Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights has arrived, letting loose countless nightmares for horror and Halloween Fans alike. The event, which runs select nights at Universal Studios Hollywood from Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, November 1, offers guests the chance to immerse themselves in a horrifying collection of experiences, scare zones, and haunted houses.
This year the houses are a mix of popular films like Sinners, Hellraiser, and Evil Dead Burn next to original concepts such as Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness, Dead Deader Deadest, and Killceañera. Back for another year of maratime madness is the brilliant show The Purge: Dangerous Waters, and a brand new Terror Tram experience featuring Art The Clown.
It’s definitely a promising line up but we are here to bring you the scoop on what you should see and how to best navigate the night. We also tell you what we think is a DO NOT MISS.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Keep checking back as we will be adding video highlights from the houses soon.
The Purge: Dangerous Waters – DO NOT MISS
In the upper lot, the Waterworld show has been transformed again into the returning show, The Purge: Dangerous Waters. If you aren’t familiar, the idea is that for 12 hours any and all crime is legal, including murder. Of course the elites high up in the government decide to escape to their floating fortress on the ocean for safety. That’s when the rebels arrive to settle the score.
A returning show, this is still a banger. The dazzling lighting design, pyrotechnics, and lasers along with gasp-inducing stunts makes this one a DO NOT MISS. Do yourself a favor, plan to see this one.
Terror Tram Featuring Art The Clown – DO NOT MISS
As darkness falls, Universal Studios Hollywood’s world-famous Studio Tour becomes the Terror Tram Featuring Art the Clown. As you may know, Art is from the shockingly sanguine Terrifier franchise. We also love him for his gleeful chaos and absurd violence.
In a fantastic twist, we are getting the Christmas Art the Clown. I am a sucker for scary Christmas and this is just total gory insanity. Leaving the tram station we are shown a hilarious video featuring a charming storybook reading of Art the Clown at Christmas. We arrive at the drop off and Art is there, in person, with an army of twisted toys.
The path twists and turns along the normal route from the Bates Motel up to the War of the Worlds set. Along the way we see remnants and set pieces from last year’s Terrifier 3 house along with new ghastly scenes. The energy is pure pandemonium. It’s one of the better Terror Trams in years.
Street Experiences
Less formal than a scare zone, these street experiences offer scares, interactivity, and photo ops.
Murder of Crowz (Front Gate)
One of our favorite scare zones, Murder of Crowz returns. These skulking feathered creatures lumber around, eyes glowing red, with a taste for mischief. Now situated right at the entry plaza, we have the same elements from last year but with a more linear space to play in. These creatures are still some of the most impressive at the event. It’s a strong, but strange choice for a front gate scare.
Shriek of the Banshee
Located right outside of the new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift ride Shriek of the Banshee is an unhinged side show where the main attraction is on the loose. A lot like Crowz, this area relies on a titular creature that skulks about. However, this is the next evolution. The star of the show is the four-legged stilt walker character known as the Banshee. The creature is bizarre and menacing. Very cool.
Scare Zones
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror nights has often struggled with scare zones. I say that with love, but they have often felt like an afterthought. I am happy to report that the scare zones for 2026 are a vast improvement over previous years.
Hackerz (Front Gate)
Fulfilling the mandate that at least two things need to use the letter Z instead of S we have Hackerz. Shoehorned in between the Murder of Crowz at the front gate and Fortnitemares is a band of neon-tinged monsters with chainsaws. I will be honest, garden tools do not scare me. Yet they are surprisingly effective on other people. The talent here really works for their screams and it shows.
I do question the placement of this zone though. We enter the park with Crowz, then we have a small section of chainsaw scares, very small in fact. Aside from the actors, there didn’t appear to be any other themeing. Then we are in Fortnitemares. It’s more of a troupe of scare actors than a scare zone. It works only because of the remarkable talent.
Fortnitemares (New York Street) – DO NOT MISS
Situated near the Universal Plaza at one of the park’s major crossroads is Fortnitemares. Characters from the popular game cavort and careen through the bustling crowd in a sort of managed chaos. I have to admit that I have little knowledge of the game, but this didn’t matter. I really loved everything about this zone. Of course the talent is always top tier in this particular spot. But this was next level. Great costumes, great talent, iconic sets, this one delivered.
El Circo De La Muerte (French Street) – DO NOT MISS
Exiting Killceañera we find ourselves in the fog shrouded El Circo De La Muerte. I was truly impressed with the actors, of course. But the scenic here is really something. That’s not to mention the impeccable lighting. Also, this scare zone has a mini haunted house. Make sure to find it and take a stroll through.
The mini haunted house is a side show themed walkthrough. Exiting Killeañera, it is to the right, on the right hand side.
Blood Bog (Backlot)
Blood Bog is a very compact, but effective little scene that guests must traverse in order to make it to the Tram Tour. Nice set, at-moss-pheric (get it?), and at times impenetrably foggy.
Haunted Houses
This year we have another mix that is heavy on the IPs with a few original houses thrown in for good measure. For the most part this is a solid line-up.
Stranger Things 5 (Lower Lot)
Confession time; I am not a fan of Stranger Things. It is a property that overstayed its welcome in pop culture. Still I understand the desire to return and close out the epic story here at HHN. Given the prime spot inside Stage 15, we visit Hawkins for the final battle with Vecna.
The sets, the sound and lighting cues, the actors, they all hit their marks but the scares just aren’t there. This feels more like a farewell than a finale.
Sinners (Upper Lot) – DO NOT MISS
JUST WOW. Based on the award-winning horror darling of a film, Sinners takes us to the second half of the movie when things really go off the rails. As things heat up at Club Juke, the Vampires begin to surround the party. Shadowy figures with glowing read eyes, the vampires here are some really frightening creatures. We witness the craziest moments from the movie with spectacular, two-story sets, lots of kinetic energy, and above all, scary vampires. Sinners is easily one of the best houses at the event.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness (Lower Lot) – DO NOT MISS
Located in the lower lot, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness is a fitting tribute to the madman himself. It’s all here, the demonic monsters, the rage against conformity, we even take a ride on the Crazy Train. What surprised me most here were the feels that hit towards the end of the house. Ozzy built a career on horror, madness, and fierce individuality that lovers of Halloween naturally gravitated to. I truly loved this house both as a wild walkthrough and a tribute to an icon. Very well done.
Killer Klownz From Outer Space (Lower Lot)
Located to the right of Transformers we have the return of Killer Klownz From Outer Space. An exact replica of the house from 2019 and 2022, this is a colorful, goofy addition to the line up for sure, but this has been done before, twice. The gags are great, the lighting and sound are perfect, even the cotton candy smells are in full effect. But the house comes off as filler rather than having a compelling reason to be a part of the event. We really could have used another original concept here. If you’ve seen this house before, you’ve seen it this year. If not, go ahead and check it out.
Killceañera (Parisian Courtyard) – DO NOT MISS
After celebrating Latin-American folklore and monsters with the Monstruos Anthology of houses for the past three years, we explore a new terror, the rage of a teenage girl. Killceañera, Music By Slash is a lavish new haunted house that follows a young girl who summons all the powers of hell and more to exact revenge on her enemies on her quinceañera.
The main character for the house, Lola, is fantastic. As guests enter the facade a scare actor literally sings a new original song, “15 Candles” by Slash we enter and are hit with an onslaught of Latin-American monsters around every corner. While I loved the house for its new story I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that I have seen so many of these creatures over the last three years.
I will say that this is, without question, Slash’s best work at the event. He creates a theme driven by a strong guitar riff and a haunting melody. It’s really good stuff that merges with the house perfectly.
Hellraiser (H-Lot) – DO NOT MISS
It has taken decades to bring Hellraiser to Halloween Horror Nights and this one was worth the wait. Ghastly scenes of pleasure and pain and chains. lots and lots of plastic chains to navigate through. The house covers Hellraisers 1-3 and begins with the iconic Lament Configuration.
We enter the golden puzzle box and are immediately thrust into a dark nightmare world of carnage. We first find ourselves in the attic of the Cotton home from the first film and Pinhead makes his first appearance. Along the route we witness a scene at the Channard institute, we see the pillar of souls, and we narrowly miss attacks from monstrous Cenobites. Finally, Hellraiser is here.
Evil Dead Burn (H-Lot) – DO NOT MISS
The Evil Dead franchise returns to Halloween Horror Nights with the adequate Evil Dead Burn. Having not seen the film yet, I was still impressed with this house for its use of tech. As we enter the experience we pass a gazebo to the left and a car accident to the right. Atop a mound of dirt is a talking severed head telling is we will all burn. What’s cool about this little effect is that it picks different guests to talk to and follow. It’s a nasty, creepy effect that I loved.
Further in we see various easter eggs from the other films, not the least of which is a red chainsaw in the shed. Once at the Price Family home more hell is breaking loose with more frightening moments from the film including a dining room engulfed in flames.
While I wasn’t familiar with the source material yet, this was still a wild, raucous house with some good effects and solid scares.
Dead Deader Deadest (Jurassic Park Queue) – DO NOT MISS
I love a good original haunted house and Dead Deader Deadest delivers on every level. Set at the dubious Deville Funeral Home, we find an army of reanimated corpses on the attack. But what’s causing this? Could it be the special embalming process? Or is it something worse?
What I loved about this house was that it took the time to set the scene and to tell rather simple story effectively. The Deville Family is evil, they are doing things to corpses, and the corpses are after you. There is no convoluted world building, just a creepy setting, a disturbing premise, and lots of disgusting set pieces. A near perfect haunted house.
The Verdict
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights has returned with another solid line up of haunted houses for 2026. There are two houses out of six that just didn’t hit for us but those are pretty good odds for having a good time. It is clear that they assessed last year’s minor faults and worked on those with drastically improved scare zones. They wisely left the Dreamworks theater dark this year because quantity isn’t always quality.
My biggest complaint is with Killer Klownz returning for a third go. This is filler and it shows. I would really love to see them spend time on another original house in that spot. It is clear that creative director John Murdy and his team have the talent to take us to new places and to tell new stories. I would love to see more of that. The house line up isn’t as strong as 2025 but in fairness, where do you go after that? It was almost the perfect year.
In the end, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is another solid night out for Halloween horror fans. Don’t forget that there are plenty of delicious themed food options for 2026.
Tickets
Our biggest word of advice is this: NEVER buy general admission. There are so many other options that offer more ways to enjoy the park that, unless you know what you are doing, it’s a waste of money. Also, remember that Pass members get special pricing on tickets to Halloween Horror Nights.
R.I.P. Tour
Not everyone can afford to drop $489.00 on the R.I.P. Tour, although you definitely get what you pay for. for one price you get a parking, dinner, a tour guide, private experience on the backlot, and express access to select attractions. This one is for the fancy ghouls.
Halloween Horror Nights After 2 PM Day/Night
Starting at $117 a person, this ticket offers you access to the theme park for a few hours before Halloween Horror Nights begins. This is key if you don’t want to spend the money on Express Passes and you still want to catch a few rides before the event begins. Additionally, while the new Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift doesn’t officially open until September 18, there is a very strong chance that the new coaster will be in technical rehearsals during the day. No, the coaster is not open during Halloween Horror Nights. Those poor Karens in Toluca lake have to get a break sometimes.
In short, grab this ticket, hit single rider on Fast and Furious if it’s open, (if you are gong before September 18), and check out which houses open early at 5:30.
Click here to purchase tickets and for Terms and Conditions.
Also do NOT forget to download the Universal App before you go.
Halloween Horror Nights runs select nights at Universal Studios Hollywood from Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, November 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.
