Halloween Horror Nights 2026: Houses, Tickets, Hotels and Essential Tips - UPDATED

Halloween Horror Nights has returned to Universal Orlando Resort for its 35th anniversary—and this year’s event is packed with new houses, returning icons and major horror franchises.

Halloween Horror Nights 35 takes place at Universal Studios Florida on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026. The event features 10 haunted houses, four scare zones, two live shows, themed food, exclusive merchandise and additional street experiences.

Whether you’re attending for the first time or returning for another night in the fog, here is everything you need to know about Halloween Horror Nights 2026.

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at a Glance

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida

  • Dates: August 28–November 1, 2026, on select nights

  • Event hours: Generally 6:30 p.m.–2 a.m.

  • Haunted houses: 10

  • Scare zones: Four

  • Live shows: Two

  • Theme: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares

  • Featured icons: Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow

Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event. Regular daytime admission and Universal hotel reservations do not include admission to HHN.

What’s New at Halloween Horror Nights 35?

The 2026 event celebrates 35 years of Halloween Horror Nights with the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares.

Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow are sharing the spotlight, bringing together decades of HHN history. The lineup combines recognizable horror properties with original stories created specifically for Universal Orlando.

New additions include a five-house R.I.P. Tour, earlier Stay & Scream access to select houses, a Stranger Things lagoon show, new street experiences and HamiKuma’s Orlando meet-and-greet debut.

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Haunted Houses

Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

The anniversary house explores the twisted history and rivalry between Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow. Guests enter the Oddverse and become caught between chaos and control as the two HHN icons combine their darkest creations.

Sinners

Inspired by the award-winning vampire movie, Sinners transports guests to a 1930s Mississippi juke joint. The music is playing and the drinks are flowing—until a group of vampires crashes the celebration.

Stranger Things 5

Return to Hawkins for one final fight against the Upside Down. This house is inspired by the fifth and final season of Stranger Things and features locations and creatures from the series, including Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and Vecna.

Hellraiser

For the first time, Halloween Horror Nights enters the world of the original Hellraiser trilogy. Guests will encounter Pinhead and the Cenobites while traveling through a disturbing world of pain, rituals and dark dimensions.

Evil Dead Burn

Based on the 2026 movie, this house follows a family trapped in a secluded home after the Book of the Dead is opened again. Guests must escape a new group of possessed Deadites and the evil consuming the house.

Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness

Music and horror collide in a house inspired by Ozzy Osbourne’s songs, imagery and legendary stage persona. Guests will travel through a decaying world filled with heavy-metal mayhem and scenes inspired by his career.

H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!

The fan-favorite horror host returns to WKNB for an outrageous Halloween television marathon. Each section presents a different over-the-top horror story filled with monsters, gore and references longtime HHN fans may recognize.

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals

Survivors enter an abandoned zoo in a dystopian wasteland. The animals are gone, but the zoo is now controlled by cannibal factions that have adopted the instincts and behaviors of the predators once kept there.

Cybergoria

Humans awaken from cryogenic sleep expecting immortality, only to discover that their mechanical caretakers have transformed them into something horrifying. This futuristic house combines body horror, machines and a chilling vision of eternal life.

INVASION: Alien Abduction

A Southwestern homestead is being destroyed during an alien attack. Guests must navigate the wreckage while avoiding the Grays, strange experiments and creatures arriving from the darkest reaches of space.

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Scare Zones

You cannot avoid the scare zones—they take over the streets of Universal Studios Florida and connect the different areas of the event.

Infernal Carnival of Nightmares

Jack and Dr. Oddfellow welcome guests into a sinister carnival filled with anniversary-inspired horrors.

Sideshow of Decay

Cindy uses Dr. Oddfellow’s dark sorcery to open a portal inside a carnival junkyard, allowing nightmares from HHN’s past to return.

FORTNITEMARES

The popular Halloween gaming event moves into the real world with familiar characters, dangerous enemies and a supernatural storm spreading through the area.

Downtown Clowntown

The streets are overrun by murderous clowns, including Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Art the Clown. This is one area where survival is definitely no laughing matter.

Live Entertainment at HHN 35

Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir

The popular stunt show returns with a new vampire-noir theme. Expect aerial performances, illusions, music and pyrotechnics inside a dark supernatural city.

Shows provide a good opportunity to sit down and rest after several haunted houses. Arrive early because seats can fill quickly.

Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins

This new nighttime lagoon show celebrates all five seasons of Stranger Things. Water screens, projection mapping, lighting and music recreate memorable moments from Hawkins and the Upside Down.

The show is separate from the Stranger Things 5 haunted house and is included with event admission.

Additional Street Experiences

Halloween Horror Nights 35 also includes several experiences beyond the traditional houses and scare zones:

  • HamiKuma meet and greet inside the Five & Dime store

  • Mel’s Die-In: Zombies at Mel’s Drive-In

  • Club Horror in the San Francisco area

  • A roaming Chainsaw Horde that can appear throughout the park

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Tickets

Ticket prices vary depending on the night you select. Popular Friday and Saturday nights—and dates closer to Halloween—can sell out.

Available ticket and upgrade options include:

  • Single-night HHN admission

  • Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass

  • Scream Early

  • Multi-night Frequent Fear passes

  • Premium Scream Night

  • R.I.P. Tours

  • Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tours

Single-night admission has been advertised from $88.99, while HHN Express has been advertised from $199.99. Prices and availability can change, so check Universal’s official website before purchasing.

Is the Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass Worth It?

HHN Express allows you to use a separate line once at each participating haunted house and attraction. It can be extremely helpful on busy nights, but it does not eliminate the wait completely.

Express Pass does not normally include your event admission. You will need both a valid HHN ticket and the appropriate HHN Express Pass for the same date.

If you only have one night and want to experience as many houses as possible, Express may be worth the additional cost.

How Stay & Scream Works

Stay & Scream allows eligible guests who are already inside Universal Studios Florida to wait in designated holding areas while the park transitions from daytime operations to Halloween Horror Nights.

You must have valid daytime admission—or an eligible Scream Early ticket—plus valid HHN admission for that evening.

In 2026, select houses begin admitting Stay & Scream guests as early as 2 p.m. The announced early-opening houses include:

  • Stranger Things 5

  • Hellraiser

  • Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

This can give you an important head start before the main event crowd enters.

How to Experience the Most Houses in One Night

Start by choosing your three must-do houses. Do not assume you will complete all 10 without Express, early entry or a very late night.

If you qualify for Stay & Scream, use the early-access period to complete one or more popular houses. Guests entering at the regular opening should consider starting near the back of the park because the houses closest to the entrance often fill first.

Wait times are frequently highest during the middle of the evening. Use this time to eat, explore scare zones or see one of the shows. Lines may become more manageable closer to closing.

Halloween Horror Nights Food and Drinks

Themed food and drinks are a major part of the HHN experience. Temporary booths and select restaurants serve dishes, desserts, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks inspired by the year’s houses.

Pizza Fries are a popular returning favorite, but the event also offers plenty of new limited-time items. Sharing several dishes can help your group sample more of the menu without becoming too full—or spending too much time away from the houses.

Check the Universal Orlando app for current menus, prices and booth locations.

The Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store

The 2026 Tribute Store is themed to Sideshow Obscura, a mysterious traveling sideshow filled with oddities and creatures.

The store is located in the New York area near Revenge of the Mummy. It includes exclusive merchandise, themed rooms and photo opportunities. It is generally accessible during normal daytime park hours, so you may be able to visit before HHN begins.

Dead Coconut Club – Harvest

Universal CityWalk’s Red Coconut Club has received another Halloween makeover. The 2026 theme, Dead Coconut Club – Harvest, imagines an alien invasion interrupting a small-town harvest festival.

Admission is free, and you do not need a Halloween Horror Nights ticket to visit.


Where to Stay for Halloween Horror Nights

Staying at or near Universal Orlando makes returning to your room much easier after an event that can continue until 2 a.m.

Universal hotels provide complimentary transportation to the parks, although the type of transportation varies by resort.

Universal Signature Hotels

Universal Prime Value Hotels

Universal Value Hotels

A Universal hotel reservation does not include Halloween Horror Nights admission or an HHN Express Pass.


What to Wear to Halloween Horror Nights

Orlando can remain hot and humid well into the evening, so lightweight clothing is usually the best choice.

We recommend:

  • A breathable graphic T-shirt

  • Comfortable shorts, a skort or lightweight pants

  • Supportive, broken-in walking shoes

  • Moisture-wicking socks

  • A small crossbody bag or park-friendly backpack

  • A light layer if cooler weather is forecast

Avoid brand-new shoes. You may spend several hours walking and standing on hard surfaces.

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What to Bring to Halloween Horror Nights

A few practical items can make the night much more comfortable:

  • Portable phone charger

  • Small park-friendly bag

  • Reusable water bottle allowed under current park rules

  • Compact rain poncho

  • Photo identification

  • Payment method

  • Necessary medication

  • Earplugs for guests sensitive to loud sounds

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Is Halloween Horror Nights Appropriate for Children?

Universal does not recommend Halloween Horror Nights for children under 13.

The event includes graphic imagery, loud noises, darkness, fog, intense music and sudden scares. Scare actors will not touch guests, but they may approach closely or appear unexpectedly.

Parents should consider their child’s individual tolerance rather than relying only on age.

Final Tips Before You Go

  • Purchase tickets before popular nights sell out.

  • Download the Universal Orlando app.

  • Choose your must-do houses before arriving.

  • Eat before the event or before peak dining times.

  • Use Stay & Scream when possible.

  • Consider Express if you only have one night.

  • Wear comfortable shoes.

  • Bring a portable charger and poncho.

  • Check current costume, bag and security rules.

  • Stay late if your group has the energy.

Final Thoughts

Halloween Horror Nights 35 brings together anniversary nostalgia, returning icons, major horror franchises and creative original houses.

With 10 houses, four scare zones, two shows and plenty of themed food and entertainment, it is impossible to experience everything casually in a single night. Arrive with a plan, prioritize the experiences that matter most to your group and leave enough time to enjoy the atmosphere.

Most importantly, wear comfortable shoes—and prepare for a long night in the fog.

Updated September 8, 2026. Event details, prices and policies can change. Verify current information through Universal Orlando’s official Halloween Horror Nights website before purchasing.

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