Scare tactics

Halloween is a big night in L.A. -- whether you’re a kid or a grownup, wild or tame, Republican or Democrat, there are about a million haunted houses, creepy concerts and campy events to choose from. What to do? Here are our picks for the weekend’s 10 most bewitching bets.

Ghouls and grooves

Monster Massive, in its seventh year, features a spectacular collection of DJ talent, highlighted by Brazilian drum-and-bass stud DJ Marky, trance star Paul Van Dyk and house icon Roger Sanchez. It’s consistently among the best events for dancing, people watching and partying.

Monster Massive, L.A. Sports Arena, 3939 S. Figueroa St., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday. $40 advance. (323) 960-5155 or www.monstermassive.com

Creature feature

Vintage scariness meets stylish cool as UCLA presents a screening of the 1954 version of “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” accompanied by a live score and impromptu dialogue from NYC hipsters the Jazz Passengers. As a bonus, everyone receives a pair of 3-D glasses, just like in the ‘50s, to bring the creature right into your lap.

“Creature From the Black Lagoon” and the Jazz Passengers, Royce Hall at UCLA. 2 p.m. Sunday. $30, $15 for students. (310) 825-2101, www.uclalive.org

Just the treats, please

If hip-hop is your thing, 100.3 the Beat (KKBT-FM) has a bag of goodies. The radio station is co-sponsoring a mammoth hip-hop event featuring Lil Flip, Mase, Styles P, Bobby Valentino and others -- plus an appearance by Nickelodeon’s Lil Romeo -- at the Shrine.

The Hip Hop Halloween Bash, Shrine Auditorium, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A. 7 p.m. Saturday. $45 to $70. www.hiphophalloweenbash.com

That extra va-va-voom

What could make for a cooler night than Mexican wrestling, the burlesque “Buxoticas” and commentary from one of L.A.’s funniest stand-up comics, Patton Oswalt? Wrestling organization Lucha Vavoom brings them all together at the Mayan Theater for this blowout, which also features DJ Senor Amor spinning tunes.

Lucha Vavoom’s Mad Mexi Monster Party, Mayan Theatre, 1038 S. Hill St., L.A. 7 p.m. today. $25. www.luchavavoom.com

Party with the dead

Where better to mark the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, than an actual graveyard? The Hollywood Forever Cemetery holds a party that will include performances by Mexico City-based singer Oscar Chavez, as well as theatrical processions and contests for altar building.

Day of the Dead Party, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday. Free. 877-844-3837 or www.ladayofthedead.com.

Historical haunts

Step back in time for an afternoon that’s more genteel than scary at Heritage Square Museum’s Halloween Celebration. While kiddies go trick-or-treating at the five restored Victorian homes, parents can take docent-guided tours of the historical haunts.

Heritage Square Halloween, 3800 Homer St., L.A. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. $10, adults; $5, children 6 to 12; free, 5 and younger. (626) 796-2898.

Crafts corner

For a hands-on Dia de los Muertos experience, kids can paint masks and make necklaces in workshops on Olvera Street. Take some time to mill around and enjoy the altars, live music and theater.

Day of the Dead Children’s Workshops, Olvera Street, downtown. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. today, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Free. Registration required at www.calleolvera.com.

Sleep well, little ones

Even the littlest kids will be able to sleep at night after hearing stories at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. The acting troupe Creative Playground invites kids to be creatively creepy as it performs parts of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost” and a story based on the song “Go Down Moses.”

Halloween Stories, Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. $8. (310) 455-3723 or www.theatricum.com

House calls

If you’ve ever felt like a rat in a cage, you’ll feel right at home in “Realm of Lost Souls,” a 100,000-square-foot time-travel maze. That’s just one attraction at the Spooky House Haunted Theme Park. The Valley hang also offers the “Dead & Breakfast” hotel, with an out-of-control elevator, a torture chamber and 25 murder scenes, and “Blood, Bath and Beyond,” where fans can act out their favorite zombie flick.

Spooky House Haunted Theme Park, 6360 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills. 7 p.m. today through Sunday. (A toned-down children’s matinee runs from noon to 4 p.m. daily.) $25 to $8.50. (818) 888-8570 or www.spookyhouse.com.

It’s the principle of the thing

Venture inside Frankenstein’s castle at the Discovery Science Center’s Spooky Science exhibit, where chambers of horror infuse creepiness into basic scientific principles such as electricity, biology and psychology. Jump in a strobe-light bounce house, dig in a prehistoric graveyard or get lost in a black-lighted 3-D maze.

Spooky Science at the Discovery Science Center, 2500 Main St., Santa Ana. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sunday. $11, adults; $8.50, kids. (714) 542-2823.