Halloween Happenings in San Diego
San Diego may be known for its sun and surf, but so many frighteningly fun festivities happen here in the fall. With ghost tours, masquerade cruises, and other captivating displays of Halloween spirit, there’s not a dull moment all season long. Here’s a guide to the spooky schedule of Halloween happenings going down all across “America’s Finest City.”
Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (Oct. 22)
(Photo: @greatpumpkinbeerfest)
What’s better than a Halloween party? How about a Halloween party in the “Craft Beer Capital of the World”, where you’ll discover more local brew, fantastic food, and live music than you could shake a Jack-O-Lantern at? Pop down to the city’s newest fall festival for all of the fun you’ve come to expect from our fantastic block parties, plus live entertainment, secret scares and hidden surprises. Celebrate brews, boos and beats!
702 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101
Halloween Aglow at Birch Aquarium (Oct. 27 –28)
(Photo: @birchaquarium)
The newest area attraction to join the Halloween fun is Birch Aquarium at Scripps. The whole facility will be coming alive during the evenings of this family event, set to feature a costume contest, live entertainment, trick-or-treating and much more. The Giant Kelp Forest will be featuring scary skeleton divers, too! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about undersea life from the very same team that’s working to research it all.
San Diego Zombie Crawl (Oct. 27, 28, 31)
(Photo: @sandiegozombiecrawl)
The Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego’s center for nightlife 362 days of the year. The other three? The graveyard’s liveliest denizens take over, and turn Gaslamp into a Necropolis of the undead. Zombie Crawl participants are invited to deck themselves out in their finest rags and rot, then lurch and lumber to more than a dozen costume parties, bar celebrations, creeped-out clubs and haunted attractions across the neighborhood. So use your BRAAAAAINS 🧠 and don’t miss being a part of the horrifying horde in Gaslamp!
628 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA, 92101
Fall Fest at Belmont Park (weekends throughout October)
(Photo: @belmontparksd)
Families, thrillseekers, and anyone looking for a great time will find much to love at Belmont Park. This timeless boardwalk-style waterfront rides-and-games destination is located in picturesque Mission Beach — and features favorite attractions like the Giant Dipper roller coaster, mini-golf, rock climbing, classic oceanside dining, and more. This fall, we’re also looking forward to Fall Fest, returning in 2023 through October 31! This celebration offers special events like Mr. Jack-O’-Lantern’s Pumpkin Patch, live music, seasonal menus, Sunday Trick-or-Treating, and a lot more spooky fun.
3146 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
HalGLOWeen at the San Diego Zoo (weekends throughout October)
(Photo: @sandiegozoo)
The San Diego Zoo is once again holding its HalGLOWeen extravaganza this year! The 2023 event will be happening Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays all month, and will feature park-wide performances, games, costumes, a live Skeleton band, bubble dance party and Dia de los Muertos mariachi music and more. Plus, keep an eye out for the Boo Crew, special spooky treats and eats, and plenty of creepy fun all month long.
2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101
LEGOLand Brick-or-Treat (weekends through Oct. 30)
(Photo: @legolandcalifornia)
October Saturdays at LEGOLand are Brick-or-Treat time! As one of the premier family-friendly Halloween events in Southern California, Brick-or-Treat truly offers something for everyone. Kids can come in their favorite fun or spooky costumes and enjoy seasonal experiences like extended ride hours, special food-and-beverage menu, live entertainment, and special themed candy collection stations across the entire park.
One LEGOLand Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008
SeaWorld Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream (through Oct. 31)
(Photo: @seaworldsandiego)
SeaWorld is hosting not just one, but two seasonal spookfests this Halloween. The “treats by day” Halloween Spooktacular is a family-friendly event where kids can come to trick-or-treat, show off their costumes, and visit their favorite animal friends. The other side of the coin is the “frights by night” Howl-O-Scream celebration, where the SeaWorld you know and love will be transformed into a seriously sinister experience, complete with creepy creatures and haunted horrors. Visit if you dare!
500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109
Haunted Trail and eXperiment Maze at Balboa Park (through Oct. 31)
(Photo: @hauntedtrailbp)
Named one of the 10 best haunted attractions in the country by CNN, Balboa Park’s Halloween Haunts offerings are not to be missed. The tranquil grounds of the beloved park will change from peaceful to petrifying thanks to a pair of blood-chilling attractions. The Haunted Trail offers thrillseekers a mile-long twisted trail through the misty old-growth trees, each step packed with the potential for panic. And the eXperiment Maze offers a 3,500-square-foot labyrinth of fear, with spooky scares around every corner.
Balboa Dr & Juniper Rd, San Diego, CA 92101
The Scream Zone: Welcome to Your Nightmare (through Oct. 31)
(Photo: @thescreamzone)
The Scream Zone isn’t just one of southern California’s premier spooky season attractions. It’s a titanic trio of terrifying creature features and shocking shriekfests designed to make your blood run cold. Held at the Del Mar SCARE-Grounds, The Scream Zone’s three distinct zones — Labyrinth Manor, Stars of the Silver Scream, and the Haunted Hayride — will shake you to your very core. Nothing can prepare you.
Plan Your Scary Stay at Days
(Photo: @daysinnhc)
Interested in enjoying all the Halloween happenings going on this month in San Diego? Take a look at our special offers and enjoy the best rates on your stay at Days Inn. And while you’re here, be sure to follow us on Instagram to keep up with “Mr. Bones”. He’s the macabre mascot who haunts our halls during spooky season. Beware — you never know where he’ll turn up!