Guess what’s new at the Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park, LA? This year, they’re introducing the chilling “Hellbilly Halloween” – a spooky dive into a cannibal family’s home. Yikes!
The Haunted Hayride has been LA’s go-to for Halloween fun for the last fifteen years. From haunted houses to mazes and games, there’s something for everyone. And the cherry on top? The iconic Hayride through the eerie town of Midnight Falls is set up mainly in Griffith Park each year. If you’re looking for spooky vibes, drop by anytime from late September right up to Halloween night.
This year, the Haunted Hayride will host three haunted mazes: the Morbid Mortuary, Midnight Falls walkthrough, and the new Hellbilly Halloween. Each is full of scary characters ready to frighten you. Hellbilly Halloween is a large haunt, offering customers the chance to enter the home of a family of hillbilly cannibals. The maze allows visitors to walk through various rooms in the run-down house, full of bodies, blood, and terror. The place is also fog-filled, making it challenging to find the exit. “It was pretty scary. I was sweating,” said Sofia Lauren as she exited Hellbilly Halloween. “I was like, ‘When is this going to end?’ I was looking for the end because it was a little too long, but it was fun,” the Monrovia resident continued.
This year, the Hayride got a bit of a facelift! Not only will there be more unexpected spooks, but you’re also in for a comfier ride. Remember how we just sat on a hay spread on the wagon floor? Well, now they’ve set up hay bales around the sides, making it much cozier to sit. So, brace yourself for a thrilling journey through the park’s wild side!
“Last year, you had to lay down on the wagon; now it’s much better, and it was scarier than last year, too, because they had more people coming at you,” said Rene Zapien, a resident of Sun Valley who visited the Haunted Hayride with his wife and two daughters.
Another new addition to the event is a game called Zombie Splat. Players can fight back against the zombies in this carnival-style shooting game. Actors play zombies that visitors can shoot with gelly balls, like paintballs but much softer. “I think this may be the only place where you get to fight back against the zombies rather than them sneaking up on you,” commented Ryan Wade as he exited Zombie Splat.
Victor Mathieu, general manager for the Haunted Hayride, has high hopes for this year’s Halloween season. “It’s going to be epic,” he told Los Angeles Daily News, “Overall, this event has grown and improved drastically. We’re extremely excited about this season.”
You can buy tickets for the Halloween event on the Haunted Hayride website. The prices of the tickets vary, starting from $29.99 for hayride tickets and going up to $109.99 for platinum tickets that give you access to all parts of the event. You can visit the Midnight Falls Town Square well by purchasing tickets at any price point.
