Though it isn’t always obvious, there’s an unmistakable psychotropic connection between cannabis and the bizarre, spooky, and supernatural. Those who toke — and toke often — are certainly in regular chemical conversation with a deeply emotional plant, one that heightens many of the same feelings and sensations that accompany a thrilling supernatural experience, whether genuine or artificial. It’s the reason so many stoners are also horror fans, and why the spooky season is a time to venerate the fogging of the line between this mortal plane and the next, where the air gets hazy with the promise of hyper-sensory thrills, chills, and otherworldly visitations.
In my experience, LA has always been a city that feels haunted, and the greater Los Angeles area always comes alive with a delightfully sinister hum when October rolls around. And there’s always something to do, see, or experience while eclipsed in a high-powered edible high, nursing a handy pack of pre-rolls with your crew, or periodically vaping your favorite live resin cartridge or pod.
If you’re a cannabis enthusiast planning a spooky LA adventure this or any other time of year, consider the following year-round hangouts and annual events as potential stops on your path to high-Halloween hijinx.
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is an appropriately morbid and beautiful LA landmark and the final resting place of showbusiness legends spanning multiple Hollywood eras. Though the dark-deco grounds are a must-see on their own, one of the best ways to experience Hollywood Forever is at one of Cinespia‘s repertoire screenings. Sit out under the stars, get a group photo at Cinespia’s rotating movie-themed photo booth, and catch a horror screening all throughout October.
Address: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
The Haunted Hayride is a classic LA spook-alley experience you won’t want to miss if you’re down for something immersive while appropriately baked. Board the Haunted Hayride for a “thrilling adventure of horrors afflicting the town” with spooky stops along the way.
Hours and tickets for October 2021 can be found here.
Address: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Another signature Hollywood photo-op/spook alley experience, Hollywood Horror Nights at Universal Studios has an annual, rotating offering of haunts inspired by classic entries in the Universal catalog. General admission tickets start at $69.
Book a night in October 2021 here.
Address: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
A year-round, publicly accessible spot with eerie vibes to spare, the old, abandoned Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park has plenty of space to picnic and explore, dotted by enclosure ruins, abandoned cages, and great hiking trails. It’s a great daytime activity for any toker planning a spooky LA adventure.
Address: 4801 Griffith Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Escape Halloween is an annual Halloween-themed electronic music festival that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. With walk-through mazes, themed stages, art, and various thrills, Insomniac’s Escape Halloween is one big Hallow’s Eve celebration.
Full Price passes start at $169.99, which you can book here.
Address: 689 SE St, San Bernardino, CA 92408
Now a popular public hike area, Cobb Estate was once owned by lumber magnate Charles Cobb, who built a mansion on the grounds in 1918. “Over the next decades,” wrote Charles Fleming for the Los Angeles Times, “the Spanish-themed estate survived brush fires, a public plan to turn the land into a cemetery, and ownership by the Marx Brothers before it was ultimately turned into public parkland.”
For over 100 years, the Cobb Estate ruins and the wildlife-rich land surrounding it have been rumored to be haunted. If you and your terror-inclined buddies favor real-life haunts over fabricated spook alleys, the Cobb Estate is the historical site for you.
Address: Altadena, CA 91001
Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum is one of Burbank’s choicest novelty and vintage memorabilia hubs and includes a delightful, boutique museum of horror and the occult. This year, they’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sam Raimi’s camp classic Evil Dead, with props from the film, interactive horror elements, photo ops, and an art show.
Admission to the museum is $15 at the door and starts at 12:30, and the Evil Dead exhibit will be on display for the rest of the year.
Address: 3204 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
For Hollywood horror fans and stoners alike, the New Beverly theater offers a vintage 35mm mix of laughs, chills, and thrills you won’t want to miss. Throughout October, you can catch new and old classics of horror at the New Beverly, all in 35mm with many prints from owner Quentin Tarantino’s private film library. Most screenings are accompanied by vintage trailers and cartoons to really get the spooky vibes going, and if you’re lucky enough to snag tickets before they sell out, you can enjoy an all-night marathon of rare and rarely screened horror films. Check out the New Beverly schedule to see if one of your seasonal favorites is playing this year.
Address: 7165 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Featured image courtesy of Escape Halloween
