Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood from September 2 to October 31, 2027, Universal announced November 10, and Universal will announce the houses closer to the event. Its 2026 Halloween Horror Nights ran 42 select nights from September 3 through November 1, starting at 7 p.m., with eight houses, five scare zones and the Terror Tram.
Five of the 2026 houses were shared with the Orlando event (Sinners, Stranger Things, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, and Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness), and three ran only in Hollywood: the original Dead, Deader, Deadest, the returning Hollywood-only Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Killceañera: Music by SLASH, revealed at Midsummer Scream. At that same Midsummer Scream panel, creative director John Murdy also revealed the 2026 Terror Tram, a Christmas-gone-wrong takeover starring Terrifier’s Art the Clown; three new scare zones and new Street Experiences; and a hidden character encounter based on Curry Barker’s film Obsession. Universal did not announce a formal 2026 Hollywood theme or icons. This page is the record of the 2026 event, with my rankings and walkthrough videos, and I update it with every 2027 announcement.
For 2027 dates and the 2026 lineups at every Universal park, see my Halloween Horror Nights 2027 all-parks guide.
Last updated: November 10, 2026. Universal set Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2027 for September 2 to October 31 (my story on the 2027 dates), and nothing else about the 2027 event is announced yet. This page keeps the full 2026 lineup, my house rankings and walkthrough videos, and I update it with every Halloween Horror Nights 2027 announcement from Universal Studios Hollywood.
Quick facts
- 2027 dates: September 2 to October 31, 2027
- 2027 houses, scare zones, Terror Tram and tickets: Not announced yet
- 2026 event: Halloween Horror Nights 2026 (Hollywood), covered in full below
- Where: Universal Studios Hollywood
- Dates: 42 select nights, September 3 through November 1, 2026
- Show start: 7 p.m.
- Theme and icons: None announced for Hollywood. Universal called the lineup complete on August 10
- Haunted houses: 8 (Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness, the Hollywood originals Dead, Deader, Deadest and Killceañera: Music by SLASH, and the Hollywood-only Killer Klowns from Outer Space)
- Terror Tram: Returned in 2026 as an Art the Clown takeover, “Every Day Is Artmas,” scored by Ice Nine Kills
- Scare zones: 5 (Fortnitemares: Freaky Fields, shared with Orlando, plus El Circo de la Muerte, Hackerz, Blood Bog, and Murder of Crowz, which Universal’s opening release lists as a scare zone), plus the roaming Shriek of the Banshee
- Shows: 1 (The Purge: Dangerous Waters, returning)
- Tickets: In 2026, general admission was from $87 a night for the remaining nights as of October 10, and up to $109 on Saturdays. See my HHN 2026 tickets guide
- Official site: UniversalStudiosHollywood.com/HHN
Table of contents
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2027
- Haunted houses, ranked, with video
- Scare zones
- Shows and Terror Tram
- Tickets: what you’re actually buying
- Unmasking the Horror: a new daytime tour
- Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2026
- HHN Hollywood 2027 FAQ
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2027
Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood from September 2 to October 31, 2027, Universal announced November 10 in its 2027 event calendar for the park. The run ends on Halloween night, one day earlier on the calendar than the 2026 close on November 1.
Universal hasn’t announced anything else about the 2027 event yet: no houses, scare zones, Terror Tram theme, night count, ticket prices or on-sale date. Universal says the lineup will be announced closer to the event, and I’ll add each piece to this page as Universal announces it. My story on the 2027 dates also has Universal Fan Fest Nights’ 2027 window, April 16 to May 16, and the rest of the park’s 2027 calendar.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Platinum and Diamond Annual Passes each include one free Halloween Horror Nights general admission ticket, reserved online ahead of time for select nights. My Diamond Annual Pass story compares every pass.
2026 House Reveals and Ticket Dates, in Order
For 2026, Universal set the dates in November 2025, had tickets on sale by the first house reveal in May and finished the lineup in August:
- November 6, 2025: Universal’s 2026 event calendar set the dates, September 3 to November 1.
- May 21: Sinners, the first house, with tickets already on sale and the count: a record 42 nights, eight haunted houses and the Terror Tram.
- June 17: Stranger Things 5.
- June 30: Hellraiser.
- July 21: Evil Dead Burn.
- July 22: the Fortnitemares: Freaky Fields scare zone.
- July 23: Dead, Deader, Deadest, the first Hollywood original, revealed by creative director John Murdy on X.
- July 29: Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness.
- Late July and early August: The Purge: Dangerous Waters and Killer Klowns from Outer Space, announced on Universal’s social accounts.
- August 9 and 10: the rest of the lineup at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights panel at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, including Killceañera: Music by SLASH, the Art the Clown Terror Tram, the new scare zones and the Obsession character. Universal called the lineup complete in an August 10 release.
- August 24: the food menu, Hollywood merchandise and the return of the Dining Pass.
- September 3 to November 1: the 42-night run.
- November 10, 2026: the 2027 dates, September 2 to October 31, 2027.
Haunted houses, ranked, with my walkthrough videos
Five of the eight Hollywood houses were shared with Orlando. Dead, Deader, Deadest and Killceañera: Music by SLASH were the 2026 Hollywood originals, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space was a Hollywood-only house in 2026. Universal typically runs slightly different cuts of shared IP houses at each coast.
I attended and filmed all eight houses and the Terror Tram. Here is my ranking, best to worst, with a firsthand verdict and a walkthrough video for each below.
My Universal Studios Hollywood guide has the rest of the park’s year, from Fan Fest Nights to the holidays.
- Sinners
- Hellraiser
- Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
- Terror Tram
- Evil Dead Burn
- Killceañera: Music by SLASH
- Stranger Things 5
- Dead, Deader, Deadest
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Sinners
Based on the 2025 Ryan Coogler vampire horror film. The Hollywood version is set inside Club Juke, the 1930s Mississippi juke joint at the center of the film. Per Universal: “This juke joint’s opening night might be your last. Pierce the veil and experience the horror of the film Sinners as the Smokestack Twins defend Club Juke from a hive mind of bloodthirsty vampires.”
Read our full coverage of Sinners at HHN.
My verdict (ranked #1 of 9): Sinners has landed especially well in Hollywood, particularly compared to Orlando. The opening scene drops you into the juke joint, where the blues prodigy Sammie is performing, and the performer is a dead ringer for the character from the film. This is where Hollywood really shines, thanks to the talent Halloween Horror Nights can pull for these roles. The effects are a step above, too. The barn scene plays out over two levels, one vampire drops from the ceiling into the middle of the crowd and then retreats back up on ropes, and every vampire has glowing eyes. It pays homage to the film while making you feel like part of it, with effects you do not see in the other houses. Creative director John Murdy broke the house down in a lights-on tour.
Stranger Things 5
Developed in partnership with Netflix, the house draws from the show’s fifth and final season. Guests navigate the town of Hawkins as the barrier between reality and the supernatural collapses. Familiar locations include the Wheeler House, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and the Abyss. Demogorgons hunt at every turn, and Vecna pulls guests into the final battle.
Read our full coverage of Stranger Things at HHN.
My verdict (ranked #7 of 9): Stranger Things 5 feels like a recycled house this year.
Hellraiser
Hellraiser’s first-ever appearance at HHN, based on the original Clive Barker trilogy. Doug Bradley, the original Pinhead, reprises the role, lending his voice to the production. Guests enter via the Lament Configuration and move through three confirmed settings: the shadowy attic of Frank Cotton’s family home, the disturbing Channard Institute, and the Labyrinth.
Read our full coverage of Hellraiser at HHN.
My verdict (ranked #2 of 9): Hellraiser is another take that differs from Orlando. The projection mapping and effects on the facade set the tone, and working original clips from the film into the scenes is a nice touch. The Cenobites attack from all directions with genuinely creepy weapons, and there are some very good hidden scares.
Evil Dead Burn
Based on Evil Dead Burn, New Line Cinema’s sixth Evil Dead film, released in U.S. theaters July 10, 2026. Guests enter the Price family’s secluded vacation home in the woods, where the Book of the Dead has been reopened and the family is possessed by Deadites. Per Universal Studios Hollywood: “The Book of the Dead has been reopened, and now an infernal force consumes a family home… encounter not just the root of evil, but the whole family tree.” This is the Evil Dead franchise’s third HHN appearance and its first movie-tie-in house in 13 years.
Read our full coverage of Evil Dead Burn at HHN 2026.
My verdict (ranked #5 of 9): There is not much to say about Evil Dead Burn. The house relies on the IP to do the work.
Dead, Deader, Deadest
The first original house of the Hollywood lineup, announced July 23. Ambrotox, a miracle drug that promises to restore the dead without embalming, backfires inside the Deville Family Funeral Home and raises a century’s worth of corpses. The Deville name is a callback to 2022’s Universal Horror Hotel. Read our full coverage of Dead, Deader, Deadest.
My verdict (ranked #8 of 9): There are some fun moments in Dead, Deader, Deadest, because who does not enjoy a good graveyard haunt at Halloween, but the story unravels as it goes.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Announced July 29 and shared with Universal Orlando. The Hollywood build runs chronologically, starting in Birmingham, England and opening on “Crazy Train,” then moving through the decades into the Osbourne Asylum, drawn from the Diary of a Madman album, and through the successive versions of the Ozzy persona: Madman Ozzy, Werewolf Ozzy, and the Prince of Darkness. Executive producer John Murdy says the house is inspired by all 13 of Osbourne’s albums. Osbourne died July 22, 2025, and Universal built the house with the participation of his family.
Read our full coverage of Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness.
My verdict (ranked #3 of 9): Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness is not as grand as the Orlando version, but there are still some large set pieces, and the music and the train give it a real vibe.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
The Klowns return for their third Hollywood appearance, after houses in 2019 and 2022, and this one is Hollywood-only: at Universal Orlando the Klowns appear in the shared Downtown Clowntown scare zone instead. Per Universal: “In this haunted house based on Killer Klowns from Outer Space, try not to become the cotton candy-covered snack of some seriously unfriendly visitors from worlds unknown.”
Read our full coverage of Killer Klowns at HHN Hollywood.
My verdict (ranked #9 of 9): Killer Klowns from Outer Space also feels recycled.
Killceañera: Music by SLASH
Revealed at the Midsummer Scream panel, Killceañera is the second Hollywood original of 2026 and completes the eight-house lineup. It twists a traditional quinceañera into a revenge story: Lola, a disfigured orphan, throws a deadly fifteenth-birthday party for the people who wronged her, conjuring monsters as her Court of Dishonor. Slash of Guns N’ Roses composed the score, which builds to an original song, “15 Candles,” that Lola performs inside the house, which Murdy called a first for the event. Read our full coverage of Killceañera: Music by SLASH.
My verdict (ranked #6 of 9): The facade on Killceañera is beautifully done, and the working balcony is a great touch for showing the main antagonist lip-syncing to the song. As we covered before, the Slash-scored track is a genuinely fun song that gives strong exposition, and it plays through the rooms so you follow the story as you walk. The catch is that a lot of the effects and creatures are recycled from previous years, so it does not feel like a brand-new house.
Universal’s May release put the 2026 Hollywood event at eight haunted houses plus the Terror Tram, and the Midsummer Scream reveal of Killceañera completed that count. The event’s scare zones, shows, and Terror Tram theme were also detailed at that panel and are covered below.
Scare zones
Hollywood had five scare zones in 2026. Fortnitemares: Freaky Fields, shared with Orlando, opened on Hollywood’s Sept 3 opening night with the Battle Bus and familiar Fortnitemares characters plus HHN-exclusive additions. Read our full coverage of Fortnitemares Freaky Fields.
At the Midsummer Scream panel, John Murdy revealed three more Hollywood scare zones:
- El Circo de la Muerte, on French Street, a Mexican carpa sideshow inspired by the traveling tent shows of 1920s and 1930s Mexico, with a ringmaster, a dancing bear, a bearded lady on stilts, and other sideshow performers.
- Hackerz, a chainsaw zone staged to spill into the New York Street area alongside the Fortnitemares presence there.
- Blood Bog, a new zone by the Studio Tour rotunda, filled with ghillie-suited swamp creatures.
The fifth is Murder of Crowz, which brings back a flock of dad, mom, and baby crows. Universal first called it a street experience and listed it as a scare zone in its September 4 opening release. Among the roaming street characters, Shriek of the Banshee is a wagon run by a carnival barker and his talking skeleton. An Art the Clown stalk-around appeared around the park in several looks, and Obsession’s Freaky Nikki, the hidden character encounter based on Curry Barker’s film, roamed the darkened streets. Universal also sold official Obsession costume sets for Nikki and Bear.
Shows and Terror Tram
HamiKuma meet and greet. Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween mascot returned to Hollywood in 2026 for meet and greets at select afternoon and early evening times on event nights. Creative director John Murdy gave a lights-on tour of the Sinners house, breaking down its flying vampire, 1925 truck, and film-accurate scares.
See the Fortnitemares food at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, from a 22-inch Battle Bus Dog to Slurp Juice.
The Purge: Dangerous Waters returned for 2026, its fourth consecutive year in the WaterWorld venue. Watch our full show video. The Terror Tram, the backlot walk-through, returned for 2026 with its theme revealed at Midsummer Scream: an Art the Clown takeover called “Every Day Is Artmas” that walked guests through seven Christmas-gone-wrong zones on the backlot, with an original score by Ice Nine Kills. Read our full coverage of the Art the Clown Terror Tram.
My verdict (ranked #4 of 9): What sets the Terror Tram apart this year is the video that plays on the way down. As John Murdy discussed on the Halloween Horror Nights panel at Midsummer Scream, it uses custom music and a custom video, and it is fun to watch as you descend. The layout is otherwise close to previous years, with Art the Clown in place of the usual characters.
Watch: Inside Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
Our full 2026 walkthrough shows what every house, scare zone, and the Terror Tram feel like on the ground, and each house section above now has its own firsthand verdict and walkthrough video.
Tickets: what you’re actually buying
Hollywood tickets were sold via UniversalStudiosHollywood.com/HHN. The 2026 options were:
- General admission (single night), from $87 for the remaining nights as of October 10, and up to $109 on Saturdays.
- Universal Express Ticket, which cuts the wait at each house.
- R.I.P. Tour, a VIP guided tour that skips the lines entirely.
- Day/Night Ticket and After 2 p.m. Day/Night Ticket, which pair daytime park admission with event entry.
- Early Access Ticket, from $20, which opened select haunted houses at 5 p.m. and the Terror Tram at 6:15 p.m.
- Frequent Fear Pass and Ultimate Fear Pass, multi-night passes for repeat visits through the season.
- Dining Pass, $64.75 with tax, covering two entrées plus four sides, snacks, desserts, or beverages on your selected date. Event admission is separate.
- Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Access Add-On (new for 2026), from $19.95 per person, a one-time ride on the new coaster during the event from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., available every event night. It did not include HHN admission, which was sold separately. Day/Night, After 2 P.M. Day/Night, Express, and R.I.P. Tour tickets already included Drift access, per Universal’s opening release.
- Unmasking the Horror Tour Add-On, the new daytime behind-the-scenes tour covered below.
On what you’re actually buying. Whether you’re on the East Coast or the West Coast, the ticket price mostly buys wait time. If a house runs a two-hour line on a busy Saturday, that’s what general admission gets you: the full two hours. Express Pass cuts that roughly in half. RIP Tours skip the line entirely. The other lever is timing: early entry helps beat the peak, and the middle of the night is when the lines are worst.
For the complete cross-coast ticket breakdown, see our Halloween Horror Nights Tickets 2026 Guide.
Unmasking the Horror: a new daytime tour
In 2026, for the first time at Hollywood, Universal sold the Unmasking the Horror Tour Add-On, a daytime, lights-on walkthrough behind the scenes of the event. Previously an Orlando exclusive, the guided tour took guests through two haunted houses, Sinners and Killceañera: Music by SLASH, once each, with the lights up to show the design and craftsmanship, plus the chance to photograph in select designated areas.
It cost $20 per person and did not include theme park admission, which had to be bought separately for the same date. Each tour lasted up to an hour, in groups of no more than 20 guests that could combine multiple parties, and it ran on select days from September 10 through November 1 (not opening week), roughly every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests checked in at the Universal Box Office 15 minutes before their scheduled departure, and reservation changes required at least 48 hours of notice. It was a separate experience from the night event and the RIP Tour, trading the scares for a close look at how the houses are built.
What HHN Hollywood Was Like in 2025
What differentiates Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood is the actors. The acting talent in Hollywood is, of course, tremendous, and it shows at this event. Universal’s Hollywood actors hit every mark, popping out around corner after corner with scare timing that stayed in sync all night. Terrifier was the goriest standout, with Art the Clown seemingly everywhere (an Art the Clown actor roamed the event).
My favorite was Five Nights at Freddy’s, thanks to the genuinely gorgeous puppets, animatronics, and a showstopping Springtrap. Jason Universe delivered classic-slasher kills, Monstruos 3 leaned into pitch-dark Latin American folklore, and The Poltergeist mined pure childhood nostalgia.
One practical tip from 2025: with Universal Express, visitors could clear the full maze lineup in a single night, and without it planned on multiple visits.
Early Access at Hollywood vs Orlando
In 2026, Hollywood and Orlando ran different early-access products, and they were easy to confuse. Hollywood sold a $20 Early Access add-on that opened select houses from 5 p.m. and the Terror Tram from 6:15 p.m.
Orlando ran a different system called Stay & Scream, which opened three houses from 2 p.m. It was free to anyone holding both daytime admission to Universal Studios Florida and a same-night event ticket, and a Universal Orlando Annual or Seasonal Pass counted as the daytime admission. Guests without daytime admission could buy a $70 Scream Early ticket, which was simply a fourth qualifying admission rather than a separate programme. At Hollywood, early event access came with the After 2 PM Day/Night ticket or the separately sold Early Access Ticket, and a general admission ticket did not include it. Our know before you go guide covers the Orlando system in full.
Food and drink: the 2026 menu
After two opening weekends, my verdict was that the food at HHN Hollywood was weaker than Disney’s or even Knott’s Berry Farm’s. The menu items were basic, and the ones tied to a movie or show carried a premium price. My HHN Hollywood food guide has all 33 items with prices, plus Universal’s photos next to mine for the eight I tried. The Hello Kitty Chucky sundae and the birria tacos were the best, and the Bark at the Naan and the Clown Cafe Cauliflower Bites were the ones to skip.
- Fortnitemares. The Fortnitemares food at Tower Snacks, from the 22-inch Battle Bus Dog to Slurp Juice, had its own queue, and on busy nights the wait ran over an hour.
- Springfield. The Wurst.Brat.Ever! from the Treehouse of Horror menu was sold out all five nights I went.
- Art the Clown. The Clown Cafe on the Lower Lot served the Bloodbath Brisket Fries and the Cauliflower Bites, and Art also ran a Christmas-themed Tinsel Bar. My Art the Clown Terror Tram guide has the full Clown Cafe lineup.
- One Wish Churro. A chocolate churro in a One Wish Willow box from Obsession, $8.99, sold only during the event at the churro cart next to the Shrek theater on the Upper Lot.
- Dining Pass and discounts. The Dining Pass ($59 plus tax) covered two entrées and four sides, snacks, desserts, or drinks, and Annual Passholders got a discount on most food.
Merchandise
Halloween Horror Nights merchandise reached Universal Studios Hollywood in three waves: August 13 at Production Central, August 18 at the Universal Studios Store in Universal CityWalk Hollywood, and August 19 at the Universal Studios Store and Production Central inside the theme park. Universal said the Hollywood range leaned on the bloody Hollywood sign and the park’s exclusive houses, alongside an assortment shared with Orlando that includes blood-splattered polos, acid-wash Spirit Jerseys and Lug bags with mix-and-match haunted house charms. Our Halloween Horror Nights merchandise guide has the full breakdown with prices.
Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2026
The East Coast event ran 49 select nights from August 28 through November 1 at Universal Studios Florida, the earliest start date in the event’s 35-year history, with 10 houses, all four scare zones (Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Sideshow of Decay, the shared Fortnitemares: Freaky Fields, and Downtown Clowntown with Killer Klowns and Art the Clown), two shows, returning street experiences Mel’s Die-In and Club Horror, and the Dead Coconut Club – Harvest overlay at CityWalk. For the full Orlando lineup and its 2027 status, see my Halloween Horror Nights Orlando page. Orlando’s food was a draw by itself, too: my HHN 35 food guide ranks every item with prices.
I check Universal Studios Hollywood’s site for Halloween Horror Nights 2027 houses and tickets each month.
This event is part of our Haunted Houses in California 2026 guide.
Doing Halloween in Southern California? The region’s other major Halloween event is Knott’s Scary Farm, and you can watch our full 2026 walkthrough.
HHN Hollywood 2027 FAQ
When does HHN Hollywood 2027 start?
Halloween Horror Nights starts at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 2, 2027, and runs through October 31, 2027. Universal announced the dates November 10, 2026.
What houses are at HHN Hollywood 2027?
Universal hasn’t announced any 2027 houses, and says the lineup will be announced closer to the event. In 2026, Universal named the first Hollywood house, Sinners, on May 21 and called the lineup complete on August 10. The 2026 event had eight houses, ranked above with a walkthrough video for each.
How much are HHN Hollywood 2027 tickets, and when do they go on sale?
Universal hasn’t announced 2027 ticket prices or an on-sale date. In 2026, tickets were on sale by May 21, when Universal announced Sinners, and general admission was from $87 a night for the remaining nights as of October 10, and up to $109 on Saturdays.
What time does HHN Hollywood start?
Universal hasn’t posted 2027 hours. In 2026, the event started at 7 p.m., and the $20 Early Access add-on opened select houses from 5 p.m. and the Terror Tram from 6:15 p.m.
Is HHN Hollywood the same as HHN Orlando?
No. They are separate events with different lineups. In 2026, five of Hollywood’s eight houses were shared with Orlando and three ran only in Hollywood, while Orlando ran 10 houses over 49 select nights.
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Hungry? See our complete guide to the Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 food menu, every item with prices and photos.
