REVIEW: pumkin jacks

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

review: pumkin jacks

By now we have already stated this on our site dozens of times, but it’s important to re-emphasize that Santa Clarita excels at celebrating Halloween. It’s a world tucked uphill north of Hollywood where dozens of incredible and unique haunted houses and displays have been birthed over the past decade. One of its centerpieces is the long-running Pumkin Jacks - a haunted maze that is born out of a radical transformation in an otherwise normal suburban home on an unassuming street. This haunt is visually and sonically loud, terrifying, and stimulating to experience. Impressively, they change their theme every year, making their seasonal roll-outs filled with anticipation. This year they have decided to recreate a retro sci-fi tribute to the fourth season of Stranger Things.

We can’t begin to talk about this maze without acknowledging this neighborhood's energy and festivities. As you drive up to the home you quickly realize that everywhere you look there are high quality displays. On Halloween weekend these streets become a massive, multi block party with absolutely stunning yard decorations. There are DIY “hayrides” made out of flatbed trucks that drive around so its passengers can check out displays like the Day of the Dead / the Three Amigos tribute house and a fireman's home that has been transformed into a Louisiana swamp shack - complete with an alligator floating in a body of water. Pumkin Jacks’ neighbors even had a massive Vecna Mind Flayer in their yard so that everyone waiting in line for Pumkin Jacks could enjoy the massive creature.

Once inside you enter an unfathomably intricate maze where you encounter the characters from Stranger Things - Vecna in the process of killing Chrissy the cheerleader, Hopper in his Siberian cell, and Max in the process of invisibly fighting for her life as Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” plays in the background. These vignettes created an endless space that somehow all fit within the confines of the garage and laundry room of the property.

Seeing Santa Clarita come to life in the fall to celebrate Halloween is always a completely joyful experience. This year we felt extra lucky to experience one of our favorite haunts, Pumkin Jacks, on what felt like an exceptionally jubilant night. We had a wonderful time, accentuated by enjoying the evening with our fellow haunters from Westcoaster and Hollywood Gothique, as we closed out one of the last days of haunting for 2022.

VC

November 03, 2022

Hauntsofla.com

#pumkinjacks #scvhaunts #hauntedhouse #hauntedmaze #halloween #hauntsofla