Have you already started thinking about Halloween in 2020? Let’s face it, we all know it won’t be the same this year, that is a given. Many famous Bay Area and California-wide Halloween events, festivals and other celebrations are cancelled this year. Now, how can we create some darn good lemonade from these lemons to make Halloween 2020 fun and memorable?
I love Halloween, so I am on a mission to save Halloween 2020. This year we already lost Easter egg hunts, 4th of July fireworks and parades and I am not going to let the pandemic steal Halloween too. I have been researching Halloween 2020 happenings, coming up with my own creative ideas and below is my list of perfect spooky, fun and COVID-19 appropriate things to do for Halloween in 2020 in Bay Area and California , some of which may become your yearly Halloween traditions because you will love them so much 😉
Looking for Fairies
Halloween is all about mythical creatures so why not go looking for fairies for Halloween 2020 in Bay Area? Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is famous for its fairy doors located in trees throughout the Park. These doors lead to small enclaves, aka fairy houses, where people leave letters and small gifts for fairies. And sometimes the fairies write back!
This cool tradition began when a father and son duo made the first beautiful fairy door and attached it to a tree in the Park. Even though that original door does not exist anymore, several other people followed suit and more fairy doors appeared in Golden Gate Park. Local residents and San Francisco visitors alike loved the tradition and started bringing small items for the “fairies”.
We recently went on the fairy doors search expedition and located 2 of the doors. I don’t want to spoil the fun for your by pointing the exact locations of the doors but I will give you 2 pointes:
- Both doors are located in close proximity to Japanese Garden (one at the back and one relatively close to the main entrance) but not in the Garden itself, in fact none of the doors are located in places where you have to pay for entrance.
- Look at both live and dead/cut trees
Spooky Hikes
Spooky hikes are really fun to do for Halloween. Thanks to Karl the Fog, San Francisco is a great place for spooky hikes. Who knows what creatures are lurking beyond the fog? Look at the picture below from the Golden Gate Park – that is a perfect setting for some paranormal activity. In fact, there is a legend of the Stow Lake ghost, which you can learn more about during the virtual San Francisco ghost hunt (see my next Halloween 2020 in Bay Area recommendation below).
The best places for such spooky hikes in Golden Gate Park are in the areas that are less popular, such as the trail around the North Lake. It is surrounded by overgrown grasses, bushes and trees and lots of birds and animals reside in its vicinity. These local residents produce quite eerie sounds that will serve as a perfect soundtrack for your spooky hike (the last time we went we saw a raccoon family there 12 members strong!)
Another place in San Francisco notorious for spooky ambiance is Stern Grove with old eucalyptus trees, which is also located close to the ocean and gets its fair share of the fog. Not surprisingly, Stern Grove is the location for the annual Scaregrove Festival organized by San Francisco Park District. I doubt that Scaregrove will take place this year but the park is still there for your to enjoy.
You best chance for a great spooky hike is when it is foggy and closer to to the evening, after 4 pm. Grab your glow sticks, flashlights and some imagination and you will have a spooktacular time!
San Francisco Ghost Hunt
The famous San Francisco Ghost Hunt Tour is not available for in person tours in 2020 due to COVID-19. However, Christian Cagigal, the owner of the enterprise, came up with a fantastic idea of virtual Fireside [ghost] Stories that are done on Zoom during the months of September and October. So thanks to Zoom, you don’t have to live in San Francisco or California or even the U.S. to participate in this event!
The Fireside Stories is a compilation of several thrilling tales of haunted San Francisco. Each story starts with a real piece of San Francisco history. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts it is very interesting to learn about famous people who lived in town and prominent events that took place in the City by the Bay. Each of these events gave the beginning to a paranormal activity of one sort or the other.
What makes up for a great ghost story? It is not just the juicy details of the haunted happenings but the narrator who brings the story alive. Christian is a fabulous story teller. I loved every one of his stories and my kids were enthralled. Even though the Fireside Stories event is recommended for kids ages 10+, my 7 year old son sat through the entire 1 hour show and listened with interest. He said he was a little scared (well, a ghost story should be a little scary) and Christian manages to put just enough spookiness into the narration to give you little goose bumps but not a heart attack.
I highly recommend putting San Francisco Ghost Hunt Fireside Stories on your list of things to do for Halloween 2020 in Bay Area. It only costs $25 for 1 participating device, it is safe COVID-wise because you are doing it form home, and it is a TON of fun. It is also a very unique event because during the actual San Francisco Ghost Tour you will only hear stories about the places that you will see on the tour. But during this virtual event Christian took us all over the city, with all the visuals, of course.
The event ends with a little bit of magic. I won’t spoil the surprise but I just wanted to mention that Christian is a magician too and he will also be doing virtual magic shows in October which I am definitely planning to check out.
U.S.S. Hornet
If you like ghosts you need to head over to Alameda to visit U.S.S. Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is well-known and document that U.S.S. Hornet has resident ghosts. It is believed that these ghosts are navy men who served on this aircraft carrier.
Many people, both visitors and docents, encountered paranormal activity on board the ship. Most of the time this paranormal activity is observed in the areas under the main deck which used to be the working and living quarters of the seamen. Currently, due to the pandemic, only the main deck and open air space on U.S.S. Hornet is open for visitors but not the areas below the deck. That said, you never know where a ghost decides to show up. Or may be by October the whole museum will, hopefully, re-open.
But even if you don’t see the ghost(s) yourself the docents at U.S.S. Hornet will be happy to tell you all the ghost stories, some of them are about their personal encounters. Overall this is a fantastic historic museum that I strongly recommend visiting, not just for Halloween 2020. You can learn more about U.S.S. Hornet in my recent article about this amazing museum.
Spooky Stories at the Bonfire
Yes, I know, no one wants to even think about fires in Bay Area these days. That said, when Spare the Air alert is not in place, bonfires are allowed on several beaches in Bay Area such as Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Sea Bright Beach in Santa Cruz, Dillon Beach in Marin and New Brighton State in Capitola. A little further South bonfires are also aloud on Carmel beach.
Another option is to create a safe little bonfire on your deck or patio. I am actually thinking of buying this table top fire bowl for the occasion which should last for years to come as long as I have the fuel:
What you need for perfect Halloween fun is a great Halloween story read in the dark next to the fire. Below is a selection of our favorite kids Halloween books for all ages that have just enough of a twist and spook to be gripping but not too scary. Here are our favorite Halloween stories:
You can also roast some marshmallow “ghosts” on fire while you are listening to the stories and then put them into the “coffins” made of graham crackers. Through in a just a bit of chocolate “dirt” to make it a perfect burial 🙂
Pumpkin Patches
Visiting a pumpkin patch during the month of October is everybody’s beloved Halloween activity. I checked with the most popular pumpkin patches and farms in Bay Area if they are going to be open and here is the round up:
Will be open: Lemos Farm, Farmer John’s Farm and Arata Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay, Speer Family Fun in Oakland and Joan’s Farm in Livermore.
Also, check out Pronzini Farms in Petaluma. They may be a bit of a drive from SF but not too far. They plan to open and they will not only have a pumpkin patch but also a cool Haunted Village!
Most likely won’t be open: Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, G&M Farm in Livermore.
All farms that will be open with Halloween activities have new rules for visitors. Some farms will require pre-booking your visit to minimize the crowds. Check each farm’s website for their requirements.
Apple Hill Fall Fun
If you are willing to travel just a little bit further from San Francisco Bay Area, about 2.5 hours away there is the best place for fall fun – Apple Hill. It has 50 farms that are apple orchards, wineries, breweries and more. Currently all farms are open and the ones that have apple orchards have tons of apples. In October pumpkin patches will open up but even now you can already enjoy lots of things related pumpkins: pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, etc. because lots of farm have their own bakeries on site and pretty much all the things we tried in Apple Hill are finger licking good! You can find detailed information about Apple Hill right here on this blog: Things to Do in Apple Hill
Halloween Town
Halloween Town is a yearly event held in Tracy, CA. It is a local festival where you can by Halloween themed crafts, baked goodies and more from local vendors. Kids will receive a goody bag. This year to minimize crowds you will have to book a specific time slot to attend, even though it is a free event. You can register for the event HERE.
Bodie Ghost Town
Where do you think ghosts live? In a ghost town, of course! Bodie Ghost Town State Historic Park is the most famous ghost town in California. It was not re-constructed, it stayed as it is for over a hundred years after gold prospectors left it. Since most of the Park is outdoors it is open for visiting during the pandemic.
It is a pretty big town with many different abandoned buildings, cars, gold mining equipment and much more. We visited Bodie on a bright sunny day and yet I could not help the shivers running up and down my spine when I peeped into the windows of the old buildings. The coffins and hearses in the museum add a certain Halloween ambiance too. That said, it is a kid-friendly State Park appropriate for all ages.
Additional bonus: you can learn lots of California history while visiting Bodie Ghost Town. It is a great unique attraction to put on your list of things to do for Halloween 2020 in California.
California Caverns
Exploring dark caves and underground dwellings is a perfect Halloween 2020 activity. A trip into a cave is always a trip into the unknown. Narrow, dimly lit passages as well as whimsical rock and mineral formations definitely create an eerie ambiance. You may even encounter some small creepy crawlers.
There are two caverns that we visited and really loved which are located within 3 hours drive from Bay Area: California Cavern and Black Chasm Cavern. They are not located next to each other but they are managed by the same organization, Gold Country Adventures. That’s why they share the same website. California Cavern is currently closed but Black Chasm is open for visitors (pictured below).
Another interesting cave to check out is Moaning Cavern. Its website claims that it has the largest single chamber cave in California which looks pretty impressive.
Lava Tube National Monument
Lava Tube National Monument is the farthest from Bay Area on this list things to do for Halloween 2020 in California but it is definitely worth a trip. Each lava tube cave is unique and exciting to explore. While you will visit Black Chasm Cavern on a guided tour, you will explore lava tubes completely on you own and it is a totally different experience. When we visited Lava Tubes National Monument this summer we pretty much were the only family in each cave. When we came out another would show up. This is how sparse the crowds are.
There is no lighting in any lava tubes but one so they are spooky enough to gain their place on my list of great attractions for Halloween 2020. But that’s not all! Lava Tubes National Monument is a bats habitat. When we visited in June the bats were having babies so we were not allowed into the caves where they lived. However, the first two weeks of October are really good for viewing bats in the area. Check out NPS website for all the details on when, where and how to best see the bats in Lava Beds National Monument.
Before your visit definitely check out my detailed review of the best Lava Beds National Monument caves for kids.
For visiting lava tubes I strongly recommend extra bright head lamps like these ones (and they come in pairs):
Halloween Drive-In Movies
These days drive-in movies are healthy alternatives for regular movie theaters. Not all local drive-in movie theaters have published Halloween 2020 schedule yet but check them out later in the month, I bet they will offer some cool Halloween surprises. What I know for sure is that The Lark Drive-In Theater in Corte Madera will be showing Frankenstein on October 28 at 9 pm. But this is won’t be your regular Frankenstein movie, it is a great live performance at The National Theater in London captured in 2011 with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the title role.
Pirates of Emerson Drive-Through
Pirates of Emerson is a haunted theme park that appears on Alameda County Fairgorunds in Pleasanton every October. It is too scary for my taste to go there in person BUT this year it is a drive-in, which means you will stay in your car the whole time with doors closed and windows rolled up, moving all the time at slow speed. This serves is enough protection from COVID, the zombies and other monsters, I think. 🙂 So Halloween 2020 may be the perfect time to check out this attraction.
Nights of the Jack Drive-Through
Nights of the Jack, a month long event on King of Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, will also become a drive-through attraction for Halloween 2020. Here you can see hundreds of intricately carved out pumpkins as well as whimsical creatures and installations made out of them. It is a family friendly, not scary California Halloween attraction.
“Stranger Things” Experience
“Stranger Things”, the famous television science fiction/horror series, will come to life in Los Angeles this fall. If you have not seen the series, the basic plot of the movie is that a young boy disappears in a small town in Indiana. To find him, his mom, friends and police have to confront some supernatural forces.
You can literally get into the movie with this NEW immersive Stranger Things drive-into experience (i.e. you will stay in the safety of your car the whole time). The organizers promise mind-blowing audio and visual effects but also live actors. It is a 1 hour experience co-produced by Netflix and Fever is perfect for Halloween 2020.
This attraction is recommended for kids ages 13+ but younger kids can come with their parent’s discretion.
“The Birds”
“The Birds” is one of the best Alfred Hitchcock’s movies and generally one of the best horror movies of all times. It was filmed in Bodega Bay, California, which is less than 2 hours drive from San Francisco. So you can visit this small seaside town on a leisurely day trip and check out the iconic filming locations.
Bodega Country Store located at 17190 BODEGA HWY, BODEGA, CA 94922 houses a museum dedicated to “The Birds” movie and Alfred Hitchcock himself. It has lots of curiosities and memorabilia so it is worth checking it out when visiting Bodega Bay.
Most Famous Horror Movies Filming Locations
Most of the iconic Halloween movies were filmed in an around Los Angeles, close to Hollywood. Are you a fan of “Halloween”, “Friday the 13th”, “Ghostbusters”, “Scream”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”? This is just a short list of movies that LA Curbed mapped with all the details of the filming locations and pictures – almost 30 scenes, all in all. A drive around these famous filming locations will definitely put you in Halloween mood.
You can also play Halloween movies themed games – here some crowd favorites:
I hope these creative suggestions of things to do for Halloween in 2020 will help you keep the spirit of the holiday alive while most of the main Halloween attractions in California are closed this year. If you have any suggestions for things to be added to this list of Halloween 2020 activities, please, share them in the comments below – I would love to check them out!
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