Halloween Horror Nights has returned to Universal Orlando for its 34th year, bringing ten all-new “movie quality” haunted houses, four scare zones, multiple roaming experiences, and live shows that transform the park after dark.
I traveled to Orlando to experience the media preview and opening night celebration and compare HHN 34 to last year’s Horror Nights. HHN 34 feels bigger, fuller, and more ambitious than HHN 33, no doubt a reaction to feedback and re-focused efforts after the launch of the Epic Universe (read my review of Epic Universe here). From the highly anticipated WWE-backed Wyatt Sicks house to the gore-soaked Terrifier maze, this year’s event balances major IP adaptations with original nightmares to create one of the most solid Horror Nights experiences in recent memory.
HHN 34 VHS art by Eldritch Terror.
Below is a detailed list of everything Halloween Horror Nights 34 offers, including a ranking of the 10 houses, a ranking of the 4 scare zones, and a recap of the other experiences, one of which is the absolute highlight of the festivities…
Halloween Horror Nights 34 Haunted Houses Ranked
10. Dolls: Let’s Play Dead
“You’re about to become doll-sized and witness the unnatural creations of a twisted little girl. You’ll be hunted by burnt fashion dolls, toys she’s melded together and undead horrors in her dollhouse.”
This house shrinks guests down to doll-size and unleashes a twisted little girl’s collection of burnt, melted, and stitched-together toys. The costumes are inventive and creepy, and there are some unsettling character designs scattered throughout. Unfortunately, the house starts slow and never fully ramps up, leaving it feeling more like a showcase of excellent costumes than a fully realized maze.
9. Jason Universe
“The iconic horror villain Jason Voorhees is coming for you. Step into his terrifying world, from his sinister shack in the woods to the summer camp where it all began.”
Jason Voorhees gets the anthology treatment here, with masks and kills pulled from across the Friday the 13th films and even the video games. Pamela Voorhees makes an appearance, and the grand finale of this haunted house is an HHN highlight, featuring narrow hallway lined with curtains where multiple Jasons attack relentlessly, delivering the house’s best moment. Still, the buildup and main sections feels uneven and underwhelming, making it more of a treat for hardcore Jason fans than a top-tier house on its own, especially compared to this year’s improved line-up.
8. Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
“In this Old West town, all hell is breaking loose. Red-hot lava demons are trying to possess everyone, melting everything in their path. Your only hope: Hatchet and Chains with their mystical weapons.”
The Old West collides with hellfire in this chaotic mashup of cowboys, demons, and zombies. Highlights include gruesome set pieces like a fireplace demon, a creature shoving its hand through a woman’s mouth, zombies bursting from coffins, and a giant demon head at the finale. There are fun moments and some impressive effects like smoke puffing through bullet holes. The costumes are repetitive in the first half and it sometimes feels like the house throws everything at the wall without tying it all together. Still, this is a cool theme and another good house.
7. Five Nights at Freddy’s
“Get ready for the night watch at a creepy, abandoned pizzeria, where nothing is what it seems and possessed animatronics are lurking.”
Fans of the games and Five Nights at Freddy’s movie (especially the movie) will appreciate the authenticity here. Iconic animatronics built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop look incredible, and rooms like the security office and storage areas are packed with detail and active TV monitors. Guests enter through a neon-lit pizzeria with a haunting voiceover describing its fall from glory. The jump scares from actors add energy, but overall the house is more about atmosphere and spectacle than outright terror. It works as fan service and has some must-see visuals but lacks the punch to rank higher for HHN 34’s offerings.
6. Grave of Flesh
Welcome to your funeral, where things are about to go from bad to worse. You’ll enter your grave and then the underworld, where flesh-eaters who feed on the dead will hunt you for all eternity.
Grave of Flesh begins at the entrance of Halmouth Cemetery with a gravedigger warning that the dead are restless, then plunges guests underground into a progression of hellish environments. There are roots with skeletons tangled inside, dripping water, sacks of flesh, glowing red runes, and eventually ancient ruins with mummies and ghosts. The variety of scenery is impressive, and it tells a clear story of descent into the underworld. Unfortunately, the finale is abrupt and confusing, as if guests made it partway back up, but not all the way, undermining what could have been the best house of the year. I love this one!
5. Fallout
“Face your fears in post-apocalyptic LA. Escape from the vaults to the wasteland and confront the formidable bounty hunter The Ghoul.”
An ambitious adaptation of Prime Video’s hit series based on the video game franchise, the Fallout house recreates Vault 32 in striking detail, complete with the big vault doors, a raider attack to kick things off, Ma June’s Sundries, and Power Armor displays. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) shouting “I need my organs” in the pharmacy is a standout moment, and fans will recognize plenty of Easter eggs, including some from season 2 since Amazon worked with Universal during production. The finale comes quickly and feels unfinished, but Fallout still succeeds as an immersive experience packed with fan service.
4. Terrifier
“Try your luck against Art the Clown in the Terrifier funhouse. You’ll witness his grotesque handiwork of torture and be exposed to the spatter of his victims. It’s a whole new level of gore!”
This house is pure carnage, showcasing 36 bodies across its length (the most ever for a house at HHN according to our guide), nearly three per room, and recreating infamous kills from all three Terrifier films. It engages all the senses with gore, unsettling smells, and grotesque tableaux. Guests are warned by a “You May Get Wet” sign and can purchase ponchos outside, because the finale offers two paths: a safe dry route or a “blood path” where guests are drenched. It is the most extreme and disgusting house HHN has ever attempted, making it unforgettable even if it is more shocking than scary.
3. Gálkn: Monsters of the North
“In a remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead, bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the fjords to wreak havoc on the townspeople. Try to escape the belly of the beast.”
Set in the Norwegian countryside, this beatifully designed house tells the tragic story of a beast who was once a protector but became corrupted, turning on livestock and eventually people. Villagers killed her, but now her spirit returns for revenge. Guests journey through rune-marked caves, forests with antlered beast forms, and a massive wicker effigy that burns as part of a sacrifice ritual. The house ends inside the belly of the beast, surrounded by fleshy horrors and skeletal creatures. It is richly atmospheric, mythic in tone, and one of the most story-driven houses of the year.
2. El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
“In 19th century Spain, a tortured artist moves to an isolated country manor to seek inspiration. Instead, the art comes alive and possesses him. You’re about to be part of the permanent exhibition.”
One of the most beautiful houses HHN has ever staged, the El Artista maze places guests inside a Spanish manor where a tortured artist becomes possessed by his creations. Statues come to life, gargoyles swoop overhead, and monsters lurk around every corner. Universal designer Dylan Kollath uses long sightlines so guests can see other parts of the maze from afar, adding to the feeling of being inside a sprawling environment. It is a classic haunted house experience with elegance and menace, a true showcase of design.
1. WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks
“Go head-to-head with The Wyatt Sicks as they lure you through the ominous doorway to their shadowy realm. You’re about to meet your match.”
The most unique house of HHN 34 blends wrestling spectacle with haunting tribute. Guests approach a wrestling ring before moving backstage, where crew members lie dead and the Wyatt Sicks emerge. The Firefly Funhouse puppets appear, screens show Bray Wyatt footage, and rooms range from slaughter chambers to surreal dreamscapes. It is both terrifying and poignant, honoring Wyatt’s legacy while providing some of the event’s most varied scares. Haunting, beautiful, and unforgettable, it is the house of the year partly because of the true story behind it. A must see for WWE enthusiasts.
Halloween Horror Nights 34 Scare Zones Ranked
4. The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane
Moody and atmospheric, Crooked Lane is built around an immortal witch who transforms trick-or-treaters into cats. The setting features crooked houses, jack-o’-lanterns strung through trees, mist, and the eerie bonus of lagoon show music drifting through the area. The concept is strong, especially the progression of partial transformations to full-on cat people, and the visuals are compelling, but the zone is noticeably light on scareactors. It is beautiful to walk through but ultimately falls short compared to the others.
3. The Origins of Horror
Designed as the gateway to the event, this zone leans on gothic imagery with mist, chainsaws, statues, and looming gargoyles. It also features icons from HHN 34’s IP houses, such as statues representing Fallout and Terrifier’s Art the Clown. While visually striking, it feels more like a brief introduction to the event than a fully realized scare zone with much depth or length, with fewer scareactors and less interaction. As an atmospheric entry point, it succeeds, but it lacks the density and energy of the top zones.
2. Mutations: Toxic Twenties
Set in a bustling 1920s neighborhood thrown into chaos after a radioactive truck crash, Mutations pulses with chaotic energy and is the most visualy distinguished. Neon-green ooze spreads across the streets, infecting citizens who stumble around with glowing prosthetics and zombie-like growths. A police officer yells warnings through a megaphone while set pieces like a fire truck, newsstands, and barrels overflowing with sludge complete the scene. It is packed with performers and props, making it a busy and lively street where scares come from all directions.
1. Masquerade: Dance with Death
The clear standout of HHN 34’s scare zones, Masquerade transforms the streets into a gothic ballroom filled with ornate masks, chandeliers, and haunting classical music fit for vampire royalty. The population of scareactors is dense, each one dripping in eerie detail. Some guests beg for help, others suddenly turn aggressive, revealing their vampiric nature, making every interaction unpredictable. The combination of immersive set pieces, strong costuming, and unsettling roleplay creates the most complete scare zone of the year. A beautiful theme with some of the best performers!
HHN 34 map by Horror Night Nightmares.
While the haunted houses and scare zones are the heart of Halloween Horror Nights, the event offers plenty more to fill out the experience, something Universal pushed hard this year to address some of the mixed feelings towards HHN 33. Street performances, roaming scareactors, and interactive moments keep the park buzzing between mazes.
Guests can also take a break with live shows, themed food and drinks, and the new Tribute Store, a highly themed retail space designed as an abandoned museum where ancient evil was once unleashed. These extras add depth to the event and make HHN feel like a fully immersive festival rather than just a lineup of houses.
Street Experiences at Halloween Horror Nights 34
Club Horror: Dance party with performers, LED props, and heavy purple lighting. More spectacle and fun than scares.
Art the Clown (Roaming): The Terrifier icon appears randomly in the park, keeping guests on edge. We also saw The Grabber from The Black Phone though this wasn’t advertised.
Chainsaw Carnies: Packs of roaming chainsaw-wielding performers deliver loud, very loud, chaotic scares.
Mel’s Die-In: Zombies: Zombie carhops take over Mel’s Drive-In for atmospheric fun and photo ops. This is the most visually iconic exterior location with its neon lights playing off the mist effects.
Shows, Dining, and Shopping at Halloween Horror Nights 34
Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay: Fire, aerialists, and illusions in a rotting circus setting, the absolute must-see event of HHN 34.
Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey: Lagoon show with ghostly projections and eerie music.
Themed Food & Drinks: Highlights include a Freddy’s cupcake, Fallout Radaway, and Terrifier bloody popcorn.
Tribute Store: Designed as an abandoned museum filled with event-exclusive merchandise.
Nightmare Fuel stood out as the best part of HHN beyond the houses. The show combines pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, and a circus gone wrong into a thrilling performance that energizes the crowd and delivers nonstop spectacle. For many guests, it was as memorable as the strongest houses, proving that HHN is more than just haunted mazes. Where the Haunt-O-Phonic is super skippable, Nighmare Fuel is a cannot miss as much as Halloween Horror Nights itself.
0 Comments