Grab your best friend Amanda, pick up some devilish drinks, and return to Hawkins at Halloween Horror Nights 35! From fan favorite horror movies to hit pop culture institutions, this years event has it all. This article will cover all of HHN’s entertainment offerings plus offering our touring tips. Let chaos reign!

Scare Zones

Located throughout the park, Scare Zones are the open-air themed locations that add atmosphere and entertainment without a wait to the event. There are four official scare zones this year plus several side bits of entertainment. All ratings are based on a ★★★★★ rating system.

Our favorite scare zone this year is Downtown Clown Town (or for us Yinzers, Dahn Tahn Clahn Tahn). By being located in the New York area of the park DTCT spans the whole area from Jimmy Fallon to Starbucks, and just like the real New York, these clowns have found their own burroughs. You can find the Killer Klowns from Outer Space (woo-ooo-ooo-ooo) in front of Jimmy Fallon; Jack, Chance, and Eddy along with original concept clowns along the street in front of Revenge of the Mummy; and Art the Clown from Terrifier by the entrance to Transformers. The scare actors are having a lot of fun here, with unique vibes and characters found throughout. (★★★★)

In Hollywood is the location of Sideshow of Decay, a HHN throw back zone filled with the best scares and monsters of the past. The zone is “hosted” by a lost icon, Cindy, whose love of all things chaos and pyro has caused some problems in the past. Here in Sideshow we see who Cindy has conjured up with the help of Dr Oddfellow, like fellow Icons The Caretaker and Lady Luck or demons of the past houses and zones. It’s chaotic and fun, definitely scarier than DTCT. (★★★★)

The Infernal Chaos of Nightmares is located at the entrance of the park, making more elaborate sets and scares harder. Universal was still able to get out a good zone here with some scares and some fun set pieces. The main icon for this zone is the Halloween Horror Nights lighted banner, with actors portraying Jack and Oddfellow on either side of the arch. It’s a fun welcome to the event. (★★★)

Fortnightmares. A rather unscary zone with minimal interactions with guests and more dancing. The coolest aspects are the set dressing right out of the game and lightning effects on the trees. Otherwise a skip. (★★)

Shows

There are two full shows with set showtimes at HHN: Nightmare Fuel and the Stranger Things Return to Hawkins fountain show. There are other shows in the scare zones but we factor those in their zone sections.

Nightmare Fuel returns this year with Nightmare Fuel Blood Noir, a vampire driven show featuring acrobatics, fire, sword swallowers, and contortionists. It’s loud, it’s hot (fire), it’s hot (sexy people in skimpy outfits), and it’s one of the best produced and performed shows in Orlando. We consider Nightmare Fuel to be a not-to-be-missed show. Visit the first performance at 8:00 pm and arrive half an hour before show time. (★★★★)

Stranger Things Returns to Hawkins is a high-energy, kinematic fountain show featuring lasers, lights, and music to bring all the seasons of Stranger Things to life. The show does a great job with the music and atmosphere of the show, focusing on the vibes over telling a full story. You’ll be able to see this show throughout the lagoon area, but best views are found at the lagoon staging area at Central Park. (★★★)

Houses

 

We’ll be breaking up the houses into three tiers: Must-Do houses that everyone is talking about this year, the high quality houses that we think are worth your time, and the rest of the line-up that can fill out your evening.

Must-Do

Jack & Odfellow: Chaos and Control is my favorite haunted house of the year. Taking years of HHN lore to recreate how Jack the Clown and Oddfellow found each other, and how they learned to cooperate versus dominate. The house has lots of unique special effects, like a screen based rotating tunnel and a slanted hallway room we haven’t seen in years. The scares are fun, the sets are elaborate, and the Halloween vibes are immaculate. Superlatives: Fun, Good Sets, Special Effects, Giggle Scares (★★★★★)

 

Ozzy Osborne Prince of Darkness is a celebration of all things Ozzy, from his work with Black Sabbath to his solo career, and a final farewell by the music icon. The house takes you through the full life of Ozzy, from his escape as the Prince of Darkness all the way to the end where he wishes us all a farewell. You’ll be scared in this house but also see iconic scenes, like a screen of a bat eating the head off a man (ha!) to actually boarding the Crazy Train. This house is a wonderful love letter to Ozzy and his fans and is a must see this year. Superlatives: Fun, Party, Giggle Scares, Good Sets. (★★★★★)

Cybergoria is the most intense house of the year. This house features claustrophobic passageways through a dark, dingy robotic center designed and created to take care of humans for centuries after they die. Of course, they take that idea a little too far and decide what is worth keeping and not. There’s a sense of place and location that this house has that keeps progressing the horror and vibes throughout the house. Cybergoria had the most intense scares of the year and is worth a visit for everyone. Superlatives: Scary, Dark, Gory, Intense. (★★★★)

Hellraiser is the best movie adapted property this year, and a white whale of house for the creators of the event. Using advanced make-up effects and elaborate masks (how else do you get all those pins on that head?), Hellraiser takes guests into the Lament Configuration cube and sees how pain and pleasure can coexist. Superlatives: Movie accurate, scary, gory, intense, good sets. (★★★★)

Worth Your Time

Invasion: Alien Abduction is a special effects forward house that recreates an alien abduction in a remote farm homestead. From the goats being dragged away in the bar to GRANDPA in the house, this alien experience is a trip. While the scares weren’t there as much as the other houses, and the costumes a little silly, we still thought it was a lot of fun. Superlatives: Special Effects, Giggle Scares, Fun, Good Sets. (★★★★)

Stranger Things is the fourth and (perhaps) final year of the show at HHN. This year focuses on the last season of Stranger Things with some throw backs to the houses of past, including the iconic first season house in 2018 that I maintain was the best house that year. There are noticeable gaps and dummy figures in the house, but there are some larger than life scenes like the Demigorgon riding in on the car. Superlatives: TV accurate, Giggle Scares, Good Sets. (★★★)

H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular! is a mash-up house featuring half a dozen “movie” scenes to riff off. You see, H.R. is a disgraced late night schlock horror movie presenter who’s decided to return to the long forgotten and deserted TV station after his prison break to recreate his late night movie marathons! We walk through the movies of his marathon, from zombie tiki bars to disco demons, all in a wild and creative haunted house. Superlatives: Fun, Giggle Scares, Good Sets. (★★★)

The Rest

Madlands Caged Cannibals is my least favorite original concept haunted house this year. Madlands envisions a world overtaken by cannibals in a post apocalypse and the only pace safe we can find reprieve is at the Zoo. But guess what, they’re at the Zoo too! The cannibals have decided to emulate the animals they’ve decided to take over from the various exhibits in the zoo. Yes there is a bird exhibit with bird like cannibals and even a huge rhino inspired car. Superlatives: Sets, Costumes. (★★)

Sinners is based off the hit 2025 horror movie and Oscar winner. Sinners focuses on the actors and story of the movie over a haunted house scary experience, so expect a shorter experience than others houses. While we enjoyed the movie like experiences setting up the house and in the barn, the overall house just falls a bit flat.  Superlatives: Movie sets, Costumes. (★★)

Evil Dead Burn I don’t know what this was about because I didn’t’ see the movie. While there are some fun effects and scares, it relies too much on knowledge of the movie and set up to understand the house. Overall, just ok. Superlatives: Sets, scares. (★★)

TouringPlans Touring Tips

General Tips for Touring Halloween Horror Nights

The popularity of houses and house entrance locations changes yearly, making it challenging to develop a touring plan before the event starts. However, follow these touring guidelines to avoid crowds.

• Arrive at the park gates at least 45 minutes before the event starts or 90 minutes on busy days. Stay and Scream guests must be inside the park by 5:00 p.m. at the latest.
• Save Time and develop a plan before you arrive. Most guests enter the park and swarm the houses in New York. You should swerve and go to the back of the park first.
• Guests in line at the park’s closing time will be allowed to experience the haunted house, but Universal will inflate wait times to discourage entry into the lines. Ignore the inflated wait times; this is a great time to see the large IP houses.
• Wait times for rides during HHN are often longer than during the day. We don’t advise experiencing USF’s rides during HHN unless the posted wait time is 10 minutes or less.
• Raining? Go anyway, the haunted houses operate rain or shine with shorter waits. Ponchos are allowed in the haunted houses, but umbrellas must be put away before entering.

TouringPlans Touring Tips: Stay & Scream

• Prepare for the sun and heat while waiting during Stay & Scream – stay in the shade, bring an umbrella, and hydrate as queues are outside.
• House opening times are on the placards; pick one with a short line and an early opening.
• Cycle through the haunted houses until the park opens, then move to the house at Fast & Furious: Supercharged once the park opens.
• Arrive at 7:30 pm for the 8:00 pm Nightmare Fuel show. If you miss the show, join a queue for any of the houses located in the back of the park and see the last night show of the night instead.
• Continue touring the houses at the back of the park till wait times reach the hour mark. At this time, enjoy the scare zones, rides, and sample any food offerings you are interested in.
• Wait to finish the haunted houses within the last two hours the park is open. Lines will dramatically drop within the last hour of the event.

TouringPlans Touring Tips: Main Gate Entry

• Most guests enter the park and swamp the houses in New York. At opening, the queue will already be full of Stay & Scream guests.
  • IPs at the front of the park will have the longest lines of the day.
  • Proceed to the original concept houses at the front of the park and experience if the lines are 15 minutes or less. If none are present, go to the next step.
  • Next, proceed to the back of the park and experience the houses located there, near the Men in Black area.
• Arrive at 7:30 pm for the 8:00 pm Nightmare Fuel show. If you miss the show, join a queue for any of the houses located at the back of the park.
• Wait times are increasing for all houses, and crowds are gathering in the streets. Escape to CityWalk or the hotels for a break. Return to the park by 10:30 pm.
• Wait times will drop after 12:00 am for houses at the front of the park. Return to New York and Production Central to experience the original concept houses.
• If you missed Nightmare Fuel, arrive at midnight for the 12:30 am show.
• During the last hour of the event, visit the remaining houses at Men in Black and New York, or return to your favorites. Universal will overestimate wait times to discourage guests from queueing.