California Halloween Road Trip

The route at a glance

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Day 1: Apple Hill and Bishop's

East of Sacramento in the Sierra foothills, Apple Hill near Camino is a cluster of family farms selling apples, pies, cider donuts and pumpkins : California's answer to a New England orchard weekend. North of Sacramento, Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland is a beloved Valley tradition with pumpkin fields and family attractions.

Day 2: Half Moon Bay, the pumpkin capital of the coast

On the coast south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay is surrounded by pumpkin farms along Highway 92 and Highway 1. Every October it hosts:

• The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, where giant pumpkins top a ton. In 2023 a Minnesota grower set a then–world record of 2,749 pounds here.
• The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival : its 54th edition takes place October 17–18, 2026, on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission, the Great Pumpkin Parade, about 250 artists, four music stages, pumpkin-carving demonstrations and pie-eating contests.

Expect heavy traffic on festival weekends; arrive early.

Day 3: The Winchester Mystery House

In San Jose, the Winchester Mystery House is one of America's most famous "haunted" homes. Sarah Winchester, widow of the rifle company heir, expanded her Victorian mansion for decades, creating a sprawling house with stairs that lead to ceilings, doors that open onto walls and dozens of rooms. Legend says she built to confuse the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles; historians note she was also an energetic, inventive owner. Either way, it's wonderfully eerie in October, when the house has historically offered special Halloween-season tours : check current offerings.

Day 4: Down the coast

Take Highway 1 for dramatic ocean views (check for road closures along Big Sur, which happen periodically) or Highway 101 for a faster drive through the Salinas Valley farmland. Stop in Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo overnight.

Day 5: Disneyland's Halloween Time

At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Halloween Time brings pumpkin-filled décor and the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay with characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. On select nights, the separately ticketed Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure (August 18 to October 31, 2026, 6–11 p.m.) features treat trails, villains, the Villains Grove walk-through and Madame Leota's Swinging Wake street party. Many nights sell out. See Disney Halloween Celebrations.

Day 6: Pick your scare

Knott's Scary Farm (Buena Park)

Just minutes from Disneyland, Knott's Scary Farm has been scaring Southern Californians since 1973 : one of the oldest theme-park Halloween events. Expect original mazes, scare zones and hundreds of roaming monsters.

Halloween Horror Nights (Universal Studios Hollywood)

Universal's 35th Halloween Horror Nights runs select nights September 3 to November 1, 2026, with film-quality houses and scares on the studio backlot. Universal says it may not be suitable for children under 13. See Universal Halloween Horror Nights.

Compare both in Halloween at Amusement Parks.

Day 7: Los Angeles harvest and Día de los Muertos

• Farm festivals: Southern California farms such as Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark and the Irvine Park Railroad pumpkin patch in Orange County run popular fall festivals.
• Día de los Muertos: Los Angeles has some of the largest Day of the Dead celebrations in the U.S., including events at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and on historic Olvera Street, with ofrendas, music, dance and marigolds. Dates cluster around November 1–2; check each event's schedule.
• Haunted Hollywood: Classic Hollywood ghost stories, historic hotels and cemetery tours round out the trip.

Southern alternatives

• Julian in San Diego County : a historic mountain town famous for apple pie and fall weekends.
• The Queen Mary in Long Beach : a historic ocean liner famed for ghost stories; check for current tours and events.

Practical tips

1. Traffic is the biggest variable. Plan theme parks on weekdays and avoid driving across Los Angeles at rush hour.
2. Book theme-park tickets early : weekend and late-October nights sell out.
3. Pack layers. Coastal fog is cold; inland afternoons can still be hot.
4. Watch for wildfire smoke and closures in autumn, and check air quality.
5. Stay central in Anaheim for Disney and Knott's.

Shorter versions

• NorCal weekend: Apple Hill + Half Moon Bay + Winchester Mystery House.
• SoCal scare weekend: Knott's + HHN + Disneyland. See Planning a Haunted Attraction Road Trip.

Heading north instead? Try Halloween in the Pacific Northwest. For more destinations nationwide, see America's Best Halloween Destinations and America's Best Pumpkin Patches.

Frequently asked questions