Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood on select nights from Sept. 3 through Nov. 1, 2026. The event starts at 7 p.m. and uses the studio lot for haunted houses, the Terror Tram, scare zones, a stunt show, themed food and drinks, merch, and late-night routes between the Upper and Lower Lots.
The current lineup has eight haunted houses, six scare zones, the Terror Tram starring Art the Clown, and The Purge: Dangerous Waters. The reveal cycle has moved from a short list of names to a full night plan, so the sections below separate fixed lineup details from the choices that still matter once the fog rolls in.
Dates and tickets
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood opens Thursday, Sept. 3 and continues on select nights through Sunday, Nov. 1. The event begins at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets and packages are on sale now, with online savings on select event nights.
Universal is selling General Admission, Universal Express, After 2 p.m. Day/Night, Early Access, and R.I.P. Tour options. Early Access starts at 5:30 p.m. on select tickets and can matter a lot in Hollywood, where the lower-lot travel time and Terror Tram timing can shape the whole night.
Frequent Fear and Ultimate Fear passes are also available for guests planning several event nights.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is not included with Halloween Horror Nights admission. That restriction matters if your group is trying to combine the new coaster with the event in one visit.
Haunted houses and the Terror Tram
Hollywood's 2026 event includes eight haunted houses, six scare zones, the Terror Tram, The Purge: Dangerous Waters, and themed food and beverages. The Terror Tram is the piece Orlando does not have, and it is usually the biggest reason to plan Hollywood differently instead of copying an Orlando HHN strategy.
Sinners takes guests into Club Juke, the 1930s Mississippi Delta setting from Ryan Coogler's film. Remmick, Bert, Joan, Sammie, Mary, Annie, Pearline, and Cornbread are part of the house setup, with the vampire attack building around the music and the juke joint.
Scare zones
Six scare zones now fill out the Hollywood street lineup: FORTNITEMARES, El Circo de la Muerte, Hackerz, Blood Bog, Shriek of the Banshee, and Murder of Crowz.
- FORTNITEMARES: Fortnite's Storm, Battle Bus, and Halloween creatures spill into the streets.
- El Circo de la Muerte: A traveling circus brings grotesque performers and dangerous acts to French Street.
- Hackerz: Chainsaw-wielding attackers turn the zone into a quick-moving threat.
- Blood Bog: A dark swampland hides creatures in the murk.
- Shriek of the Banshee: A sideshow setting leads to a demonic banshee that escaped confinement.
- Murder of Crowz: An angry flock defends a giant crow's nest.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things returns with a new house based on the Netflix series' fifth and final season. The house sends guests through Hawkins, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and the Abyss while Vecna and other creatures close in.
The Stranger Things house is confirmed for both Hollywood and Orlando, but Hollywood guests should still watch for local routing, entrance placement, and early-access rules once Universal starts publishing event maps.
Hellraiser
Hellraiser brings the original film trilogy to Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando. The haunted house centers on Pinhead, the Cenobites, and the puzzle-box nightmare that made the series a horror staple.
Evil Dead Burn
Evil Dead Burn begins at the Price family's secluded vacation home in the woods. Guests enter scenes from the sixth Evil Dead film while Deadites overrun the house.
Dead, Deader, Deadest
Dead, Deader, Deadest is an original Hollywood haunted house set inside the Deville Family Funeral Home. The funeral home uses Ambrotox to restore a dead person's features without embalming. The drug backfires and raises a century's worth of corpses.
The house was announced July 23. Its location, queue rules, and early-access details have not been published.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness turns the singer's music and imagery into a haunted house. The Hollywood facade appeared in the Revenge of the Mummy queue before the full event opened, giving guests an early look at the house's worn, heavy-metal setting.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Killer Klowns From Outer Space brings the cotton-candy cocoons, clown costumes, and alien invasion from the cult film into a Hollywood haunted house. It joins the 2026 lineup alongside the original houses and other screen adaptations.
KILLceañera: Music by Slash
KILLceañera follows Lola's quinceañera after she summons vengeful ghosts and spirits to settle a score with school bullies. Slash supplies the music for the house, which draws on Latin American folklore as the party turns lethal.
Terror Tram and shows
The Terror Tram stars Art the Clown, who hijacks the Universal Studios Backlot for a twisted holiday setup. The Purge: Dangerous Waters returns as the event's live stunt show, adding a fire-and-choreography break between house runs.
Food and merch
Food, drink, and merchandise details are still rolling out. The first 2026 merchandise includes Stranger Things, Sinners, Evil Dead Burn, and FORTNITEMARES items. The FORTNITEMARES collection has a graphic tee, decal set, and acrylic figure.
Do not treat food as a bonus stop at Hollywood. The park footprint is tighter than Orlando, and popular booths can create their own bottlenecks once the night is moving.
How to plan the night
Start with the ticket. Early Access can help if you want a calmer first hour, while Express makes more sense for peak October nights or groups that want every house, the Terror Tram, and time for food. The event starts at 7 p.m., so an early-access plan can also protect the first house from the opening rush.
Build the Terror Tram into the plan before the night gets away from you. It takes more time than a normal house, and it can be awkward to save it until everyone is tired.
Hollywood HHN rewards a tighter plan than Orlando. Pick the first two houses, choose a Terror Tram window, and leave enough room for scare zones and food instead of chasing every posted wait across the park. The six zones are street experiences, so they are easiest to fold into routes between houses rather than save for one long detour.
Image credit: Universal Parks media. Sinners image: Discover Universal. Hellraiser image: Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood. Evil Dead Burn and FORTNITEMARES images: Universal Parks media.
Official sources
- Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights 2026
- Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights tickets
- Universal Studios Hollywood: haunted houses and Terror Tram
- Discover Universal: Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood lineup
- Universal Parks media: Stranger Things haunted house announcement
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood: Hellraiser announcement
- Universal Parks media: Evil Dead Burn haunted house and ticket details
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood: Evil Dead Burn announcement
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood: Dead, Deader, Deadest announcement
- Universal Parks media: FORTNITEMARES scare zone and merchandise