Here’s a detailed visitor’s guide to making the most out of your HHN experience, ensuring the entire family has a night of frights and fun!
Select nights until November 3, 2024
Arrival and Atmosphere
We were recently invited to visit one of the USA's most highly regarded Halloween experiences at Halloween Horror Nights , Universal Studios Hollywood. As you enter Universal Studios, you’re immediately immersed in a spooky atmosphere with eerie music, fog and keep an eye out for roaming chainsaw wielding maniacs and other jump scare actors ! The park transforms into a haunted playground at night, with themed lighting, projections and music creating a chilling vibe that sets the stage for what’s to come.
Plan your visit to Halloween Horror Nights: To purchase tickets and learn more about attractions, visit Halloween Horror Nights.
Haunted Houses: A Frighteningly Fun Experience
The main attraction at Halloween Horror Nights is the extensive collection of haunted houses, each designed to bring nightmares to life. These mazes are crafted around popular horror movies, TV shows, and original concepts created by the Universal team. Some of the past favorites have been inspired by classics like The Exorcist and Stranger Things, featuring iconic sets, props, and actors who are incredibly skilled at delivering the ultimate jump scare and this years dont disappoint.
While these haunted houses are meant to spook you, they also showcase Universal’s brilliant production values—everything from the animatronics to the set details feels authentic. Some of them even had some particularly nasty smells wafting around for added effect. For families with older kids or teens, this can be an exhilarating way to experience their favorite movies coming to life. It’s important to gauge your family’s tolerance for scares; some houses are intense, but for those who enjoy this type of entertainment its a lot of fun!
Pro Tip: Arrive early and use Universal’s Express Pass if possible, as lines for the haunted houses can be long. This pass will let you skip ahead and experience more attractions in one night. Some queues were over an hour long but with the express pass you wqere able to get in within 5 minutes.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood for 2024 is packed with eight terrifying haunted houses, each uniquely crafted to immerse you in spine-chilling experiences:
A Quiet Place:
Step into the silence and the eerie atmosphere of the post-apocalyptic world where making a sound could be your last mistake. The house brings to life the monsters from the popular movie franchise, making every creak and whisper feel like a threat. Get ready to jump out of your skin !
Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America:
This house brings South American folklore and legend to life with characters like El Charro, El Cadejo, and El Cucuy. It’s a journey through myths and tales that evoke both Latin American heritage and pure terror.
Dead Exposure: Death Valley:
Enter a world where a government experiment has gone horribly wrong, unleashing radioactive zombies. This house taps into the fear of a zombie apocalypse, with unsettling environments and frightening creatures waiting to strike.
The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy:
Inspired by the music and performances of The Weeknd, this haunted house combines visuals from his albums After Hours and Dawn FM with new terrifying elements, promising an immersive journey into the artist’s darkest fantasies.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface:
This attraction dives into the iconic horror legacy, inviting guests into Leatherface's slaughterhouse where his gruesome family awaits. Expect gruesome scares and relentless thrills as you navigate this blood-soaked maze.
Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines:
An all-female monster battle unfolds in this house, featuring Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein as they clash with Dracula’s daughter and her monstrous allies. It’s a new twist on classic horror, packed with epic battles and Gothic atmosphere.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire:
Dive into the world of the Ghostbusters, where a new icy villain, Garraka, threatens to freeze everything in his path. With chilling visuals and supernatural thrills, this house brings a beloved franchise into the realm of horror.
Insidious: The Further:
This house plunges visitors into the terrifying world of Insidious, featuring demons like the Red-Faced Demon and KeyFace. The journey into "The Further" is dark, twisted, and sure to keep you on the edge
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The event also features four scare zones, including Chainsaw Punkz, Skull Lordz, Murder of Crowz, and Luchadores Monstruosos, each offering unique frights and immersive environments. Live entertainment includes "Late Night with Chucky" and the stunt-filled spectacle "The Purge: Dangerous Waters"
We also took the Terror Tram, which takes you into an area deep in the park that has been created around the films of Blumhouse. Here you can explore sets with actors relating to some of their classic films like The Purge, M3gan, Black Phone and more.
Scare Zones: Interactive Fear
Throughout the park, you’ll encounter various 'scare zones' —open areas filled with roaming actors dressed as monsters, zombies, and other creepy characters. These zones are perfect for those who want a more interactive experience without the commitment of entering a haunted house. As you walk through, actors may jump out from behind props, making even the most mundane stroll a heart-pounding experience.
For families, this can be an exciting part of the night. Teens and older kids often enjoy the thrill of being chased or startled, while parents can capture the moments on camera, turning fear into fun memories. If anyone in the family feels overwhelmed, it’s easy to move through these zones quickly or detour around them.
Shows and Live Entertainment
In addition to the haunted houses and scare zones, Halloween Horror Nights features live shows that are perfect for taking a break from the frights. These shows often include horror-themed performances, such as acrobatics and pyrotechnics. These can be loud but there are usually warnings in the events that have them, for example The Purge : Dangerous waters.
Dining and Merchandise
Halloween Horror Nights isn’t just about scares—it’s also a culinary adventure! Universal Studios offers a range of Halloween-themed food and drinks, from eerie cocktails for adults to spooky treats for kids. Food stands and restaurants in the park serve dishes like blood-red burgers, monster nachos, and pumpkin-themed desserts, adding a delicious twist to your night of terror.
In between attractions, families can also explore the HHN merchandise shops. You’ll find a variety of exclusive items, from horror movie collectibles to Halloween-themed apparel and souvenirs that make for great mementos.
Pro Tip: Plan meal breaks strategically to avoid peak times, allowing you to maximize your time exploring attractions and shows. The food areas can get VERY busy so planning will help.
Planning Your Visit: Tips for Families
- Age Consideration: Halloween Horror Nights is intense, so it’s best suited for teens and older children who enjoy horror and don’t mind being scared. If you’re visiting with younger kids, consider the park’s scare factor and plan accordingly, avoiding the more intense haunted houses and scare zones.
- Arrive Early: To make the most of your visit, plan to arrive as early as possible. This allows you to get a head start on popular attractions before the crowds pick up. Plus, watching the park transform as dusk falls is a magical experience.
- Stay Hydrated and Rested: The event can be physically demanding, with a lot of walking, standing, and surprises that can be exhausting. Make sure your family stays hydrated and takes breaks as needed, especially if you’re staying for the entire evening.
- Map Out the Attractions: With so many haunted houses, scare zones, and shows, having a strategy is essential. Familiarize yourself with the map ahead of time, prioritize your must-see attractions, and use the Universal Studios app to track wait times and updates.
- Be Aware of Safe Zones: Universal Studios provides areas where guests can relax and escape the scares if they need a break. Knowing where these areas are is particularly helpful if anyone in your group starts to feel overwhelmed.
Final Thoughts
Halloween Horror Nights is an incredible event that offers a night of unforgettable thrills, chills, and fun for families who love Halloween. The blend of immersive haunted houses, interactive scare zones, and entertaining shows creates a perfect balance of excitement and fear. With careful planning, your family can experience the best this event has to offer, making it a memorable outing for teens and adults alike.
Be warned you will be pretty exhausted by the end of it as it's very intense, but worth it if you like this type of horror event. The guys at Universal know how to do this better than anyone else !
Plan your visit to Halloween Horror Nights: To purchase tickets and learn more about attractions, visit Halloween Horror Nights.
Ashley Pugh ;
Ashley Pugh is one of the Co-Founders of Familydaysout.com and has been committed to writing family related content since 2008. There isn't much about family attractions that Ashley doesn't know, after visiting hundreds of them worldwide over the last 20 years.
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