Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood is one of the strongest in years, with terrifying houses and an unforgettable Terror Tram.
One of my favorite things about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is that it changes every year, which keeps things fresh, exciting, and absolutely terrifying. The 2026 event is one of the strongest in years, with barely any cons and a whole lot of pros. All 8 of the houses boast impressive production design and many well-placed scares. The scare zones are fun to walk through, and the Terror Tram starring Art the Clown is a ton of fun.
Nikki from OBSESSION is a wandering character, although she is not as easy to find as you might think. She doesn’t have one spot that she stays in. In fact, she walks through the entire park. If you spot her, be sure to mention the code word of the day (found on Horror Nights’ Instagram stories) to get a special One Wish Willow card (she carries 100 a night).
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Houses Review
The houses this year are top-notch. Even the “weakest” of the bunch only had a few things that I would have rather seen done differently. Overall, the scareactors really brought their A-game this year. As did the production team. Nothing looked amateur or out of place. Every house got my blood pumping and was genuinely fun to walk through.
For more details on this year’s houses, check out our Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Houses Ranked.
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Scare Zones Review
One of the most intense parts of Halloween Horror Nights for me is always the scare zones. Since they are not as enclosed as the houses, scares feel like they can come out of nowhere (and they often do). The scare zones are all placed in the same areas they have been in the past, but the one outside of KILLceañera: Music by SLASH is by far the most terrifying.
With a bit of a twisted circus theme, you never know what you are going to encounter. There is also a first-of-its-kind “secret maze”, where guests can opt to walk through a small enclosed part of the scare zone. I have to admit, I chickened out as I was still on edge from KILLceañera: Music by SLASH, but those who did go in said it was a fun, terrifying addition.
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Terror Tram Review
I love Blumhouse, of course, so Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Terror Tram was going to be a hard one to top for me. As someone who has never seen a Terrifier movie because I hate clowns and I have heard they are very over-the-top, I still had a lot of fun with the Terror Tram starring Art the Clown. He might be a bit twisted, but he is also a lot of fun to interact with.
The Christmas theme was a choice, but I imagine it makes sense if you have seen the movies. There was a lot of “blood” (actually water) spray, and I continuously got hit with it, startling me even more. The snowman masks during one of the walk-through areas were really cool and one of my favorite parts of the night.
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Food Review
This year I opted not to eat much of the food at Halloween Horror Nights. It can get a bit pricey, and it was easier to just eat before I left for the night. Plus, that meant more time for houses and exploring. That said, I did try the One Wish Churro, mostly because I love OBSESSION so much.
The churro is chocolate, which I wasn’t expecting, but honestly it really worked. It was a nice treat to have later in the night. Mine was warm and quite delicious. It would have only been made better with some sort of icing to dip it in.
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Overall Thoughts
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is my favorite of the most recent years. I feel like every house nailed it, the scare zones were genuinely terrifying (although I did laugh a bit at the Fortnite emotes) and the Terror Tram was a lot of fun.
It should be mentioned that Mama’s Geeky was invited to attend the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights 2026 and was given an express pass, making it a guarantee to visit all of the houses and the Terror Tram. If you do not have the express pass, the lines can get a little long. Still, you should be able to see the majority of the things that you want to if you arrive at opening and stay until close.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is a separately ticketed event and runs during select nights from September 3rd through November 1st. Buy tickets here.
Related: All 8 Universal Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2025 Houses Ranked
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