Balboa Park hosts Haunted Trail from 25 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 16:04 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Balboa Park hosts The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park from 25 September to 1 November 2026 in San Diego, combining an outdoor route with a large maze. The attraction is staged near Marston Point, within the historic cultural park founded in 1868.
The Haunted Trail begins in Balboa Park on 25 September
The Haunted Trail starts its 2026 run on 25 September and continues on selected nights through 1 November. The City of San Diego lists the event at the corner of Balboa Drive and Eighth Drive, while the park calendar places the attraction in historic Marston Point.
The programme brings together two separate experiences. The eXperiment Maze covers 3,500 square feet, followed by a mile-long outdoor trail through stands of trees. A third element, the Dark Carnival, is also named in the city listing. The combination gives the seasonal event a clear link to the park's wooded landscape rather than to one of its museums or exhibition halls. The official city event listing records the dates, location and format.
Marston Point connects the event with park history
The setting is part of a public park that began when San Diego officials set aside 1,400 acres on 26 May 1868. The site was first known as City Park before its later development around two international expositions. The city history records the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-16 and the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36 as major influences on the cultural centre seen today.
Many of the buildings along El Prado, together with Cabrillo Bridge and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, were created for the 1915 exposition. Their Spanish Colonial architectural scheme made the central district distinct from the wooded areas used for recreation. In September and October 2026, The Haunted Trail therefore occupies a different part of the visitor experience: its route uses Marston Point while the park's museums and exhibition buildings remain the architectural backdrop elsewhere. The documented park history places the event within that longer development.
What the 2026 programme adds to the park calendar
The event is one of several autumn activities listed for the site, but its dates extend beyond a single weekend. The park's own calendar gives the run as 25 September to 1 November and describes the maze and trail as a combined attraction. That period includes the final days of September, the whole of October and the first day of November, giving visitors from Western Europe a defined seasonal date range rather than an undated Halloween reference.
The event also creates a practical distinction between the park's general public spaces and the attraction's dedicated site. The listed venue is at Balboa Drive and Juniper Road, close to the trees of Marston Point, rather than at El Prado's museum row. The park calendar dates confirm the period and the named components.
Visiting Balboa Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Haunted Trail runs on selected nights from 25 September to 1 November 2026 at the Balboa Drive and Juniper Road area of Marston Point.
- The event uses a mile-long outdoor trail, a 3,500-square-foot eXperiment Maze and the Dark Carnival; the listed attraction is separate from the park's museum buildings.
- The venue is in San Diego, near the western side of the park's historic central district. Public transport routes serving Balboa Park include Route 3, Route 7, Route 120 and Rapid 215.
- The outdoor route passes through a wooded area, while the maze is a compact enclosed attraction; visitors should expect walking on an event route rather than a museum visit.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Balboa Park
When does The Haunted Trail take place at Balboa Park?
The 2026 run begins on 25 September and continues on selected nights until 1 November 2026.
Where is Balboa Park and how do you get there?
It is in San Diego, California, with the event venue listed near Balboa Drive and Juniper Road in Marston Point. Routes 3, 7, 120 and Rapid 215 serve the park.
What is Balboa Park?
It is a large cultural and recreational park established as public land in 1868, with museums, gardens, historic exposition buildings and the San Diego Zoo.
