Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Hollywood 2024 Review

Halloween Horror Nights is back at Universal Hollywood! The 2024 event features eight all-new haunted houses, the Terror Tram, four scare zones, and two live shows. The event is happening on 40 select evenings between September 6 and November 3, here’s what you can expect if you’re planning a trip.

Tickets

The event offers both single-night tickets, as well as frequent fear passes which act similarly to a seasonal annual pass. In addition to general admission tickets which start at $77, guests can opt to add on Express Pass which starts at $229. The event begins at 7 p.m. and visitors can also purchase a ticket to gain access to the park starting at 2 p.m. There is the option to upgrade to Express day-of, and some evenings will even offer sales after 11 p.m. at a discounted price.

During the evening that I visited (opening night!), lines were only 45-60 minutes long during peak times. By 10 PM, every wait seemed to be hovering around 30 minutes or less. Regardless, if you’d like to experience every house and scare zone and have time to see both shows, I’d recommend splurging for Express. 

Haunted Houses

The houses are spread out between the upper and lower lot. On the upper lot, you’ll find A Quiet Place, a haunted house based on the franchise, is the first to incorporate ASL into the experience. Insidious: The Further is a mashup of scares rooted in different films in the franchise. Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America is a sequel to the 2023 house, weaving in Latin American folklore. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is inspired by the newest film in the franchise, and blends scares with a really impressive set design. 

The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy is inspired by the artist’s music videos, live performances, and albums – and surprisingly, was my favorite house of the night. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines is an all-female house featuring the Bride of Frankenstein, Van Helsing’s daughter, and more in the very sound stage where Dracula and Frankenstein were filmed. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface celebrates the 50th anniversary of the film and brings all 10 versions of the iconic monster to life. Dead Exposure: Death Valley is a walk through a top-secret government facility whose radioactive testing has- you guessed it- gone wrong. 

While all of the houses are impressive, it’s hard to say which are the ‘best’ or ‘scariest’ as everything is subjective to your personal fears. For example, Dead Exposure: Death Valley was the most disturbing for me, but the Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy scared me the most and was my overall favorite. It’s also an incredible experience to be in the same building where such iconic horror films were filmed, and such a unique and special part of attending the event in Hollywood.

Scare Zones

Chainsaw Punkz are ready to greet you as you enter the park, wielding mohawks and masks. Luchadores Monstruosos is an all-new scare zone and features a herd of masked monsters looking for a fight. Skull Lordz is a scare zone featuring a gothic-inspired royal court of the dead, complete with VERY large flames. Murder of Crowz is a flock of mischievous stilt-walkers, looking for a good scare or maybe even a snack. 

Entertainment

Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse takes you on a walk through the backlot tour’s famous scenes with some of the scariest characters from the Blumhouse films and even a special surprise. This was my favorite part of the evening and something that sets Hollywood apart from Orlando. The performers during this experience were fantastic, and even let you get a photo op if the timing worked out okay. 

The Purge: Dangerous Waters is a live stunt show inspired by Blumhouse’s popular film franchise. It’s filled with action sequences, stunts, special lighting effects, and a whole lot of fake blood. The show runs four times per evening, but seats do fill up and require you to arrive at least 15 minutes early. 

“Late Night with Chucky” Live Talk Show is an interactive experience with everyone’s favorite murderous doll. Guests can scan a QR code before the show and submit questions to Chucky. If you’re lucky, he’ll give you a shout-out and answer your question during the talk show filming which you get to sit in on. The whole experience was over pretty quickly, but after a long night walking around the park, it was great to have a seat inside the air-conditioned theater. 

Tips

• Be sure to arrive right when the event begins to maximize your time. Lines at the beginning of the night take a while to build up which can allow you to knock out more popular houses like A Quiet Place and Insidious first. 
• Look at a map before attending! This is especially important for guests who aren’t too familiar with the parks. By already knowing where the houses and scare zones are, you save yourself valuable time wandering around or trying to find a team member to ask. 
• Read the rules before you go: while guests can attend the event in costume, Universal has set forth strict guidelines. 
• Consider squeezing in a ride if you need a break. During the event, a handful of attractions stay open: Transformers 3-D, Revenge of the Mummy, Jurassic World, the Simpsons Ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff are all open during most or all of the evening with terrifyingly low wait times.
• If you have your heart set on any special snacks or sweets, be sure to buy them early in the evening! Some treats sold out quickly during the night, including the viral Mini Stay Puft S’more. 
• Consider staying nearby- the event gets out at either 1 or 2 AM which makes for a long night if your hotel is very far away. The Garland is just a few miles away and offers a complimentary shuttle which runs until 10PM and a quick rideshare trip back to the property.