.

1. Elvira’s Trick Or Treat Mayhem

The biggest upgrade for the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in 2025 is the addition of Elvira to the event. Her maze adds plenty to the suburbs of Midnight Falls and its eccentric residents. You walk through the various locales including a movie theater, the power plant, and some interactive elements in buttons you press to see things happen. It captures the vibes of the Hayride perfectly with scares but not over-the-top scares. So people who might be a bit apprehensive about haunted events can enjoy this one and still get a bit scared.

There’s plenty of Elvira throughout, including her movies playing on TV screens and an Elvira scare actor right when you walk in the house. This was the biggest change from previous years and its a welcomed change.

The Haunted Hayride Is Still The Best Way To Introduce People To Halloween Haunts

The special part about Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is the entire package of the event. It’s a slice of a Halloween spirit that you don’t really get in Los Angeles. It feels like something from a time gone by with plenty of fog, monsters, cider, food, and of course the scares. This is all about the ambiance, the atmosphere, and the LA Haunted Hayride truly feels like a little slice of Halloween heaven.

This isn’t going to be the seasoned Halloween haunter’s favorite event, but it might just make a non-believer into a fan of the season.

The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride runs through November 2nd. Grab tickets right here.

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

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