If you’re looking for a non-scary, family friendly Halloween event in Los Angeles that isn’t just your basic pumpkin patch, go see Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns.
“The Rise,” as it is affectionately known, is a nighttime display of 5,000 professionally carved pumpkins lit up and artfully arranged along a 1/4-mile walking path. The event takes place annually in New York and is now in Los Angeles as well at Descanso Gardens.
We’ve never seen anything like it before and were surprisingly impressed. The intricate designs and details are pretty amazing. In fact, some of the creations took up to 20 hours to make! There are all sorts of spectacular designs that appeal to little kids and big alike. Our favorites from the 2014 event were the planets, dinosaurs and skeletons.
In spite of this being a Halloween-themed nighttime activity, it wasn’t too scary for kids. No zombie walkers jumping out from behind trees or other spooky stuff to be concerned about. There is some eerie music playing along the route, but nothing that scared either of my kids.
Crowds are kept to a minimum by employing a timed entry, but we still needed to wait a bit to get a close-up look at the more popular spots along the route. I appreciated that there were ample staff on hand to direct the way in the dark. In total, we spent about an hour walking the route.
Practical Matters
- Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns website
- Advanced tickets required
- Ticket prices vary by date and time; kids 2 and under are free
- Free parking
- Entry is on a timed-ticket basis; arrive at or after your assigned entry time, not before
- The 1/4-mile walking path is stroller- and wheelchair-friendly
- Refreshments, a gift shop and restrooms are available at the entrance to the Gardens
- Bring your own glow-in-the-dark accessories for added fun
- This is a nighttime activity, so don’t forget to bring a jacket!
- You can also choose from a second location in Los Angeles, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia
Note: We attended The Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns event at our own expense. I was not compensated in any way to share my honest opinions with you here.
