On October 28th, we had the lucky opportunity to check out LA’s latest Halloween event. No, this event didn’t include monsters, gore, blood or anything remotely scary! Weird for us, right? No, this event was a family friendly affair where everyone in the family can enjoy an immersive trick or treat experience at the historic Heritage Square Museum. If you’ve never heard of Heritage Square Museum, it’s a collection of eight historic structures (houses), constructed during the Victorian Era, they were saved from demolition and serve as a perfect background to educate the public about the everyday lives of Southern Californians from the close of the 19th Century into the early decades of the 20th Century. It actually feels like the perfect backdrop for this traditional Halloween experience. 

As we mentioned, this is for the whole family. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some spooky aspects to the event. After all, it is Halloween. It ends up being the perfect primer for the young ones in your family because although it may be spooky, it’s incredibly inviting. Each house has a character handing out candy to each guest who dares to venture close enough. Sometimes the characters are vampires, scarecrows, witches or just a crotchety old man protecting his stoop. But if you ask nicely he might let you take a picture on the stoop. 

One of my favorite moments of the night was when we watched a small show near the Apothecary before receiving candy. He informed us that he has a special liquid that would cure anything and everything. If we didn’t have anything, it would give us something and then cure that! He then drank it and turned into a much more ferocious version of himself. Our Daughter was then scared half to death, only to be relieved when the man returned to normal. She laughed heartily and received her candy with a massive smile on her face.

In fact, this was the first event we took our Daughter Eireann to this season. Because of covid-19 we are taking as many precautions as possible to keep her safe. This was the first event that we felt comfortable taking her to, and we are so glad we did. The event itself followed all LA County Safety Guidelines and we felt very safe the whole time. Actually, we saw more people with masks the whole time rather than without.

Taking Eireann through the houses started out a bit rough because it was really her first Halloween event…ever. She was extremely hesitant about approaching houses and even characters. But as the sun started to set, she grew accustomed to the area and broke out of her shell. Before we knew it she was dancing with skeletons, took pictures with a vampire, gave high fives to the clowns, and took a pictures with a werewolf. As parents, it made us so happy to see our kid having so much fun with all things spooky. It was the perfect introduction for her to our favorite time of the year. 

,Aside from the different trick or treat locations, you can find a good amount of food to eat at the event. Including the RAD COFFEE truck which offered a special menu for the event! We partook in the Cookies and Scream blended drink and vegan cookie which were delicious. We also stopped by the food stand and got chicken strips and fries. We were pleasantly surprised by how juicy and crispy the chicken strips were and scarfed them down so fast! 

You can also venture inside the large church where you can find the good variety of items for sale. If you’ve attended Midsummer Scream in the past, then you’ll recognize some of the vendors. You can meet Leanna Vamp and her friends from her children’s book, purchase some merch from Cemetery Lane, or get some spooky shirts for the whole family. 

Luckily, we stuck around long enough for the sun to set and we saw Cemetery Lane transform before our eyes. Windows with projections, vibrant lighting on each house, strobe lights, and special effects are everywhere! It really feels completely different at night and we highly suggest checking it out later in the evening. It’s almost like the whole area comes alive once the sun sets. Very appropriate for the Halloween season! 

OVERALL

We were absolutely thrilled and delighted with Cemetery Lane. Every inch of the location is completely saturated with classic Halloween decor and spirit. And clearly our little girl loved it too! From the wonderfully interactive characters, to the gorgeous backdrop of Heritage Square; Cemetery Lane is easily one of best family friendly Halloween events in SoCal. For just $25, you get character interactions, a wonderful location, and candy. We would choose this over Oogie Boogie Bash any day! Do yourself a favor and spend an evening here because it’s money well spent during the Halloween season. 

FOR MORE INFO OR TICKETS TO CEMETERY LANE, MAKE SURE CLICK HERE!