Haunted Houses and Trails
It'll Be Walking Dread at Our Top Spooky Spots
As the days grow shorter and the weather grows cooler, ghosts, ghouls and specters of all sorts arise for their annual supernatural sojourns. If you're feeling brave enough to greet them, head out to one of these haunted houses or trails throughout San Diego County.
Shadows loom, doorways creak, a chill wind blows through balmy San Diego. Or is it just your imagination run wild as the spooky season approaches? There’s only one way to find out — or, actually, a whole lot of ways, as San Diego rolls out a ghostly host of haunted houses, supernatural trail adventures and other chilling choices for your Halloween creepification. From the Scream Zone at the Del Mar “Scaregrounds,” to the ominous Balboa Park Haunted Trail, to SeaWorld San Diego’s delightfully deranged Howl-O-Scream, to Old Town’s famously freaky Whaley House, late September to late October is chock-full of eerie entertainment in San Diego. So check back here when fall approaches for event updates, details and info on new happenings – and then get ready for tons of ghoulish fun.
SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream
Howl-O-Scream will once again arrive to transform the peaceful SeaWorld San Diego park you once knew into something sinister. When night falls and a carnival of horrifying creatures surrounds you, just try to put on a happy face.
Where: 500 SeaWorld Dr, San Diego, CA 92109
Region: Mission Bay & Beaches
When: September 12 - November 1, 2025
Cost: Starting at $43.99
> Find out more about SeaWorld's Howl-O-Scream
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park
Experience the outdoor horror that is simply too big to house indoors! Located in San Diego's world famous Balboa Park, The Haunted Trail is a stroll through the park you will never forget. Make your way out of the eXperiment Maze before entering the mile long Trail through the grove of twisted pines and gnarled oaks. Visitors watch your back, you never know which way the scares will hit you!
Note: No pregnant women, infants, or children being carried will be allowed entry. Not recommended for children under 10.
Where: 6th & Juniper at Marston Point, San Diego, CA 92103
Region: Downtown
When: September 26 - November 1, 2025
Cost: Starting at $32.99
> Find out more about The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park
The Haunted Amusement Park
The Haunted Amusement Park is a HAUNTED Scare Trail set on the desolate grounds of the iconic San Diego Amusement park Marshal Scotty's Playland. The once joyful sounds of fun and laughter are now replaced with screams of terror as visitors make their way through the remnants of the carnival rides from the 1960's.
Where: 14011 Ridge Hill Rd, El Cajon, CA 92021
Region: East County
When: September 26 - November 1, 2025
Cost: $25
> Find out more about The Haunted Amusement Park
Whaley House Museum
Step into one of America's Most Haunted Houses and immediately feel a chill! See something out of the corner of your eye that you can't explain? Hear the sound of a ball bouncing off the wall but don't see it? This October, the Whaley House will be offering extended hours and the chance for you to have an actual paranormal encounter.
Where: 2476 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, CA 92110
Region: Mission Valley
When: Open Daily
Cost: Prices vary by event
> Find out more about the Whaley House
*Please note, events are subject to change and cancellation. Please confirm the event information by visiting the event website.
Fort Cross Haunted Harvest
Embark on a haunted hayride and hear a spooky ghost story as you rumble through eerie surroundings. Then, if you dare, go for a guided stroll through dark woods and experience plenty of other chills and thrills (not to mention jug-band music and a haunted hoedown) in this one-of-a-kind experience in the mountains near Julian.
Where: Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures, 4425 CA-78, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
Region: East County
When: Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2025
Cost: $30 ($25 on Oct. 4)
> Find out more about the Fort Cross Haunted Harvest