Turn Out The Lights And Bury The Remains

The 2013 edition of the Monrovia Canyon Park goes into the history books.  Despite the 5 year break since the last event, this was one of the best so far.  Hopefully we'll be back next year so we'll be busy brainstorming where we can improve and how we can top this year.

We hope you had a great time (it sure sounded like you did!).  The more fun you have, the more fun we have.  Thank you to everyone that bought a ticket and took the time to join us.  We really do appreciate it.

Thanks also to the park staff and all the volunteers that worked together to make this event happen.  This clearly wouldn't happen at all without you.  You outdid yourselves this year with your initiative, ideas and commitment.  So very effective.  Thank you again.

Flying In For One More Night

If you're one of the lucky ones to have a ticket, looking forward to scaring you!

Be prepared, I think we're setting a new record for screams this year.

Night One A Huge Success!

"Better Than Knott's"*  That's seems to be the quote and consensus of the night.

Lots of screams, Great groups of enthusiastic guests. Fantastic job by the actors and everyone working the hikes at Canyon Park, Library Park and driving the buses.  It all adds up to a very successful evening of scary fun!  Thank you!!!

Sorry, Knott's.  For three nights, you'll just have to settle for being number two.


*To be completely accurate, we also heard:  "Better than Queen Mary" (Dark Harbor) and "better than Universal".

I Felt Like I Was Being Watched

Click the photo for a larger image.

It Begins...

Tonight's the night.  The first of three scream and scare filled nights of Haunted Hikes.

Here's the scoop on the ticket situation as of yesterday:

-Saturday night is sold out.
-Friday night is extremely close to a sellout.
-Thursday night (tonight) still has a few tickets left.  Ticket buying has picked up dramatically in the last couple of days.  If you want to go, don't wait!

Tickets are NOT sold at Canyon Park.  Access to Canyon Park this evening is by Ghost Bus for those with a ticket ONLY.  There will be no vehicle or pedestrian access for the event.

Tickets:

Monrovia Community Services
119 W. Palm Avenue
Monrovia, CA  91016
Haunt Line: (626) 256-8246

Tips For Enjoying The Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hikes

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the Haunted Hikes:

1) Don't be late to the pickup spot at Library Park.  The hikes are every 15 minutes and the buses are on a tight schedule to get everyone to the park and back.  The buses will leave and the hikes will go on - with or without you.

2) No flash photography.  You know, just like Disneyland.  Not because we're trying to stop photos from being taken, but because the bright flash will ruin the experience for everyone.  A photo with flash won't look good and will temporarily blind everyone around you.  Not fun when everything grinds to a halt waiting for our vision to return.  I don't have the official word on this but I would think that as long as you don't cause delays on the hike, handheld non-flash photography shouldn't be a problem.  Common sense here, don't be disruptive.

3) No touching the actors / workers / props on the hikes.  Seriously, the people working are mainly volunteers just trying to provide a fun evening for our guests.  Choosing this time to try and establish yourself as a dumbass will not be appreciated.  The hike will stop and you will be escorted to a police officer.  Oh, and no refunds.

4) Try to use the restroom before your hike starts.  No details needed on this one.

5) Stay together with your group.  The hikes will have both a hike leader and a hike sweep at the back to help with this.  You won't get lost (probably) but the way the hike is set up will be much more effective if the group doesn't get too spread out.

6) Go ahead and scream and laugh and keep a tight grip on your friends / loved ones.  That's what it's all about.  Screams carry very well in the canyon and that makes it a lot more fun.  You make the group that hasn't started yet very nervous.

Have fun and hope to scare you there!

Waiting...Patiently Waiting...

Just 2 more days.

Your Time Is Running Out

To buy your Haunted Hike tickets, that is!

Haunted Hike week begins.  The hikes start this Thursday evening.  Remember, tickets are presale ONLY!
Tickets, if any remain, will not be available at the the event.  Get your tickets at Monrovia Community Services now.  They'll be open through Thursday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm and until 5:00 pm on Friday.

Community Services
119 W. Palm Avenue
Monrovia, CA 91016
Phone: (626) 256-8246

No tickets will be available at the event and no vehicles will be allowed into Canyon Park during the event. The ghost bus will take ticket holders from Library Park up to the event and back.  It is the only vehicle able to pass through the front gate.

Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hike Banner Over Myrtle Avenue Near Huntington Drive

Back by popular demand.  Don't miss out!
There's nothing worse than hearing how great something was after the fact.

Haunted Hikes To Benefit Canyon Park

This is a change from all previous years.  In the past, the hikes have always been designed to break even.  That worked very well.  With sellouts (or near sellout in 2007), we were able to accomplish that goal.

This year, the hope is to make at least a little bit of a profit.  It won't be easy.  With the limited number of tickets available and the added expense of the Ghost Bus to shuttle guests from Library Park to the hikes and back, we need your help.

The important thing to know is that any profit generated by this event stays in, and benefits, Monrovia Canyon Park.  According to the city:

ALL PROCEEDS FOR THE HAUNTED HIKE GO TO SUPPORT CANYON PARK PROGRAMS, EVENTS, VOLUNTEERS, AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Like everywhere else, money is tight these days.  We now have a chance to bring back a very popular event from the past but also raise some much needed money for the park.  Again, we need your support.

This event was envisioned as a local alternative to the big events at Knott's or Universal.  As a way to bring the community together.  Whether getting involved in putting the event on or as a guest, there were many opportunities to get involved in a fun and creative way as a community.  Now we can add a much needed monetary benefit to the park.

Please, if you've been on the fence, get some tickets.  Bring your friends.  Bring your hard working employees.  Halloween has become one of the most popular times of the year.  Make an evening of it.  Have dinner in town before or after joining us on a hike.  Maybe some ice cream or frozen yogurt.  Or hot chocolate.

I like to joke that our entire budget for the Haunted Hikes is about 10 minutes of parking lot income at Knott's.  That's not far off.  The park and local volunteers, along with park staff, put in a lot of time and effort to make this a success, but even more important, an enjoyable event.  We look forward to seeing you on (at least) one of the hikes.

Thank you.

Hurry! Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hike Tickets Are Selling Fast!

The hikes are getting closer.
The days are getting shorter.
When the sun goes down, who knows what might be waiting for you in the shadows around the bend.

Don't miss out.  Get your tickets before it's too late!

Tickets available at:

Monrovia Community Services
119 W. Palm Avenue
Monrovia, CA  91016
Hours: Monday thru Thursday: 8am to 9 pm.  Friday: 8 am to 5 pm.
Phone: (626) 256-8246

Tickets are $20 (buy 5 and get a 20% discount)

Haunted Hike Tickets On Sale To The General Public Today!

Halloween month begins today and so do Haunted Hike ticket sales for everyone!
That's right, you no longer need to be a Monrovia resident to buy tickets!

Tickets are only available at:

Monrovia Community Services
119 W. Palm Avenue
Monrovia, CA  91016
(Across the street on the north side from the Public Library)

Community Services Hours:
Monday thru Thursday: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Unfortunately, Community Services cancelled the online ticket sales option at the last minute making it tough for some to buy tickets.  If that's the case for you, I would recommend calling the Haunt Line directly at (626) 256-8246 to see if they have any suggestions.

Haunted Hike Ticket Sales For Monrovia Residents Start Today!

UPDATE 2:30PM:  Tickets will NOT be available online after all.  Tickets will only be available at Community Services (address below) during the times listed below.  Unfortunately, as of right now, this means that tickets will not be available to purchase on Friday nights and weekends.

Community Services phone #626-256-8246.

----------------

This is it! Tickets for the 2013 Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hikes go on sale this morning for Monrovia residents.  Ticket will be available to everyone else beginning Tuesday, October 1st.

Hikes are October 25th, 26th and 27th.  There are 13 hikes each night starting at 6:15 pm and going every 15 minutes with the last hike starting at 9:15 pm.

Tickets can be purchased at the Community Services Department, 119 W. Palm Ave. Monrovia, CA  91016.  (The building across the street to the north from the library).  Supposedly, according to the city website, tickets should also be available online at www.cityofmonrovia.org/recreation

The Community Services department is very unclear on just how this online ticketing will work.  It may only be available when tickets go on sale to everyone October 1st due to the need to verify residency for ticket sales prior to that date.

8:25 am: Checked the link above for online tickets and there's nothing there about purchasing tickets.  I'll see what I can find out.  

Some things to consider:

-The event has sold out every year it's been held except one. Close, but not quite a sellout.

-Each hike (there are 13 hikes a night for 3 nights) is limited to a maximum of 25 people.  Every year we've had groups that would buy up entire hikes.  If there is a specific hike time you want, or you are going with a group of people and want to be together, I recommend buying tickets sooner rather than later.

-Community Services hours are:

Monday - Thursday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Community Services Haunted Hike line is: (626) 256-8246

-Haunted Hike Flyer links:

Front of flyer
Back of flyer

Something To Chew On

It's looking like the hikes this year will, like past hikes, consist of four distinct sections.  The Trail, The Mesa (large area behind the Nature Center), The Nature Center and The road.

The hikes will start up the trail and end coming back down the road.  We tried going the opposite direction in 2008, but that didn't seem to work as well.

Hope to get more info this week.  Stay tuned!

Parking - The Biggest Change To The Hikes So Pay Attention

I know what you're thinking.  What does the library in downtown Monrovia have to do with parking for the Haunted Hikes in Canyon Park?

The short answer is: Everything.  The long answer is:  Unlike every other year of Haunted Hikes, there will be NO HAUNTED HIKE PARKING AT CANYON PARK THIS YEAR.  Sorry about the yelling, but this is important.

This year you will park at library park (plenty of free public parking around there) and be shuttled in the "Ghost Bus" to Canyon Park for your scheduled hike, then shuttled back again to library park.  This is a change we've wanted to make for a few years now.  If you've gone to a Haunted Hike before, you'll understand why.  Canyon Park has a very limited number of parking spaces and getting everyone in and out for scheduled hikes was just a stressful, congested mess.

This should make for a much more enjoyable experience.  The shuttle is included in the ticket price.

Just to reiterate, your Haunted Hike experience will start and end at library park.  Please don't drive to Canyon Park, you won't be able to get in and you might miss your hike.

Registration (check-in) will take place at library park (remember, you must have already pre-purchased your tickets).  Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled hike time to allow for registration and shuttle to Canyon Park.

-Monrovia Library Park is located at 321 S. Myrtle Avenue.
-The shuttle bus (Ghost Bus) will pick you up and drop you off in front of the library park fountain (pictured above).

2013 Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hike Tickets

Tickets prices for the 2013 Haunted Hikes:

$20.00 each for individual tickets.
There is a group discount for tickets purchased in multiples of 5 tickets: 5 tickets for $80.00, a savings of $20.00.  (5 tickets for the price of 4 or 20% discount).

According to Community Services, there is a $2.40 transaction fee but it's unclear to me whether this is per ticket or per transaction.  I'll look into this and update this info when I get an answer.

Dates tickets will be available:

Tickets go on sale for Monrovia residents on Monday, September 23rd.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 1st.

Where to purchase tickets:

Tickets should be available at www.cityofmonrovia.org/recreation.  I'm guessing this will go live on the day that tickets become available, but there's nothing there now regarding tickets.

Tickets can also be purchased at Community Services, 119 W. Palm Ave.  Monrovia, CA  91016.
Community Services hours are: Mon-Thurs: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. and Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

There is a strict 13 and over age requirement.  No one under 13 will be admitted!

-Rain cancels the event, no refunds.
-Tickets are pre-purchase only!  No tickets will be available at the event.  You won't be allowed  into the park without a ticket so don't even bother.  (More on this later).
-Waivers are REQUIRED!  This is a scary hike on a hiking trail at night.  No signed waiver, no hike.

2013 Monrovia Canyon Park Dates - Official

It's finally official!  The dates for the 2013 Haunted Hikes are:

Thursday, October 24th.
Friday, October 25th.
Saturday, October 26th.

The first hike each night will start promptly at 6:15 pm.  Hikes will then begin every 15 minutes (6:15, 6:30. 6:45...) with the last hike each night starting at 9:15 pm.

From past experience, expect each hike to last 45 minutes to an hour.

Tentative Dates Set For 2013 Monrovia Canyon Park Haunted Hikes

Nothing official yet, but I'm hearing lots of whispers in the night.  Expect the hike dates this October to be Thursday 10/24, Friday 10/25 and Saturday 10/26.

Times, number of hikes, ticket info and all those important details to follow!

Haunted Hikes 2013?

Could it be?  The year is 2013 and there are rumors of the Haunted Hikes coming back.  13 could the lucky number we've been waiting for.

Nothing official yet, stay tuned!