15 Best Fall Activities To Do With Kids In San Diego

San Diego doesn’t really get a fall, but that doesn’t stop us from chasing every pumpkin patch, apple orchard, and Halloween event we can find. From a real-life Harry Potter train ride to leopard shark spotting at the beach, here are the best fall activities to do with your kids in San Diego this year.

Table of Contents

• Oma’s Family Farm
• Bates Nut Farm
• Pumpkin Station Escondido (The Pinery)
• Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station
• Fort Cross Autumn Jubilee
• Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure
• SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular
• Belmont Park Fall Fest
• Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND California
• Dia de los Muertos in Old Town
• The Whaley House
• Del Sur Pirate House
• Pie Tasting on Julian’s Main Street
• Apple Picking in Julian
• Leopard Shark Spotting at La Jolla Shores

Oma’s Family Farm

Location: Lakeside
Cost: Free entry, some activities $5/person, or reserve a time slot online for $11-$18 depending on age and day
Dates: September 27 – November 1

This gets my vote for best pumpkin patch. You pay one admission and get to do all the fun activities (wagon rides through the farm are extra), which cuts down on whining significantly. They have slides, duck races, a trike track, playgrounds, giant slides, gem mining, and a petting zoo. It’s basically kid paradise because there’s something to do around every corner. They also have music, events, and fun things to do on the weekends! For even more options, check out my full guide to the best pumpkin patches in San Diego County.

Reserve a time slot here.

Bates Nut Farm

Location: Valley Center
Cost: Free to enter and free parking, activities cost $5, pumpkins about $15 depending on size
Dates: September 18 – October 31
Hours: September: 9am-5pm daily. October weekdays: 9am-5:30pm, weekends: 8:30am-6pm

This little farm is a San Diego staple you can visit year-round to feed the goats, chickens, and a llama. During the Halloween season they have the BEST pumpkin patch, with giant Cinderella-style pumpkins you can walk all around and take pictures on. They also have a straw maze and a hay ride. It’s best to go on a weekday since weekends get crowded! Visit Bates Nut Farm’s website for hours and updates.

Tip: buy feed inside the gift shop, grab some saltwater taffy and fresh nuts, and check out the room of old-fashioned toys at the back of the store.

Pumpkin Station Escondido (The Pinery)

Location: 13421 Highland Valley Rd, Escondido
Cost: Free admission and parking, activities $5 each
Dates: Late September through October 31

This is my favorite of the Pumpkin Station locations because it’s a real working farm, not just pumpkins trucked into a parking lot. There’s a corn maze, a sunflower field you can cut your own stems from (they give you shears, watch for bees), a hayride, and a petting zoo. It’s less than 10 minutes from Rancho Bernardo, so it’s an easy pairing with a trip to the Rancho Bernardo Pumpkin Station or Bernardo Winery. See Pumpkin Station’s Rancho Bernardo Farm page for hours and ticket info.

Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station

Location: Liberty Station, Point Loma
Cost: Free admission
Dates: September 19 – October 31
Hours: Friday & Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday-Thursday 9am-8pm

This pop-up pumpkin patch sits right in the middle of Liberty Station. It’s simple, no hayrides or animal experiences, but it has a cute setup and photo ops, which is sometimes nice because you can just focus on picking a pumpkin. Grab shave ice from the Hawaiian food stand inside the food hall while you’re there, and check out the boat playground behind the food hall or the hidden playground by the bay. Visit the Goff Family Pumpkin Patch website for dates and details.

Fort Cross Autumn Jubilee

Location: Wynola, near Julian
Cost: $25/person for the Autumn Jubilee (use code SANDIEGO.MAMAS for 25% off!)
Dates: September 20 – October 26

This is a real working farm with tons to do, and it pairs perfectly with a Julian apple pie run. For their Autumn Jubilee, you get reptile interactions (have you ever fed a chameleon?), a hoedown and jug band show, a cider pressing demonstration, a petting zoo, candle dipping, and a painting craft. You need to reserve a time online, and it’s well worth it for everything they pack into your reservation slot. Follow them on Instagram for the latest info since they post often. See Fort Cross’s Autumn Jubilee page for dates and reservations. For more on Julian, check out my full guide to things to do in Julian with kids.

Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure

Location: Southern California Railway Museum, Perris (about 90 minutes from San Diego)
Cost: Tickets start around $70
Dates: Through September 27 (this is the first stop on the tour before it heads elsewhere, dates TBD after that)

This is worth it, and yes it’s THE Harry Potter train. It’s an immersive experience put on by Warner Bros, so the budget shows in the sets and costumes. It’s essentially a show on wheels: you’ll start at Platform 9¾ to pick up your ticket (arrive about 45 minutes early, there’s a lot to explore), then board for a show that lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes with dementors, the trolley, and HP trivia. Bring a wand, you’ll use it! You’ll disembark at Hogsmeade for Butterbeer and photos with the Hogwarts Express, and the merch is excellent so let the kids save up. Get tickets at the official Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure site.

It’s not too scary, our 3-year-old was fine. You don’t need a costume but it makes it way more fun. Perris gets hot, and while most of the experience is in AC’d tents (with more AC being added), it can still be warm, so plan costumes accordingly.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular

Location: SeaWorld San Diego
Cost: Included with park admission

Link to all current deals

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular is really fun for families and it’s included with your regular park admission, which I love. There’s trick-or-treating, themed shows, and Halloween decorations throughout the park. If you have older kids or teens, they also do an after-dark event called Howl O Scream with scarier scare actors, that one is a separate ticket and not included with admission. For more tips, check out my SeaWorld San Diego ultimate guide.

Belmont Park Fall Fest

Location: Belmont Park, Mission Beach
Cost: Free admission, pay per ride or get the unlimited wristband ($60 adults / $55 kids)

Belmont Park’s beachside Fall Fest is a fun, low-key way to get some Halloween in without a huge crowd or big ticket price. Admission is free, and I’d recommend grabbing ride bands or trying the ropes course or laser tag while you’re there. Don’t miss the antique carousel! We also love The Plunge nearby, it’s an indoor pool with an obstacle course. See Belmont Park’s Fall Fest page for dates and details.

Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND California

Location: LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad
Cost: Regular LEGOLAND admission (no separate ticket needed), between $89-$124 depending on the day. Included for Elite Passholders, all other passholders pay $24!
Dates: September 20 + 27, Saturdays & Sundays in October, plus November 1

Link to get passholder tickets and regular tickets. Discount for buying early!

LEGOLAND’s signature Halloween event is my favorite party of the year because it’s just the right amount of spooky for kids. Expect ride overlays, live shows, a costume contest with prizes, a Monster Security Checkpoint that turns into an impromptu dance party, and trick-or-treat trails with a LOT of candy. Festivities run 3-9pm, though trick-or-treating doesn’t start until 3. The event is included in Kids Go Free October with a Park Hopper. I have a full Brick-or-Treat guide with answers to all the most-asked questions, plus my LEGOLAND California ultimate guide if you want the complete rundown on visiting.

Dia de los Muertos in Old Town

Location: Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Cost: Free
Dates: November 1-2

This is such a beautiful, meaningful weekend to bring the kids to Old Town. You can explore the museums to see altares de muertos honoring influential Old Town figures, do hands-on art activities like sugar skull painting, and catch a Catrina costume contest split between kids and adults. The candlelight procession from the plaza to El Campo Santo Cemetery happens the evening of November 2nd, it’s a special one to experience even with littles in tow. Full details are on the Old Town San Diego Dia de los Muertos page.

The Whaley House

Location: Old Town San Diego
Cost: Varies by tour type

Known as America’s Most Haunted House, the Whaley House is a fun stop while you’re already in Old Town for Dia de los Muertos or just exploring. The self-guided day tour is great for younger kids and walks you through the history of the Whaley family and the home’s early days as San Diego’s second county courthouse. If your kids are older (the evening guided tour isn’t recommended for kids 12 and under), the haunted night tour leans into the ghost stories. Hours extend during the last week of October for the Halloween crowds. Book tickets at the Whaley House’s official website.

Del Sur Pirate House

Location: 8293 Katherine Claire Court, Rancho Bernardo
Cost: Free

This one is a must visit. They build an entire pirate ship in the front yard! Around the corner you’ll also find a Harry Potter House and a Hocus Pocus House, and a few streets over there’s an Area 51 house and a creepy clown house. Make a whole Halloween-house crawl out of it, and stop by Chick-fil-A when you’re done. For more spooky stops, see my Halloween decorations map and my best trick-or-treating neighborhoods guide.

Pie Tasting on Julian’s Main Street

Location: Julian, Main Street
Cost: Varies by bakery, roughly $5-8/slice

Julian is known for their apples, so start your adventure by taste testing pie along Main Street. Get there early in the day, since lines get long by afternoon. Four bakeries not to miss: Julian Pie Company (expect a line out the door), Mom’s Pie House (don’t skip their apple cider), Julian Cafe (try the apple pumpkin crumb pie with vanilla ice cream), and California Mountain Bakery in nearby Wynola, voted “Best Apple Pie in California.” While you’re in town, check out my full Julian guide for the mine tour, hikes, and more.

Apple Picking in Julian

Location: Julian
Cost: Varies by orchard, roughly $5-20
Dates: Late August through early October

Apple picking season is easy to miss because it’s still hot out and you’re not quite thinking about fall yet, so follow your orchard of choice on Instagram for updates. Three favorites: Volcan Valley Apple Farm (our personal favorite, $5 entry + $15 for apple bags, ages 5 and under free), Julian Farm and Orchard (tractor-pulled hayrides, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, reservation-only U-pick), and Crosscut Farm and Orchard (a mom-and-pop operation with a cider pressing demo included, $5/person plus $20 for a 7-8 lb bag). Wear light layers since it’s still warm!

Leopard Shark Spotting at La Jolla Shores

Location: La Jolla Shores
Cost: Free

Fall is a great time to spot leopard sharks in the shallow water right off La Jolla Shores! They gather close to the sand and you can often see them without even getting in past your knees, which makes it an easy win with little kids. It’s also just a great excuse for a beach day, and fall means fewer crowds than summer at the beach, so you get more room to spread out and actually enjoy it.

One more thing: I’ll be updating my Halloween House Map for 2026 once the season kicks off, so check back for the latest spooky houses and neighborhoods to visit! Below are all my fall guides in one spot.

More Fall Reading

• 10 Best Pumpkin Patches in San Diego County for Fall
• Brick-or-Treat LEGOLAND California Halloween
• LEGOLAND California: Ultimate Guide To Visiting
• SeaWorld San Diego: Ultimate Guide to Visiting
• 11 Best Things To Do In Julian With Kids
• Best Halloween Decorations in San Diego (House Map)
• Best Trick or Treating Neighborhoods in San Diego

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