National Park Service will host a haunted attraction at Paramount Ranch

From zombie-infested theme parks to creepy old ocean liners, Los Angeles isn’t short on Halloween attractions. And this year, the National Park Service is throwing its hat into the ring, hosting a free haunt at the historic Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The event, called “Scare-amount Ranch” (naturally), will take place at the Agoura Hills property, where hundreds of movies and television shows have been filmed over the years. The first haunted attraction at the ranch, it will take place on October 27 from 6 to 10 p.m.

According to the National Park Service, activities will include a scary hike into the backlot woods, a spider zoo, a fake blood-making station, and a screening of the 1966 movie Munster, Go Home, which used the ranch as a filming location.

Owned and operated by Paramount Pictures from the 1920s until the early ’50s, the ranch served as a backdrop for many of the studio’s classic films. Later, a permanent western set was constructed on the property, making it a popular spot for television shoots. Most recently, the old west-style ghost town appeared prominently in the HBO series Westworld.

Normally closed after sunset, the park has been staying open later on select days lately as the National Park Service embraces its spooky side—particularly in relation to an ill-fated race track that opened on the property in the 1950s and closed a year later after three fatalities. The remains of the track can still be seen by visitors today.

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