Ghosts and goblins are once again roaming The Entertainment Capital of LA, which can only mean one thing:
Halloween Horror Nights has kicked off at Universal Studios Hollywood!
The iconic theme park gates opened up to the late-Ozzy Osbourne shouting, “ALL ABOARD!” as his immortal classic ‘Crazy Train‘ blasted through the speakers, commemorating Opening Night – the official start of Spooky Season in Los Angeles.
And the 2026 edition of Halloween Horror Nights will reward the adventurous park-goer who looks beyond the biggest, licensed studio mazes, because some of the best surprises of the night are in the most unconventional places…
So here’s the skinny, ranked from best-to-worst, so you can maximize your trip to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood!
Dead, Deader, Deadest
The Halloween Horror Nights team, led by their director John Murdy are almost always at their most creative when they don’t have to adhere to the constraints big, licensed properties put on them — and they unleashed their deadliest creativity in quite some time with Dead, Deader, Deadest.
Set in a terrifying funeral home, Dead, Deader, Deadest has creative twists around every turn. An obese corpse pumped with embalming fluids, a demented coroner hitting passerby’s with arterial blood sprays. Sunken temperatures keeping corpses frozen in cold storage. Scorching heat and the smell of rotting flesh coming from the incinerator. It’s to die for.
Don’t miss this hidden gem of a maze waiting in line for “the big ones”.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Who thought big, bright and bold colors could be so terrifyingly fun?
Killer Klowns From Outer Space comes to vivid life with the best licensed maze this year. The Chiodo’s classic designs are fully realized in this funhouse, with memorable moments from the film brought to life in quite imaginative ways. It’s a cotton candy of a Halloween treat that should NOT be missed.
Terror Tram starring Art the Clown
Terrifier is all over Halloween Horror Nights this year. Literally. There are roving Art the Clowns. There’s a restaurant. There’s a bar. And… he’s taken over The Terror Tram too.
I know I’ve been hard on the Terror Tram over the years, calling it “The Annual Halloween Horror Nights Time Suck”, but I’m very happy to report this year… “it sleighs”.
The Christmas-themed backlot tour is as gorgeous as it is bloody. The Christmas lights illuminate The Bates Motel and the War of the Worlds crash site in wickedly wonderful ways. And Art the Clown and his Terrifier cohorts are the perfect cast of characters to entertain and, ahem, terrify crowds as they move through the tour.
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but, this year, The Terror Tram is a STRONG recommend.
Hellraiser
My most anticipated maze of the night, Hellraiser, has such sights to show you. And if you only have time to do one of the “big ticket” mazes, this one is a helluva good time.
As you push endless metal chains to the sides, Pinhead delivers flesh-peeling gory scares and cosmic wonders that you’d hope to see ripped from the mind of Clive Barker. While I wish it hit a bit more of a heavenly high, the maze is far more pleasure than pain.
The Purge: Dangerous Waters
A returning Halloween Horror Nights champion, if you haven’t dove into The Purge: Dangerous Waters yet, make sure to carve out some time this year. Not only is the repurposed Waterworld stunt-show one of the best innovations the HHN team has created in years, but — if the rumors are to be believed — this might be one of the last years you’ll be able to catch the show, because Universal may be tearing down the Waterworld attraction for future expansion… Purge this from your bucket list before time runs out.
Killceañera
One of the sneaky highlights of Halloween Horror Nights the last few years has been the Monstrous: The Ghosts of Latin America series. It gets a bit of a repurpose this year in the form of a nightmarish quinceañera with killer guitar riffs from Guns n’ Roses horror-head Slash. Memorable monsters lurk throughout, including a terrifying Mariachi band.
Evil Dead Burn
The last time Sam Raimi’s Deadites conjured themselves up at Halloween Horror Nights for Evil Dead Rise, it was… pretty unmemorable. From what I understand, that maze was a bit of a rush job. That doesn’t appear to be the case with its sequel, Evil Dead Burn, which feels far more designed, making better use of the lore found in the fleshy pages of The Book of the Dead. In fact, it’s rather… groovy. Big kudos for turning the titular burning into something you can feel and smell.
Freaky Nikki and The Scare Zones
Probably the most “online” discourse about this year’s Halloween Horror Nights is the choice to include a roving Freaky Nikki from the breakout horror hit Obsession.
Whether you’re for or against the victimized-Nikki being used for frights, I will say she gave me the biggest jump scare of the night when she snuck behind me and shouted, “WHY WON’T YOU LOVE ME?!”
Jesus Christ, woman. A+ stuff.
Also loved seeing the return of the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade. They’re a simple addition that, honestly, add so much magical flair when walking through the Wizarding World, even if they’re far less scary than a certain author’s recent political views…
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Immortalized as one of the undead, I can only imagine Ozzy somewhere in the great beyond watching his Halloween Horror Nights maze with pride. The music is rocking, there are some really nice moments on the literalized ‘Crazy Train‘ and Ozzy’s makeups are tremendous, but this one had trouble justifying the long wait time. Plus, I couldn’t help but feel bad for all the performers who had to listen to “All Aboard!” on loop for hours on end.
Sinners
Sure to be one of the busiest mazes this year, SINNERS does a great job recreating the vibe of the movie. Fans will certainly sink their teeth into some of the spooky visuals, but aside from one of the most innovative stunts I’ve ever seen at Halloween Horror Nights, if you’re short on time, you can put a stake in this one.
Stranger Things 5
I have a Will Byers-level confession: The best part about the show wrapping up… this will likely be the last Stranger Things maze for a while.
Sure, they pack in the crowds, but there hasn’t been one Stranger Things maze that’s really delivered. They’re just always a little… repetitive. At least this year, there’s Vecna, his never-ending phallic vines, and Demogorgons to spice up the variety.
The Final Verdict?
With seven good-to-great attractions, Halloween Horror Nights has delivered yet another killer year at any ticket level. Just like Freaky Nikki, you’re guaranteed to find at least one maze you’ll obsess over!
Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights runs now through November 1st, 2026. Joe Russo is a three-time BloodList screenwriter who recently co-wrote PORTRAIT OF GOD, which he is producing alongside Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele. His past feature film credits include the Peyton List and Bob Gunton-starring horror film, THE INHERITANCE, the Bruce Willis-starring HARD KILL, the Ryan Phillippe, Ving Rhames, and Kate Bosworth-starring THE LOCKSMITH, the Neal McDonough-starring SOUL MATES, and the Lifetime thriller THE AU PAIR NIGHTMARE. He produced the cult-favorite horror anthology NIGHTMARE CINEMA, the Zac Efron-starring THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER, and the award-winning podcast POST MORTEM WITH MICK GARRIS.
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