Theme Parks Ready to Celebrate Halloween With Tricks, Treats

Monsters, ghosts and ghouls are delightfully terrorizing area theme parks throughout the Halloween season this month. Like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, most of these are not for scaredy-cats or children.

Knott’s Scary Farm and Camp Spooky

The biggest Halloween party is at Knott’s Berry Farm, which is celebrating its 26th year of Knott’s Scary Farm. More than 1,200 monsters prowl about in search of victims as the park features 10 walk-through mazes and re-themed rides, including an all-new “Alien Attack,” “Horrorwood Hotel,” and “Dead Man’s Wharf.”

Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, entertains with music, dance and comedy in the 2,100-seat Toyota Ghoul Time Theatre.

For children, the park offers daytime trick-or-treating with the Peanuts Gang providing non-scare entertainment and hands-on activities at Camp Spooky.

Camp Spooky is open Saturday and Sunday, and Oct. 24 and 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Activities are included with regular Knott’s admission with a nominal charge for certain game and crafts activities. Admission for Southern California adult residents is $28 and for children 3-11 $12.50. Knott’s Scary Farm opens at 7 p.m. and is scheduled to run Friday-Sunday, Oct. 22-25 and Oct. 28-Nov. 1. It remains open until 2 a.m. Presale tickets are $34, and $39 on the day of the event. Tickets can be ordered by calling (213) 365-3535 and (714) 703-2555. Camp Spooky information: (714) 220-5200.

Fright Fest

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is offering a Fright Fest featuring live entertainment, ghosts, goblins, mazes and spooky effects through Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Daytime programs for children include a “creepy crawly pet show,” and a craft area from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For the older crowd, there are a haunted mansion, backward travel on the dual track coaster, Colossus, and street shows and entertainment, including the “Ghoul Patrol” stalking the Gotham City Backlot.

Fright Fest runs Friday-Sunday, Oct. 23-25 and 30-31. Entertainment times vary. Activities are included in the price of admission. Adults, $36; senior 55 and older, $20; children under 4 feet, $18, children 2 and under, free. Information: (805) 255-4849.

Shipwreck ’98

Ghouls and goblins are haunting the Queen Mary in Long Beach during its Shipwreck ’98 Halloween special. Visitors will be terrorized by monsters until Nov. 1.

Shipwreck ’98 is open from 6:30 p.m. until midnight every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, this weekend, Oct. 23-25 and daily Tuesday, Oct. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Monday, Oct. 26, it will be closed.

Shipwreck ’98 is not recommended for children under 13. Costumes are not permitted. The price of the event is $17 and is not included in the general admission ticket price.

Information: (562) 435-3511.

BE THERE

Knott’s Berry Farm: 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park.

Queen Mary: 1126 Queens Highway, end of Long Beach Freeway, Long Beach.

Six Flags Magic Mountain: Magic Mountain Parkway, Interstate 5, Valencia.