You can’t really get into the Halloween mood until you’ve attended Universal Studios’ annual after-hours event, which is currently operating on select nights until Nov. 1. (You can get Halloween Horror Nights tickets here. And don’t skip. Get the front-of-the-line passes. You’ll thank us later.)
This year’s line-up of houses leans heavily into pre-existing IP – everything from Ryan Coogler’s recent Oscar-winning vampire epic “Sinners” to Clive Barker’s classic “Hellraiser” to the latest entry in the “Evil Dead” franchise, “Evil Dead Burn.”
It is a little odd that two of the most successful and widely discussed horror films of the year – “Obsession,” a movie released by Universal’s Focus imprint and A24’s “Backrooms” – do not have houses this year. There was, however, a last-minute “Obsession” addition with a Nikki walkaround character, but her location in the park kept changing throughout the night and nobody would tell us where she was headed next. Sadly, we did not get to see her.
Maybe next year, there will be a “Backrooms” house where you turn into a creepy carpet person at the end. Just think of the food tie-in possibilities! The best part is, you can eat them!
Before we start the ranking, we also want to give a huge shout-out to all of the actors at Halloween Horror Nights populating the houses and scare zones, who put their all into scaring the bejeezus out of you. It really is super impressive what they do, and they don’t get their (blood-soaked) flowers enough. They’re what make Halloween Horror Nights so special.
9. Killer Klowns from Outer Space
This technically isn’t a bad house, but it does fall into the same category as the “Poltergeist”-themed house last year – they needed an extra house, didn’t want to come up with an original, and so they got an older one out of storage and dusted it off. (Maybe they got a deal on the “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” license?) Somewhat more damnably, this is the third time the house has made an appearance at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, after 2019 and 2022. If you’ve never been to this house or love the IP, it’s a no-brainer to visit this one; there are plenty of great creatures and the vibe is a little more jovial than other Halloween Horror Nights houses. It’s just a shame when they recycle houses like this.
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8. Terror Tram Starring Art the Clown
Objectively, the Terror Tram starring Art the Clown from the “Terrifier” films, isn’t a lousy rendition of the very best attraction in all of Southern California: the Universal Studios Backlot Tour. Based on the third “Terrifier,” the tram has an evil Christmas theme, which offers neat flourishes like the Bates Motel adorned with Christmas lights. There’s also a cool bit where Art shoots down Santa’s airplane, which is a canny use of the destroyed 747 from the “War of the Worlds” section of the tour. Also, the Blood Bog scare zone, which you have to walk through to get to the Terror Tram, is a highlight (it’s pictured above). But the abundance of grossout humor and repetitiveness of the scares is a huge bummer. Also, the little video they force you to watch on the tram is really lame. Here’s a free idea for next year – a Terror Tram themed to the Alfred Hitchcock classics that are the jewels of the Universal library. You know, class things up a bit!
7. Evil Dead Burn
This house, themed after this summer’s “Evil Dead Burn,” features a ton of scares and some great effects – including a climactic, titular inferno. There’s also a nifty moment when you walk into the house, where a decapitated head catcalls at you. One of the criticisms leveled at the new movie is that it lacked the goofy fun of some of the earlier entries in the franchise. (“Evil Dead II” in particular is seen as a high-water mark for the horror-comedy genre.) Maybe with franchise star Bruce Campbell’s recent cancer diagnosis and the fact that Universal released the third entry in the franchise, the medieval “Army of Darkness,” we can get a classic “Evil Dead” house in the not-too-distant future? It would be a great tribute to the star and the franchise.
6. Stranger Things 5
One of the more widely derided houses at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights is the house themed to the fifth and final season of Netflix’s blockbuster series “Stranger Things.” And, it’s true that this one is a little lacking (based on videos we’ve watched, the Orlando version of the house is more impressive too). But there are still some super fun moments, including a sequence set in the melting room and a bit where you travel through the tunnels below Hawkins. But you’d also think that a season full of grandiose set visits, like an assault on a military installation, a showdown at the radio tower, and the battle against the giant Mind Flayer, would have delivered a little more oomph in haunted house form.
Perhaps they should have taken a cue from “Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins,” the lagoon show at Universal Studios Florida, which combines some of the best moments from the entire series to surprisingly moving effect. Imagine a “Stranger Things” house that remixes elements from the entire show, where you could walk through the high school, Hawkins lab, Starcourt Mall and other iconic locations — all with the music blaring and Demogorgons popping out. Still, this is one of the more underrated houses at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. But maybe we just aren’t ready to leave Hawkins yet.
5. KILLceañera
We love the original houses at Halloween Horror Nights and especially treasure the ones at Universal Studios Hollywood, since they don’t typically have the same amount of space. KILLceañera (get it?) continues the tradition of earlier Halloween Horror Nights houses at Universal Studios Hollywood built on Mexican folklore and mythology. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America was introduced in 2023 and, in the years since, there have been subsequent, similarly-themed house. And this latest edition is really wonderful: full of crazy creatures (including a bunch of scary bird-like monsters with very creepy beaks) and a killer soundtrack by regular HHN contributor Slash. One of the best parts about the house, too, is its layout, which winds through an indoor space before popping out into outdoor areas. While the house’s “story” is a little vague, it doesn’t matter when everything else is so thought out and beautifully rendered.
4. Dead Deader Deadest
Another outstanding original house. Dead Deader Deadest is typical zombie fare – you enter the Deville Family Funeral Home, where a miracle embalming fluid turns the recently deceased into flesh-eating ghouls. What impressed us the most – beyond the sheer number of zombies in the house and the variety of environments within (viewing room, freezer, etc.) – is the truly uncanny level of immersion. Yes, this is one of the scarier houses, but it is also one of the most fun. You don’t know what to expect around every corner except, you know, hordes of bloodthirsty zombies. Also, it’s proof that a simple concept can be expanded with exceptional execution to become one of the more memorable houses at this year’s event. A knockout!
3. Hellraiser
Universal has wanted to do a “Hellraiser”-themed HHN house forever. Now, the rights have been untangled, licensees have been appeased and Pinhead and the gang are finally at Halloween Horror Nights. And honestly – it was worth the wait. The house is themed to the first three movies, with appearances from Pinhead and the other Cenobites realized with really creepy, detailed prosthetics. But what surprised us most of all were the amount of animated, full-sized props, like tableaus that move in and out of the wall and rotating columns dotted with globs of human flesh. There’s also a bit where Pinhead is attacked by a giant phallic worm-thing. There are also, as you would suspect, plenty of chains. (Hey, this is “Hellraiser” after all.) Even if your memory of the franchise is somewhat fuzzy – and, that’s respectable, the third movie, released in 1992, was its last theatrically released movie – the images and set pieces in the “Hellraiser” house are so evocative that it will bring you back and scare you silly. One of the undeniable highlights of HHN 2026.
2. Sinners
Honestly, this could have gone either way. “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning period vampire movie, which deals with racial tension as much as it does supernatural terror, could’ve been a fiasco: a tone-deaf adaptation of a very special property. But Universal knocked it out of the park with this house. What’s miraculous is the way that it captures little moments from the film, like the “surreal montage” where the past, present and future get blended together into a seamless, unforgettable musical sequence. Here, translucent panels reveal performers from different eras. It’s actually so subtle that you could miss it. But man, is it effective. (Also, when Sammy is playing guitar, the wall behind him reveals the three vampires, eager to suck his energy dry.)
The staging of the rest of the house is just as impressive and full of surprises. During a juke joint sequence, there’s a second level of performances happening with scare actors interacting on the ground and above. Another moment sees evil vampire Remmick descend from the ceiling on wires. It’s super creepy! And another subtle touch is one of our favorites: the actors wear small lights directly in front of their own eyes, which gives off the impression that their eyes are glowing. That’s super cool, brand-new technology developed for this house. For a house that could have gone very badly, “Sinners” is one of the biggest triumphs of this year’s event.
1. Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Easily the most popular house at this year’s HHN, it was the only one on opening night that had a long, snaking line that took forever. Once you get inside, though, you understand why. This is the best house at this year’s event and one of the best Halloween Horror Nights houses ever. The care, attention to detail and craftsmanship that went into this house are staggering. It’s hard not to leave the house absolutely floored.
What’s so neat about the house, which is (of course) based on the music of our dearly departed rock god Ozzy Osbourne, is the way that it interpolates images from both his work and his life: album covers, concerts and the mythology that he built around himself as a performer. There’s a sizable chunk dedicated to “Crazy Train,” where you walk through the train (everyone on board is a corpse, of course), but another moment has you come face to face with the front of the train itself – a giant animatronic that steamrolls towards you. It’s fantastic. A werewolf character pops up throughout, a character from the album cover of 1983’s “Bark at the Moon” (the character also appeared in a music video for the title track). And the climax to the attraction has you come face-to-face with a giant animatronic bat, decked out in a priest’s robes. It is phenomenal. (There’s more that we won’t spoil.) As you exit the house, you are also greeted by a huge photo of Osbourne himself. It’s the rare house that is as moving as it is frightening. And it’s the only one where the scare-actors inside the house are encouraged to do the rock ‘n’ roll devil horns when popping out of a wall (see above). It’s worth however long the wait is. This is a must-do.
