Sesame Place (California) entrance gate · Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · cropped
Sesame Place San Diego opens The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular on September 12 with a new interactive game show and seasonal entertainment included with park admission. There is an important spending distinction, though: the park requires a purchased reusable tote for trick-or-treating, and its ghost scavenger hunt uses a purchased map.
The Chula Vista event runs on select dates through November 1, not every day in that span. Our Sesame Place San Diego hours page lists the upcoming September weekends separately, with September 12, 13, 19 and 20 currently posted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A season date range is not a substitute for a confirmed operating day.
- Season: September 12 through November 1, on select dates.
- New show: Monster Mayhem Game Show at the Sesame Street Theater.
- Included: The seasonal event and its listed show program with park admission.
- Extra purchases: A required reusable trick-or-treat tote and a scavenger-hunt map.
- Schedule: Check the chosen day’s showtimes; the park says they are updated periodically.
September 12 Starts the San Diego Season
Patch’s August 31 report identifies September 12 as the opening and describes a Saturday-and-Sunday fall program. The operator’s event page uses the more general wording of select dates, so its live calendar should control a booking.
This is the California park’s opening, not the September 19 start at Sesame Place Philadelphia. The shared event name does not make the two parks’ dates or entertainment interchangeable. In San Diego, the new production is Monster Mayhem Game Show, rather than the Pennsylvania park’s separate campfire show.
For a family visiting this month, the immediate task is to choose an operating date and check the day’s entertainment. The official calendar says to select a specific date for showtimes or check back within a week of the visit. Posted park hours do not establish when an individual performance begins.
Monster Mayhem Adds an Interactive Theater Stop
The official Halloween show lineup calls Monster Mayhem Game Show new and places it at the Sesame Street Theater. The production involves audience participation, with Sesame Street characters leading games such as a pumpkin toss and a matching challenge.
That gives returning visitors a specific addition to look for, but not a guarantee that every child will be selected to participate. The park describes an interactive format; it does not promise an individual onstage role to every ticket holder.
The same lineup includes a Halloween DJ party, seasonal storytime and the Sesame Street Halloween Cavalcade, with decorated floats, music and characters. Those are separate items on the schedule, so a family interested in the new theater show and the moving cavalcade needs to leave room for both.
Choose the performances that matter before committing to a long ride queue or a meal. Inclusion in admission answers the ticket question, not whether two preferred activities will fit into the same part of the afternoon.
The Tote and Ghost Map Are Not Included Purchases
The operator’s attractions page says reusable tote bags must be purchased to participate in trick-or-treating. This participation policy matters even when the visitor already holds park admission. Bags are sold at Hooper’s Store, Sesame Souvenirs and selected merchandise carts. Do not assume a bag brought from home meets the requirement.
The park also describes a purchased Spot the Ghost Scavenger Hunt map, available at the Stroller Rental Kiosk. Participants return the completed sheet to that kiosk for a Halloween prize. That is a different purchase and activity from collecting treats with the tote.
The pages reviewed do not give prices for either item, so this report does not add an unverified amount to the cost of admission. Families can still plan around the distinction: the seasonal show program is included, while these participation items require additional spending.
Halloween Dine with Elmo & Friends is also advertised, with a buffet and character appearances on select dates. The event overview alone does not establish that the meal comes with a standard ticket. Check the actual dining offer and its terms before treating it as part of the admission budget.
Costume Activities Have Their Own Dates and Locations
The park invites children and families to join a mini costume parade gathering at Abby’s Garden. That participant activity is distinct from watching the larger Sesame Street Halloween Cavalcade with its floats and character lineup.
The annual costume contest is specifically listed for Saturday, October 31, with child and family categories. It is not a contest repeated on every September weekend. A family visiting for ordinary seasonal entertainment can choose an earlier date, while anyone focused on competing needs to check the October 31 details.
| Your Priority | What to Check |
|---|---|
| New Monster Mayhem show | The selected day’s Sesame Street Theater schedule. |
| Trick-or-treating | The required reusable tote purchase. |
| Spot the Ghost hunt | Purchase and return the map at the Stroller Rental Kiosk. |
| Costume contest | October 31 details, rather than assuming a September contest. |
The event is included, but not every participation item is free. Separate the admission budget from the required tote and optional scavenger-hunt map.
Pick the operating date before the show plan. Check current hours and return to the official schedule within a week of visiting.
When does San Diego’s Halloween Spooktacular start?
September 12, 2026. It continues on select dates through November 1.
Is a separate Halloween event ticket required?
The operator says the event is included with park admission. That does not make park admission itself free.
What is new in the show lineup?
Monster Mayhem Game Show, an interactive production at the Sesame Street Theater, is listed as new.
Can children trick-or-treat without another purchase?
The park requires a purchased reusable tote to participate. Its ghost scavenger hunt separately requires a purchased map.
