Monsterpalooza is definitely one of my favorite horror cons here in LA. We went on Saturday, got there just after noon and the line wrapped around 3 sides of the convention center. At first I was like...great, we're going to be waiting for at least.2 or 3 hours to get in like Midsummer Scream but I was wrong. The line literally never stopped moving and there were people walking the line, scanning tickets and handing out wristbands for an even quicker check in. Must have gotten inside within 15 to 20 minutes. Once inside we went to the vendor floor and wow this year was over the top! So many different types of vendors...it was great! It's annoying going to a con and every table has the same exact items. No worries here. There were literally 3 separate rooms filled with all types of horror vendors! After shopping for a bit we went and checked out the Hellboy panel. Ron Pearlman, Doug Jones and their HB makeup artists were there. It was such a fun and informative panel. After the panel we went back to shopping and all in all stayed about 4 hours. The only downfall with Monsterpalooza is that they don't have a screening room. Love cons that have a screening room to watch a variety of different horror shorts from up and comers. We parked in the mall lot for $9. Definitely a fun time and of course we'll be back next year and will be going to Son of Monster in the fall. read more

Monsterpalooza - Barbie Coven at Monsterpalooza - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

Attended this awesome annual weekend-long event at the Pasadena Convention Center this past weekend, and had a blast. Matthew Lillard, Selma Blair, and the Terrifier, David Howard Thornton among others were available for photo ops and autographs, for a fee of course. But we didn't come here for the guest celebrities, we wouldn't have the time to stand in those monstrous lines anyway. Rather we took photos with costumed attendees during our time here, and explored the endless merchandise vendors filling multiple rooms and exhibition halls, selling various artworks and sculptures, villain and monster themed products, detailed masks, horror film items, hats, purses, posters, blankets, mystic butterflies, goth and dragon bunnies, collectibles, and more. There were plenty of makeup demos, interactive exhibits, and characters throughout, like Jason Voorhees, Bob from Beetlejuice (with his shrunken head), and a multitude of evil clowns. I also loved the displays in the monster museum, various creatures old and new, including one of my faves, the Phantom of the Opera. We checked out a couple of timed presentations, and were particularly impressed by the artistry and entertainment of an Old Time Radio screening followed by a discussion with a panel of actors and filmmakers for the series. There was ample seating in the makeshift theater with decent views of the stage from anywhere and no reservation or extra fees required for scheduled program offerings. Food and drink options were limited at the event with long lines on Saturday afternoon that were just as scary as the event itself, and a few tables and seating in the food area. And parking in the nearby garages/lots cost at least $20 if not more (luckily we saved money on event admission tickets with early bird pricing). Even though it was crowded, mainly in the early afternoon, the costumes and sets were impressive, everything seemed fairly organized, and we had a hell of a good time. read more

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Killer time, I traveled all the way from Washington state to meet one man only. Ron Perlman. I had bought my tickets early and camped at 4am on the first day, waiting till the doors opened at 7pm. He had cancelled that day I had got my tickets for so I basically had to get new tickets for another day within the con schedule to see him but, despite that set back I still enjoyed the experiences offered. The convention offers a mini museum free to see and some days they show off indie horror films, anyone wanting to attend keep in mind the talents there only really take cash but luckily there's atms around so if you're desperate for a signature you can get one. Also you must and I mean trust me, if you want to save money in general on tickets to the con buy early on the website they offer really great deals for early time buyers. Try to arrive early, the line fills out fast for entry and can take forever to enter. Otherwise it's fun, though if you're driving into the area be careful the area is prone to alot of accidents. On the first day I witnessed a near collision and on the last day we were there for the event, I watched a car crash happen just before the doors opened for the convention read more

Monsterpalooza - Ron Perlman and I - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Here's what I don't get about the event. You have all of us in a giant Will Call line that gets funneled up to the front. You have multiple people there with scanners, but because of the set up, if there's one family or a group of 3 or 4 getting their tickets scanned, there's not enough room to get around them to move to the next available scanner. The scanner people kept shouting, "I'm open! Come here!" But we all got congested near the front from whoever stopped in front of us. You literally could not get past them. You USED to come down the line and check people in that way and hand out wristbands. MUCH more efficient. This new way was horrible and a huge pain. Not to mention...if you're coming all 3 days, you have to get in that line every single day?! Why not have a badge for the weekend, so that you don't have to get in that line 3 times? It would help disperse traffic so much better. I honestly don't get it. If you go to WonderCon or ComicCon...you get your weekend badge and come and go. But with this method, you're forced to get in that line every day? Come on. There were numerous people complaining about the line to get in and how inefficient it was. We got there at 11:30am on Saturday and even though we had tickets, we waited over 40 min to get in due to the clog in the line at the front with the people trying to get their tickets scanned. And...the convention center had AC problems and the water dispensers were out of order. Disappointing. read more

The people working here ruin the event due to their egotistical rude behavior . I visited all horror related convention centers all over so cal but this is a no go. First time visiting this event and staff seems clueless and don't have any answers for direction or general questions, on top of that poor customers service. I literally missed my photo op ticket opportunity with my favorite actor because there emails are not really detailed descriptive. I mean do I really need to call customer service to find out what time is my damn photo shoot? Midsummer Scream is the best event. Never supporting this event read more

I had never heard of any of the Palooza's -- Monster or Son of Monster Palooza. The latter event came up on my FB feed, and I was instantly hooked. I like horror films, and the actors and people behind the scenes. Still, I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised once I arrived at the Burbank Marriott. Free parking was great! The line was manageable to get into the event. People were nice and helpful. I especially loved the one's who dressed up in their favorite costumes. Plus, there were some serious fans - carrying movie posters and framed pictures to get autographed. Once inside, let the fun begin. Makeup artist performing their magic. Creatures walking too and fro throughout the ballroom. Celebrities lined up for pictures and autographs. You have to pay for said photos and signatures, so don't think it's for free. There are also caricature artists + masks and costumes for purchase. Pretty much any horror related item you may want, it was available. I thought the prices of photos or autographs were a tad high, but being a one-time thing, why not. I paid $130.00 total. The photos I got were with Michael Anthony Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith from Weird Science, and Nancy Allen from Robo Cop (Among others). All of them were great! But... there is no real time for conversation. The guys and Ms. Allen were nice enough. They don't ignore you, but they move you along at a quick pace. Now the pictures took place in an actual photo room - away from the main event. Nicely lit, quick snaps, out.. However, inside the main event hall, I watched Nancy Allen chatting up a number of hard-core fans. She couldn't have been nicer to them. Watching the makeup artists was amazing!! They take a regular looking person and change them into a real looking monster. It is an amazing talent, and well worth a long watch. to be honest, it was all great! You can nitpick any event, but overall for what was going on, it was well worth it. So much so, that I'll head to the next one in Pasadena coming up in 2023. read more

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After having attended Monsterpalooza for a second consecutive year I felt compelled to write a review. Ever heard the expression the early bird gets the worm?? Don't sleep on getting tickets in advance. Advance sales of Saturday only tickets stop about a month before. If you don't buy a ticket ahead of time, you WILL have to stand in line for 2-3 hours to buy one (just like I did my first year). My second year , having been more acquainted with the process, I purchased my ticket ahead of time . Easy peasy. Park across the street ! Get there early! If you don't buy your ticket in advance, don't bother showing up if all you'll do is whine and write a 1 star review hoping to put a dent in a great convention put on by some very talented people. I like Monsterpalooza for its size (it's just right) the fans (the cosplay is amazing!) and the vendors. There's so much to see and you can honestly enjoy it within a few hours and go home happy. There are lots of vendors selling one of a kind collectibles. There are industry stars such as Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas). Special effects make up artists from different trade schools put on amazing displays of their talent. The vendors are diverse and there's something for everyone. It's a kid friendly event too. I'll definitely visit Monsterpalooza again and I'll be sure to purchase my ticket in advance. read more

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This was an awesome experience. I'm all about the trying something new. And this happened to pop up on my Facebook. And I just said to my hubby we must go check it out. So happy I did. It was so great seeing all the work that is put into a movie. All the beholding the scenes hard work the true artist put in. Loved seeing all of it. If you are a horror movie fan, I recommend you come out and support, next time they come around. read more

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Highly recommend!! Me and my husband had such a great time we love horror we got to meet read more

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This Con needs to figure its stuff out man. Terribly, terribly organized for fans. Hordes of ticketless people come to get tickets as you quit selling presales and now hundreds will not get in. It's almost like there is one person selling tickets to hundreds of people. This is a Horror Con and the real horror is the ticket sales and entry. I've worked a lot of events and the fact that nothing more efficient has been developed over the years is insane. Just get a bigger venue if you care about you Convention other wise I hope the zombies get'cha... read more

Monsterpalooza - The terrible line you will never make it through. - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

It was a monster of a ball attending the 2022 Monsterpalooza! This was the first year back after the Pasadena convention center took a 2 year COVID break. The featured movie this year was Scream due to its recent January 2022 release of its 5th film. They had 4 of the main actors here from the 1st movie to sign and take photos. When the doors open, you can just get in line, or you can sign up ahead of time online & pay to secure your spot, but it does cost a little more that way, and you will still need to wait in line. It was sooooo awesome to be able to get both Neve Campbell & Skeet to autograph my Scream tee and The Craft tank. Robin Tunney was also there to sign my tank. I was actually the first one in line for her! All of the celebrities were super friendly and made sure to ask what I wanted on my shirts. Matthew Lillard was photobombing and high fiving everyone he walked by. His line was actually the longest. Oh and it's cash only when paying for autographs & photos. There is an ATM on location. It varies for each actor, but it's gonna be between $40-$60 per autograph and about $40-$50 for a photo. Aside from the long lines for signing, there were a couple of showrooms full of specialty venders selling t-shirts, dresses, lots of jewelry, drawings, paintings, figurines, costumes and masks. There is a food and drink station inside the big showroom, but the food was very simple & basic. We decided to leave the convention center to go get lunch elsewhere down the street. TIP: show up at least 1 hour early to get in line for the entrance because they do have to end the lines to the celebrities at a point to give them a break and you just have to come back later to form a new line. It also gets insanely packed after 12pm, which was about the time we were done standing in 3 lines. The event starts at 10am and my group & I saved each other's spots in a few lines, which helped speed up the process big time. read more

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This show gets worse and worse every year. They don't listen to their attendees, they don't make things easy for attendees, vendors, or guests, the whole show is a shitshow. For certain reasons, I am leaving out certain details in this experience. I dealt with a Suri before the show began on Friday and she was outrageously and unnecessarily rude and despicable. She didn't take even a second to comprehend my question and immediately rejected my request. I had to ask my same question in 4 different ways before she realized how stupid she looked and then continued to make up an accusation that I didn't even think I was able to do. Another big issue is the show's stupid ticket sale process. They end online sales weeks before the show which is ridiculous because not everyone knows the day of a show that they can make it. If they allowed ticket sales up until the night before the show that would be so much better. And they don't sell tickets for Saturday and Sunday on Friday. Instead, they make hundreds and hundreds of people line up early on Saturday morning, in the hot sun, with no shade, and hope they are early enough to snag a ticket before the show says "sorry sold-out". I feel bad for the special guests too, they have terrible set-ups, small tables with little to no line room for the bigger attractions, and the show never shares prices or guest information. It's an expensive show for nothing really "unique" or different year to year, it's always the same vendors. Guests come and go, which is also sad because the show is pretty much the same time every year, but the show won't reach out to popular guests to return. Others have mentioned how poorly guests are treated and some don't even show up or won't return. I highly doubt that I will return next year. read more

MONSTER WASTE OF TIME. What's the point of buying your ticket ahead of time when you still have to wait in fucking line? Bullshit, forget about the money, I want my wasted time back. Avoid going at all costs. read more

Awful awful awful experience with four hour wait just to get ticket. People drove for hours to come and I'm miserable because of the line and the awful set up they have with getting tickets SO MANY PISSED OFF PEOPLE!! Including us!!! Didn't even get to see the show after taking the day off from work!! Complain to the event managers and they were completely uncaring and said that there was nothing they could do and that it's "this way every year!" It would've been so much better just to be able to get tickets online but they closed that down as well! You could've made it so much better by installing extra vending booths for people getting tickets or make it easier to get in but it was literally hundreds of people that were waiting out in the Sun for four hours just to get in for a seven hour event!! They really need to get their crap together!!! read more

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The Excellent: Monsterpalooza may have a cheesy name and an oldie website, but this is actually an excellent exhibition for creature sculptor, make up effect specialist, painter and people who collect upscale horror/ dark art and raisin kits. OMG, this may be one of the best geek event of the year. Me and Mr. Q adore this place. Here we meet great artist such as Steve Wang(Predator maker), Simon Lee A.K.A Spider Zero, Casey Love, Jordu Schell,The Shiflett Brothers...etc. There is no fancy glass shelves around the sculptures, you can get a good look at the sculpture, admire it while having nice conversations with the creators. The cons: Monsterpalooza is held at Marriot Hotel at Burbank, CA. The tickets system is confusing. I understand people need to queue for at least one hour to get a tickets, but for people who purchased tickets online, we still need to queue about 30 min to get into the building. The system is way too slow. Exhibition is too small, the show tables are too close to each other, this place is really crowded, it's hard to not bump into people with big cameras. I will highly recommend this event to all of my friends. We love this place!!! read more

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Monsterpalooza is definitely well-planned, booked, and organized for the space at hand. Granted it is a bit cramped and too spread out, however those powers in-charge do an outstanding job bringing everything and everyone together. Having been a part of Megacon and Supercon in Orlando and Miami for several years, I wasn't sure what to expect with Burbank Monster Convention, however I must say that I am pleasantly surprised and pleased. If you can, definitely grab a VIP pass as soon as passes and tickets go on sale. Also, the restaurant at the Marriott is well worth a stop for lunch, and a break from the convention. Plan your day out (or weekend) wisely and DO NOT forget to bring cash for autographs!!!! read more

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This was my first time going to this convention, and I gotta say that my kids and I had a blast. It was an excellent mix of cosplay/people in costume, vendors, tv/movie stars, artists, special effects experts & makeup magicians and so much more. Anyone who enjoys horror/sci fi movies will really get a kick out of this show. I was most impressed by the cool prop museum, which displayed many famous props from tv shows and movies. There could be a few improvements made to this event. Perhaps in the past the size of the event may have been smaller, but as it is growing in popularity (one of the vendors was commenting that this event had the most attendees he's seen) a bigger venue would definitely be beneficial. Vendors were crammed into as much space as they were given. People were sometimes shoulder to shoulder, and it was crowded! If you didn't pre-order admission, cash was the only way to get into the event. What a hassle! The ATM in the hotel lobby where the event was at was completely tapped out, and all of the restaurants across the street were also out. Surprisingly no banks are nearby either. The only way to get cash was to hop a hotel shuttle that took you to the Burbank Airport across the way and get cash from one of the terminal lobbies. Cash, people! Take your cash!! Parking is also limited, so go early. Parking is limited to the hotel parking lot as well as the parking lots across the street. Again, in the past the event may have been smaller but now the growing size of attendees is causing some issues. Despite these issues, I would still go again. The overall experience was great, and meeting so many talented people and seeing their works of art was fantastic. read more

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the years that i've attended have been fun, full of talented people and overall a great experience. i've also been to the Son of Monsterpalooza in Burbank. my advice it to get there early because i have heard of the horror stories if you don't get there early (before doors even open) sometimes you aren't allowed in due to over capacity...and buy your tickets online because you save $$$ (by like $10) there is so many cool vendors, panels and special guests. we got there at about 10AM and left an hour before it closed..so you can practically walk around for hours and admire everyones cool cosplays + the costume contest at the end! i got to meet the creators and masterminds behind my favorite horror franchise..the Chucky franchise! i wish Jennifer Tilly attended, but I was happy to hear out Don Mancini's ideas and how they just love to interact with their fans. read more

Monsterpalooza - Chucky on his way to Monsterpalooza :-) - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

WARNING : The place is awesome and the guests are generally very nice . One Actor however , Kane Hodder aka Jason vorhees from the Friday the 13th movies ... choked me out during a pic that I paid to take with him, he mock chokes people ( or that's what I thought ) but he squeezed my Adam's apple so hard , that the next day I developed a clicking sound every time I swallowed saliva. I contacted Monsterpalooza and they sent some insurance guy to see me, but have since not called me or produced an incident report! Please be careful with this actor and decline him posing for a choke pic read more

Not worth it... waste of time and drive from Anaheim. Granted, if it were FREE then I wouldn't mind walking around, but they charged $33 per person when the website flyer says $30. So for two, it was a waste of time, gas and money to walk around a small auditorium of vendors. DETERRED ME FROM SPENDING MONEY EITH THE VENDORS BECAUSE OF THE COSTLY ADMISSION Never again. Again, they charged $3 extra to use debit card. Being that the website doesn't say this, be warned to pay extra to use a card for paying for tickets. Waste of time and money. $66 was not worth it to spend two hours just walking around looking at vendors. read more

All right! So this was my first time at this show we found parking for 9 dollars right across the street we did wait in line for two hours to get a ticket. Bring sunscreen if you don't like to be out in the sun and water!! Honestly the line was not even bad! Just bring people you would enjoy spending time with. We got to see so many different outfits and interesting people in line made it go by faster. Do get there early though as the line does get long extremely fast. There is also a bunch of stores right across the street so if you want to have one person do a quick drink or food run that is a option. We went on a Saturday where pre sale was not available. That is a bummer they stop selling tickets online. So buy in advance. Bought lots of awesome stuff read more

They either need a much bigger venue or need to fire whoever's in charge of tickets sales. Show is 11-6 and at 3pm there's still a massive line around the block and in the sun. There's people in make up and costumes sitting in the sun for hours. There was even a huge line at 2pm for people who already had a ticket. Wtf?! We ended up leaving, we're going to Midsummer Scream in August anyway! read more

This convention is the most poorly managed event I've been to. That's compared to SDCC, SWC, Wondercon, ACE, just to name a few. Onsite ticket sale line was atrocious, with only three tellers. Took over two hours, so, don't understand why they stop online ticket sales so early if they are not sold out. Autograph lines are a disaster. Over three hours for Paul Rueben, staffed handlers need to control this. Will never return to this event. Complete fail read more

This is the worse experience at a convention that I have ever had. I have been in line for over 2 hours in the hot sun waiting to get tickets. I came here last night to get tickets for today and they said I had to come back tomorrow to buy them. I will never come back to this convention again. I walked the floor last night and there was barely anything of interest. I only came back today because my boyfriend wanted something signed. Buy your tickets in advance or better yet don't even bother at all. Midsummer scream is way better. read more

Due to health issues, my gf and I didn't buy advance tix. We only decided on 4/12/19 that we would be attending on the 13th. Unfortunately, online tickets were no longer available. We headed out and found out that the line was literally a thousand plus to get tickets. After paying 20 for parking blocks away, we hung out. The tremendous wait time revealed that they only had THREE people selling wristbands to the massive crowd. Due to the wait time, I asked if they'd just sell us bands for the next day. They declined. I purchased the wristbands, now $94 in, and headed to the front door. A very polite young lady glanced at our wristbands and waved us in. There was ZERO security presence. It was very concerning. Anyone can bring anything inside, apparently. There was no one inside to greet us and give direction. We wandered aimlessly in a building we've never seen until we found the meet and greet area we were looking for. The lines for the celebrities we were there to see closed while we were in the line outside. This was one of the worst cluster$^&#$ I've seen call itself a convention in a long time, and I've been going to these all over the east coast and Midwest for thirty years. Save your money for other conventions with better planning, organization and security. read more

Best time that I ever experience since coming here in the West Coast. I met past stars, artist e.t.c... But meeting George A. Romero in person and getting a picture with him is something I will take with me to my grave for life...Just a wonderful individual. For those that never been to Monsterpalooza, you should go!!! read more

I attended my first Monsterpalooza ever a week ago and it was HEAVEN. Let me start off by saying that if you're into monsters, horror, sci fi and all that sort of cool stuff, this is THE PLACE for you! I didn't get to attend the previous editions of Monsterpalooza so I clearly do not have any other reference points to compare it to, but this one at the Pasadena Convention Center was the bomb! The location is really nice and spacey, even though there are lots of people, you can walk easily and it never gets too hot inside, the vendor booths were nicely distributed and planned. The first "hall" to your right, I think, before the vendors' entrance is where all the celebrities are located, this year we got Linda Blair (who's super sweet!), Nick Castle, Julie Adams, James Remar, Tom Savini, Kimmy Robertson, Haruo Nakajima, among others. The price range for their autographs and/or photos went from 20 to 60 bucks, depending on each. And even though I didn't get to meet all of them, I did walk around their tables every now and then to see how they were doing and they were all being really nice to their fans. They had printed pictures for you to choose from or you could take personal items for them to sign. The vendors hall was the biggest one of course, shirts, collectibles, toys, original artwork, prints, masks, makeup, sculptures, makeup schools (most of them doing live makeup demos!) and every cool horror-sci fi-monster related items you can possibly think of were all for sale there (magnets, soaps, etc). If you are a makeup artist yourself, make sure to stop by PPI, Kryolan, etc booths, they have some really major discounts and special prices (some palettes were 50 % off the original price) There were some classes held at the "theaters" (which are more like conference rooms) were artists such as Michael Spatola taught how to create some quick makeup effects (supposedly, you had to pre-register for this, which i did, but in the end, anyone could come inside). So bottomline is, if you dig make up, horror, sci fi and that kind of stuff, this is for you, the ticket price is more than worth it! Can't wait for next year! read more

I've attended a lot of Horror conventions in LA and in other cities, and Monsterpalooza really stands out as one of the best. I've gone every year since it began in 2008. What makes this convention memorable is the smaller venue, and the Make-up FX industry focused vendors and talent. Living in LA, we have access to a lot of great Horror/ VFX, and going to other conventions can really get boring fast. Monsterpalooza however has managed to keep things interesting and fresh. I really DO NOT want this convention to move it's location to a larger hotel near LAX, simply to accommodate a larger crowd. One of the charms of the convention is it's location in Burbank with other things to do in the Burbank area. Please keep Monsterpalooza in Burbank and not Inglewood! read more

So this year I attended Son of Monsterpalooza and it is my first (certainly not the last) time attending. Monsterpalooza is just such a unique and wonderful experience. There were countless cinematic artists, sculptors, designers, and digital artists that have worked the big screens and basically these are guys that create the whole aesthetic! These people are true artists of the craft and I feel they don't get as much credit as they should but here, they are stars! These are the master minds that go behind the overall image of the horror/sci-fi genre. There were also some talented special effects makeup artists! And wow I'm always blown away by their work. It is honestly a dream of mine to have even HALF these artist's talent. Honestly this is an area I am most interested in. And of course we can't forget about the actors and actresses that attended! There are too many to list here but just make sure you have enough money to pay for a photo and autograph. If you're a huge fan it's worth the price of not, then I can see why people think it's too pricy. However, it being my first time here I was pretty intimidated by the stars and artists. I would have given 5 stars but the location was just too small and there was barely any room to walk. Having enough room to breath would have made it a perfect experience but hey, I still think it was worth it and I'm definitely going to Monsterpalooza in March! I'm even considering being a vendor here for Son of Monsterpalooza in September, since this is right up my alley for my online shop. Highly recommend this convention. read more

So here's the thing folks: If you're planning on attending Monsterpalooza it's best to plan in advance. I bought my tickets online, stopped by my local ATM to get cash the day before and took an Uber to the convention center (although parking looked quite abundant, even if for a price). I arrived at 9:30am (with doors opening around 11:05ish) and there was a significant line that had already formed so it's best to get up early, grab a Starbucks and relax in line. All of the staff that I encountered were incredibly friendly and helpful. I was never confused on where something was or what time certain events were taking place. Bonus points for there being plenty of outlets for charging phones and free water dispensers in the lounge area. Things REALLY picked up around 12pm and I could barely walk the convention floor due to all the people. A quick walk across the street to get food and then seeing a panel fixed that and got me away from the madness for a couple hours. I guess the thing to do is prioritize. If there's someone you've been dying to meet, do that. If there's a certain vendor you want to see, find them as soon as the doors open. I recommend within your first hour checking out the entirety of the convention floor to get a feel for things, getting in line to meet a guest and checking out the museum. I explored from 11am-4:30pm and felt that I had done and seen everything and then some. It's a killer time, especially if horror / sci-fi is your thing. I'll definitely be back for Son of Monsterpalooza in the fall. read more

First time attending and went on Day 2, which was Saturday. Did an almost 3 hour wait to buy tickets as I couldn't buy them online and had to buy at the door. There were only 2-3 people at the booth to buy tickets which is awful! Hundreds of people and only 3 are there to work the ticket booth? Horrible. They were charging $38 for credit card transactions. Once inside, the place is huge with rows and rows of vendors. There is a signing area and they had a museum but the line was also long, and I was so tired from making lines, so I skipped. There was more vendors and things to buy rather than panels/Q&As/screenings for my liking. I wanted to see more of that rather than just buying stuff, which of course is pricey. There was lots of VFX demos/classes and if you're into that, you should definitely check out this convention. Some vendor photo opps but not enough and there weren't that many people dressed up but some were very cool and was able to take photos with them. For parking, I followed their signs and parked in a $20 garage, cash only. They had one food concession stand that, of course, had a very long wait time. I went across the street to buy food. Overall, I don't think I'd go unless I pay for the ticket in advance and somehow cheaper than $35. If you're planning on going, get there early as there's lines everywhere and get street parking rather than paying $20+. Bring cash as lots of vendors are cash only, the same for the tables selling official Monsterpalooza t-shirts. They should really have more photo opps for people rather than the official sign in the lobby. read more

Well first off...I got to meet Dee Snider so props for that! This was my first time attending in March 2014, and it was a nice little event. They had some great venders and makeup models to check out. I love looking at gore and bloody and guts...hope to create those looks as a makeup artist one day. The not so good was the space and the parking. If you don't get there super early, the lot will be full and even valet won't take you. Even if valet does take you...it's 30 bucks to park. I tried cluelessly looking around the area trying to find a place to park...I don't know this area at all, so I was totally lost about what to do. I found some 2 hour parking spots..but I really didn't feel like moving my car every 2 hours at an all day event. The other not so good was the space...I wonder if this event started out smaller and it just grew and grew. Everything was tightly packed in the lobby and it was super hot inside. I feel like this event needs a bigger venue and especially parking. I wound up leaving a little early just because I'm not a crowds person. I found myself at the halloween store a little ways away to keep in the spirit of things. read more

Second time we've attended this show and there are a couple of drawbacks that detract from the enjoyment of the event. The Bad 1: The venue is too small, the convention has become so popular that the line to get in wraps around the building and some people waited in line for an hour or more. 2: Parking, small lot + Big crowd means the lot fills up fast and unlike LAX there are not a lot of other convenient lots where attendees can park. 3: The Layout of the venue, due to the size of the event there is one main exhibit hall and multiple smaller rooms with vendors and autograph signings, the program room is in the hotel lobby and the main exhibit space is across the courtyard. People find their way around but the layout does hinder the enjoyment of some areas of the convention. 4: Cash only for admission, if you are not planning on this it takes away some of you cash early in the day and the lack of ATMs and High fees make getting more a not so appealing expedition. The Good Good number of dealers(about 200), split about 70% Supplies and 30% Collectibles so if you are going only for the collectibles side of the show you may be slightly disappointed, if on the other hand you are here to learn about makeup technique and get some supplies this is the place for you however even if you are less into the technique you will still be amazed at the skill of the professionals that exhibit here and see the wide range of supplies that they need to make this magic happen. Prices are reasonable and there is quite a bit to look though and enjoy or add to your collection. The Museum, a highlight of the show stuffed full of displays and artwork, great place to start and get into the mood of the show. The Ugly (in a good way) The Monsters, boy were some of them UGLY, Academy Award Ugly, so if you like to see great work up close this is the place to go. In summary, a great show that needs more room some more organization when it comes to getting people in the door. So plan ahead, get your tickets on line to avoid the long lines and you'll have a great time. 5 Stars for the content -1 for the layout of the venue, lack of space and long line to get in the door read more

Once again went, and once again LOVED IT!! This year I went as a Female Predator, a Killer Clown, and then as a melted-face victim. Met many people, took tons of pictures (posing for more than I can count), met the nephew of Kevin Peter Hall, Al Leong and his assistant (turns out we have some business friends in common!!), shook hands with Danny Glover while dressed as the Predator, and more! What was also fun was playing with the kids as a killer clown. Most of them werent phased by the fact I was a clown with two differently colored eyes, a blood hatchet, and rows of sharp teeth. We ended up playing games where one of them tried smacking my hands with the fake hatchet (it is made of plastic) before I could pull away. She got me GOOD a few times!! The uncle laughed, haha. Note of bringing kids -- Dont bring babies in strollers. You will NOT be able to get through the crowds. However, if they can walk on their own, then bring them on down!!! read more

Been coming to Monsterpalooza for a long time now (ever since it was in Burbank and now in Pasadena) and love it. Pros: Movie quality artwork, masks, makeup and props (seriously, top notch you won't see better anywhere else) Bang for your buck. Fair priced tickets Awesome exhibits Nice staff Parking prices are reasonable Cons: Parking can be tough if you don't get there early I don't have enough money for everything I want! I love Monsterpalooza in Pasadena its an awesome show and a great venue. But I won't lie, I love Son of Monsterpalooza too in Burbank at the other location. Both shows have their own feels which I dig in there own ways. Recommend both shows to all my friends! read more

Mary and I had guest passes from my long time dear friends Bob and Kathy Burns. I wasn't a speaker this year and that was fine. I just wanted to visit with old friends and colleagues from my 40 years in motion pictures visual and creature effects. We spent a 1 1/2 hour drive just getting there. when we got there every single parking lot was full. there was a huge line to get in. The Will Call where our passes were was a big line too. Bob burns told me later that the Fire Marshall wouldn't allow any more people in guests or not. It didn't matter if they were speakers and vendors. So needless to say we were disappointed and and drove back to Ventura. Total drive: 3 hours. I wont be attending anymore conventions that are so badly planned like this. That goes for Comic Con too. Invited guest or not it's just not worth it. Steve Neill read more

What a fantastic experience!!! My family and I timed our California vacation to coincide with Monsterpalooza and we purchased our tickets on line before our trip. We joined the line for prepaid tickets about an hour before the doors opened and enjoyed chatting with friendly monster fans from all over the country. The line was long, and we were worried we would have to wait forever, but the doors were opened promptly and the entire long line moved smoothly and really fast! Wristbands were given out by a well organized staff who were super friendly and happy to answer our tourist questions. We were also given fantastic color brochures we will keep as great souveniers. We had time in line to familiarize ourselves with the layout since the brochures included maps and detailed instructions for finding all the many events and booths and stars who sign autographs. The brochures were FREE which surprised us, since shows we have attended usually make you pay for them. The monster art was as amazing as we had hoped to see and the prices were affordable and the artists super friendly. The costumes and makeup you could watch being put on to make detailed monsters right in front of your face was fascinating. My husband's favorite part was the Museum which was fabulous and there was a line to get in... but totally worth the 15 or 20 minute wait. If I lived on the West Coast we would go every year. Monsterpalooza was the most fun of anything we did for our whole vacation. Highly recommended!!! read more

MONSTERPALOOZA ROCKS! I went to it when they were in Burbank and it only gets bigger and better each time- I'm not surprised they outgrew the Burbank Convention Center. Most of the celebrities were in one of the main hallways outside of the "Big" convention room where all of the dealers and demos were taking place. Around the corner, down the other main hallway was the video room. The Museum with all of the horror and sci-fi displays was, as usual, awesome! Monsterpalooza takes place twice a year- if you and your friends, kids, SOs like horror and sci-fi, this convention is the one to attend!!! read more

Went to Son of Monsterpalooza this year and had a great time. Highly recommended for anyone into Halloween, efx makeup, art, getting a chance to meet actors and actresses, plus so much more. My only complaint is the disorganization with The Conjuring mini maze which was definitely bad. Otherwise a great time altogether! read more

So to attend the sessions I need to be on a list which is I told no longer accessible on line. I checked their web site when I received the tickets for Christmas and they had no events listed. This is bullsh!t. They need a better web design. They need to let the public know they need to sign up in advance. So I asked how do I get on the wait list for other sessions. They don't know. Great! read more