Columnist Brocarde has scoured the globe to find the best Halloween events, from Hollywood's blockbuster scares to historic haunted venues. Her spooky season began in August, and over the past few months she has visited some of the world's biggest Halloween attractions, rating which ones genuinely deliver the goods.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
Walking the blood-red carpet at Halloween Horror Nights was a dream come true for Brocarde. Ozzy Osbourne's legacy took centre stage in the Prince of Darkness scare maze, while Freaky Nikki, inspired by viral internet fascination, brought unpredictable audience interaction. As a rock singer, she loved seeing music and horror collide.
The standout attraction was Dead, Deader, Deadest, inspired by disturbing allegations surrounding Pasadena's Lamb Funeral Home. Inside, seemingly caring employees give way to grotesque corpses and a mad scientist. Knowing the story draws on real allegations made the experience especially unsettling. Universal's elaborate sets, costumes and performances showcase the creativity behind the scares, and the team is already planning next year.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and Dark Harbour
Set at the Old LA Zoo, Haunted Hayride combines vintage carnival charm with theatrical scares. The tractor-drawn ride takes visitors through elaborate horror scenes, including Clown Town, where killer clowns hijack the trailer while head-banging to heavy metal. Brocarde's favourite maze was Fallen Angel, about a fictional 1980s rock band whose Halloween rehearsal ends in a tragic fire, trapping their spirits inside an abandoned theatre.
Returning to Dark Harbour aboard the historic Queen Mary felt like visiting an old friend with dark secrets. Her favourite maze is Lullaby, featuring Scary Mary, a fictional character inspired by stories surrounding a young girl believed to have drowned in the ship's swimming pool. During a previous visit, something tugged at her leg as she walked through the ship's echoing corridors, and she experienced a strange drowning sensation before a scare actor's giggle snapped her back to reality.
Festival Fright Nights and Knott's Scary Farm
The Winchester Mystery House feels like stepping into somebody else's fever dream, with eccentric Victorian architecture including staircases leading nowhere and 47 fireplaces, although only 17 have chimneys. The mansion belonged to Sarah Winchester, who continued expanding it following the deaths of her husband and daughter. During Festival Fright Nights, actors and sinister storytelling bring the mansion's unusual corridors to life.
Knott's Scary Farm combines traditional ghost stories with imaginative horror. Origins: The Curse of Calico explores the legend of Sarah Marshall, accused of witchcraft and condemned to a public hanging, while Inked plunges visitors into the surreal world of a 1930s cartoonist whose magical blood brings monstrous drawings to life. Brocarde loved the contrast between folklore and bizarre fantasy.
Howl O' Scream and Final Verdict
SeaWorld's Howl O' Scream proves that even familiar seaside settings can become terrifying. The Final Catch, inspired by the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise, transports visitors to the fictional town of Southport, where sinister fishermen and dark secrets lurk around every corner. Behind the scenes, Brocarde discovered chilling details, from fish hooks and creepy mannequins to animatronics delivering unexpected scares.
Hollywood has stolen her heart with its spectacular scares, haunted history and gloriously twisted nightmares, but her appetite for the macabre is far from satisfied. Being a Halloween Fiend comes with certain responsibilities, and she will be first in line when the monsters return, dressed to kill and ready to scream.
