Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, September 3, running a record 42 select nights through Sunday, November 1. This year’s event brings eight haunted houses, a fully reimagined Terror Tram, four scare zones, roaming street encounters, a stunt show, and a new behind the scenes daytime tour. Here is everything happening this year, plus the ticket move that gets you into the Lower Lot before the paid Early Access crowd does.
The ticket move that actually saves time
Universal pushes their Early Access add-on pretty hard, and it works fine if you just want to come straight to the event at night. But if you’re going to spend any time in the park during the day anyway, there’s a smarter play: the After 2 P.M. Day/Night Ticket. You get in at 2 p.m., catch the rides that run during daylight (grab that new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster if you haven’t), hang out in the Wizarding World, and when Halloween Horror Nights officially opens at 7 p.m., you’re already standing there. Already past security. Already oriented. While the Early Access crowd is still getting through the gate line, you’re already at the Lower Lot picking your first house.
It’s a small edge, but when the park gets crowded later in the night, those first few hours matter.
The only real caveat: this only works if you’re actually coming for a full day. If you’re doing night-only, stick with the Early Access add-on. But if you’re spending the afternoon at Universal anyway, this is the move.
What we’re actually excited to see
Three things on our must-hit list, and they’re picked specifically because they line up with what we actually like in horror. Visceral effects. Dark humor. Killer clown energy. Psychological dread that lingers after the night’s over.
Evil Dead Burn is first because practical effects and gore wrapped around a story we care about is pretty much our template for good horror. The Deadites, the Book of the Dead, the mess of it all—that’s the kind of chaos we keep coming back to.
Terror Tram starring Art the Clown is second because Art the Clown is exactly the kind of antagonist that stays with you. He’s not trying to jump-scare you out of your skin. He’s just there, wrong and chaotic, and Ice Nine Kills scoring the whole thing with dark Christmas music is the kind of detail that makes this different from everything else at the park this year.
Obsession (Freaky Nikki street encounter) rounds out the three because it’s the one that’s unsettling in a quieter way. A curse-driven character roaming the streets has a different feel than a full haunted house. Nikki’s the kind of antagonist that gets in your head.
No idea how these will actually rank once we’re done. But these three feel like they’re built for what we actually sit down and watch repeatedly.
The eight haunted houses
Sinners (Club Juke) Adapted from Ryan Coogler’s Warner Bros. film, which racked up 16 Academy Award nominations and four wins after grossing over $370 million worldwide. The house drops guests into Club Juke on its opening night, where twin brothers Smoke and Stack are about to lose control of the room to a trio of red eyed vampires, Remmick, Bert, and Joan. Familiar faces from the film, Sammie, Mary, Annie, Pearline, and Cornbread, turn up along the way as guests try to survive until sunrise.
Stranger Things (based on the fifth and final season) Developed with Netflix, this house walks guests through the Wheeler House, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and a new setting called the Abyss. Demogorgons hunt at every turn, and Vecna himself closes in as the barrier between Hawkins and the Upside Down collapses.
Hellraiser (first house of its kind) The first Hellraiser haunted house Universal has ever built, drawing from the original trilogy: Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Guests open the Lament Configuration puzzle box themselves, triggering a journey from Frank Cotton’s attic to the Channard Institute before ending in The Labyrinth, where Pinhead and the Cenobites are waiting. Original Pinhead actor Doug Bradley reprises the role and voices the character throughout the house.
Evil Dead Burn Based on the newly released sixth film in the Evil Dead franchise. The house begins at the Price family’s secluded vacation home in the woods, where the Book of the Dead has already been opened. Guests fight through increasingly aggressive Deadites as the nightmare escalates.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness An original, non-traditional tribute house built with the Osbourne family’s involvement, spanning 45 years of Ozzy’s solo career and drawing from all 13 of his albums. At Universal Studios Hollywood specifically, the journey starts in Birmingham, England, moves through the Crazy Train era, and lands in the Osbourne Asylum, inspired by Diary of a Madman. Guests pass through different eras of Ozzy’s persona along the way, Madman Ozzy, Werewolf Ozzy, and finally the Prince of Darkness himself.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space The 1988 cult classic returns to Halloween Horror Nights, sending guests back to the 1980s to escape a troupe of murderous alien circus clowns.
Dead, Deader, Deadest An original house set inside an abandoned funeral home, where guests uncover the disturbing acts that once took place within its walls.
KILLceañera: Music by SLASH An original house continuing Halloween Horror Nights’ run of Latin American myth and legend houses. It centers on Lola’s quinceañera, which turns into a festival of death as she takes revenge on everyone who wronged her. Grammy winning guitarist Slash composed an original score for the house, built around Spanish guitar, including an exclusive track called “15 Candles.”
Terror Tram starring Art the Clown
The Terror Tram gets a full takeover this year. Art the Clown, from the Terrifier films, hijacks the historic backlot tram and decides it is time for his own twisted Christmas celebration, arriving with a blood soaked bag of presents. Metal band Ice Nine Kills composed original music for the experience, putting a dark spin on classic holiday songs. Art does not stay confined to the tram either, guests have reported run-ins with him elsewhere in the park through the night.
Scare zones and street experiences
Four scare zones are running this year. Hackerz sends a troop of chainsaw wielding killers after guests early in the night. Fortnitemares transforms part of the park into Freaky Fields, a Halloween-inspired battleground built around Fortnite’s in-game Halloween event, complete with the Battle Bus and a mix of familiar and Halloween Horror Nights exclusive characters. El Circo de la Muerte sits right outside the KILLceañera house, reimagining 1930s Mexican circus and sideshow acts with a deadly twist. Blood Bog rounds things out with moss monsters roaming a swampy, bayou-style setting.
On top of the scare zones, roaming street experiences add a few more surprises. Murder of Crowz brings back its family of oversized crow creatures, a mom, dad, and baby. Shriek of the Banshee follows a carnival barker and his talking skeleton through the streets. And for the first time, Freaky Nikki, the central character from Focus Features’ Obsession, appears nightly as the latest victim of the One Wish Willow’s curse.
The Purge: Dangerous Waters
The fiery stunt show returns to the WaterWorld venue for another quest to survive the night, blending pyrotechnics and live action stunt work into the Purge universe.
Unmasking the Horror Tour Add-On
New for 2026, this is a daytime, lights-on walkthrough for guests who want to see how the houses are actually built. The guided tour goes through the Sinners and KILLceañera houses with the lights up, showing off the sets and practical effects up close, with designated spots to take photos.
Also running during the event
Several daytime attractions stay open once the sun goes down, including SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, Transformers: The Ride 3D, Revenge of the Mummy, and The Simpsons Ride. Death Eaters also patrol The Wizarding World of Harry Potter starting in the early evening.
The food, booth by booth
Surfer Boy Pizza (Lower Lot, Studio Cafe) Pepperoni and cheese personal pizzas, the Hellfire Club Spicy Italian sandwich, and Steve’s Smuggled Peanut Butter Bites.
Sinners at City Snacks (Universal Plaza) Remmick’s Burnt Ends and the Pick Poor Robin Clean wings, both in a black garlic whiskey BBQ sauce with jalapeño cornbread, plus a pecan and whiskey bread pudding.
Sinners’ Club Juke at Mulligan’s Bar (Upper Lot) Prohibition Punch, Juke Juice, a Pale Moon Ale Shandy, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the Blues-berry cocktail.
Ozzy’s Bar (Lower Lot) Bark at the Naan, a chicken tikka masala naan taco, the Crazy Train Chickpea Curry Burrito, and the Prince of Darkness Cake, a carrot cake in black ganache with chocolate mousse. The bar also pours a full lineup of Ozzy-themed cocktails, including the Bark at the Moon Mule and the Blizzard of Ozz-arita.
Clown Cafe (Lower Lot) Death by Cheese Stick, Bloodbath Brisket Fries, and Gut Wound, a chocolate raspberry croissant pull-apart. Wash it down with Art’s Killer Cold Brew.
Art the Clown’s Tinsel Bar (near Animation Studio Store) Silent Night Slasher, Mistletoe Massacre, and Frosty Night, all built around the tram’s new Christmas theme.
Dia de los Muertos (Universal Plaza) Beef birria tacos, esquites, and a full margarita menu, including a spicy watermelon habanero version called La Siguanaba.
Studio Scoops featuring Hello Kitty Chucky (Lower Lot) A Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae styled after Hello Kitty Chucky.
Killer Snacks (near Hellraiser and Evil Dead Burn) Skin and Chips Nachos and Open the Box, sour donut bites filled with blue raspberry.
Evil Dead Burn at Mummy Eats (Lower Lot) Severed and Smoked Chicken, a smoked chicken quarter with Sichuan chili crisp.
Tower Snacks featuring Fortnitemares (near Universal Plaza) The Battle Bus Dog, a 22 inch all beef hot dog, and the Final Peel, a banana caramel whoopie pie.
Treehouse of Horror (Upper Lot, Springfield) Sloppy D’oh, Worst. Brat. Ever!, and a Pumpkin Spice Cold Boo to wash it all down.
Available at various locations: a Chocolate Raspberry Bloody Cookie.
The Halloween Horror Nights Dining Pass is back too. It covers two entrees plus four sides, snacks, desserts, or drinks at participating locations, redeemable on your selected visit date. Look for the Universal Dining Pass logo on the menu boards.
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options run across the menu, and guests must be 21 or older with valid photo ID for anything alcoholic.
The merch
Every major house gets its own limited release drop this year. Sinners comes with a t-shirt, hat, and acrylic figure. Stranger Things adds a t-shirt, an 80s-styled mug, and an acrylic figure. Hellraiser includes a t-shirt and a Pinhead acrylic figure. Evil Dead Burn brings a t-shirt, hat, and acrylic figure. Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness has a t-shirt and acrylic figure, along with separate crewneck apparel and collectible drinkware. Fortnitemares gets its own graphic tee, decal set, and acrylic piece.
Beyond the individual house drops, exclusive Universal Studios Hollywood collection pieces include a plaid button-up featuring Art the Clown’s sunflower sunglasses, a Killer Klowns From Outer Space backpack, a Sinners-inspired earth tone jacket and hat, a retro Stranger Things varsity jacket and crossbody bag, and a Hellraiser necklace and hoodie. All the acrylic figures are designed to fit into a separately sold Infernal Carnival collectible display, so the set builds out house by house as the season goes on.
Photos courtesy of Universal Studios Hollywood.
