The team at 13th Floor Entertainment Group dropped some exciting news today at their Midsummer Scream panel, and we’ve got all the gory details for you. Known for conjuring up some of the most terrifying haunt experiences across the country, 13th Floor gave us a sneak peek into what they’re brewing for the upcoming Halloween season.
Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns
After its successful runs at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns is moving to a new, enchanting location at the South Coast Botanic Garden this fall. The new venue provides a significantly larger space, allowing the event to nearly double the length of its illuminated pumpkin trail. This expansion promises visitors an even more immersive experience as they wander through a glowing path of thousands of intricately carved jack-o’-lanterns, creating a magical journey filled with new sights and scenes.
Delusion
Get ready for a descent into damnation. Delusion announced its return with a new show titled “Harrowing of Hell,” moving to the historic Variety Arts Center in Downtown Los Angeles. This season’s narrative is a twisted take on Dante’s Inferno. The “moving play” concept that has made Delusion a fan favorite is back, promising a haunting live experience that envelops you in the journey. To complete the experience, the show will also feature an expanded lounge.
Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House
Prepare for a thrilling new Halloween experience. Festival Fright Nights will debut this spooky season at the legendary Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. The event plunges guests back to Halloween night, 1924, two years after the death of Sarah Winchester. The mansion’s doors, long-dormant, are reopened by a mysterious traveling fortune teller known as the Maestro, who invites the public to a Halloween festival. As sideshow performers entertain and a grand 1920s masquerade ball fills the mansion with glamour, the Maestro reveals his true intention: he has opened a spiritual portal to uncover the house’s secrets. This event focuses heavily on the authenticity of the location, making the legendary Winchester Mystery House the star of the show. Visit on select nights from September 26 through November 1, will feature three haunted attractions, theatrical experiences, and themed food and beverages.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
The most ghoulishly glamorous announcement from Los Angeles Haunted Hayride this year is the official move of the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira, into Midnight Falls. The horror icon will be a central part of the story, with her voice segments and overlays woven throughout the experience, helping to immerse guests further into Midnight Falls. The late, great Monte Revolta returns with two nightly shows. This season also brings back iconic scenes and music from the first 10 years of the hayride, where the wagons will stop to allow choreographed scenes to play out. Monae Manor and Trick or Treat (as Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem) are back, as is Hellbilly Halloween – but this year the chainsaw-wielding maniacs will be let loose in the town to torment guests, too. A brand new immersive area, the Midnight Falls Cider Mill, will debut, offering guests cider and donuts.
Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor will have its very own Midsummer Scream panel on Sunday, 8/17 at 2:00 PM in the Grand Ballroom.
The panel concluded with a promise of more details to come, so keep your eyes on their social media channels and, of course, right here on GSG. It looks like the 2025 haunt season is going to be one for the record books!
