Top 10 Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Houses

WatchMojo

Watching it is scary enough, what about visiting in person? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most frightening (or fun!) IP-based houses to hit Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Note: some maze videos may contain strobing lights and intermittent screaming.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most

00:08frightening or fun IP-based houses to hit Universal's Halloween Horror Nights.

00:13We're only focusing on houses based on pre-existing media and excluding original

00:17concepts and scare zones. Note, some maze videos may contain strobing lights and

00:21intermittent screaming.

00:29Number 10. Trick-or-Treat

00:31It may not be the most popular IP to get the maze treatment, but Trick-or-Treat's commitment

00:35to the Halloween spirit made it a perfect fit for Horror Nights.

00:41Originally used as the basis for an Orlando scare zone in 2017, the cult property proved

00:46to be popular enough with park guests to warrant a full-blown house the following year. The

00:50maze featured many of the anthology film's most iconic kills and set pieces, with Sam

00:55always lurking around the corner, keeping watch for anyone who dared to break tradition.

01:02The five distinct sequences in Trick-or-Treat also allowed for a refreshingly varied mix

01:06of scares throughout, including an apparent clever repurposing of an American Werewolf puppet.

01:12Number 9. Insidious

01:14For many repeat attendees, Horror Nights is all about the art of the scare, and few IP mazes

01:18have been quite as bone-chilling as those based on the Insidious franchise.

01:31Hollywood was the first to experience a house based on the films back in 2013, but we think

01:35the 2015 houses on both coasts have it beat.

01:38Dubbed Insidious Return to the Further in Hollywood and simply Insidious in Orlando, they allowed

01:43guests to step into the further and come face-to-face with its most horrifying specters. If you thought

01:48the Red-Faced Demon and Bride in Black were scary on screen, you can only begin to imagine

01:52the terror people felt seeing them leap out at them.

02:00Number 8. Stranger Things

02:02No one could have predicted the massive impact Stranger Things would have on pop culture when

02:07it dropped on Netflix in 2016. It became one of the few streaming shows to launch a merchandising

02:12empire and inspired a brand new wave of 80s nostalgia.

02:26All things considered, Universal's first Horror Nights house based on the franchise was a bit

02:30late to the game, but that certainly didn't make the experience any less worthwhile. For

02:34the first time, fans could explore the Buyer's House and the Upside Down first-hand, dodging

02:39Demogorgons alongside their favorite characters.

02:46The maze's popularity led to two more collaborations with the series in 2019 and 2023,

02:51with ensuing seasons bringing a host of new scares to Universal's annual Halloween event.

02:56Number 7. House of a Thousand Corpses

02:58Plenty of Horror Nights houses have been based on movies, but how many movies have their roots in a

03:03horror night's house?

03:10The idea for Rob Zombie's House of a Thousand Corpses dates back to an original concept he

03:14developed for HHN's 6th annual Hollywood event, then titled American Nightmare. The project was

03:20given the film treatment, though obstacles meant it only came to fruition three years later. Still,

03:25it gained a cult following and eventually returned to Horror Nights in 2019.

03:28Captain Spaulding, Dr. Satan, and the Firefly family were back and better than ever before,

03:38now on both coasts. The film-inspired maze included more detailed sets, costumes, and violence,

03:44upping the depravity as guests ventured further into the depths of the titular house.

03:47Number 6. Beetlejuice

03:49The ghost with the most is no stranger to Universal. He meets during the day in Orlando,

03:54and has hosted several shows in the park's past. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before

04:07he got a maze of his own, and in 2020, it finally happened. Sort of. COVID led to the cancellation of

04:13the park's 30th Horror Nights event earlier in the year, but by October, Orlando had already reopened its

04:18gates. For two days only, the East Coast Park operated a wonderfully weird and immaculately detailed

04:23Beetlejuice maze, to the delight of fans.

04:33Thankfully, the house returned for the real event the following year, allowing thousands of new souls

04:38to finally traverse the world of the film.

04:40Number 5. The Walking Dead The End of the Line

04:43This comic-turned-AMC horror series has a long history with Universal's Halloween Horror Nights.

04:48It inspired several mazes and scare zones over the years, one of which even became a permanent

05:00attraction in Universal Studios Hollywood from 2016 to 2021. As a result, it's difficult to pick

05:06just one Walking Dead maze to highlight as the best. 2012's Dead Inside definitely makes a case for

05:11itself, having been the year's icon house, but we think 2014's The End of the Line takes the cake.

05:24At the time, Orlando's version of the house was the biggest house to ever be built for the event,

05:28and all that extra space meant more walkers, and even more scares.

05:32Number 4. Killer Clowns From Outer Space

05:34While it's fun to be scared, when done right, a comedic IP house can be just as entertaining

05:39as its terrifying counterparts.

05:59This was certainly the case for Killer Clowns From Outer Space,

06:02a cotton candy-colored carnival of a maze based on the cult film of the same name.

06:06The commitment from both coasts' creative directors was immediately evident in the house's

06:10elaborate set designs, detailed costuming, and thematically appropriate scents.

06:14It even featured a number of GATs, or guest-activated triggers,

06:18which could do things like spray folks with water.

06:26For those familiar with the 1988 film, it was the ultimate fan experience,

06:30and for newcomers to Crescent Cove, it provided an entertaining reprieve

06:33from the event's more horrifying houses.

06:36Number 3. An American Werewolf in London

06:38Universal's efforts to recreate every detail of the giant werewolf puppets

06:42from John Landis' 1981 comedy horror film paid off.

06:51Pretty much everyone was awestruck by the entire maze's craftsmanship,

06:55us included.

07:03The house was something of a passion project for creative director John Murdy,

07:07who had been a fan of the film since junior high.

07:09This is evident not only in the screen-accurate recreations of the film's sets and makeup,

07:13but in the maze's new effects as well.

07:15It's clear everyone involved in his creation knew what made people fall in love with the film,

07:28and came together to create a spectacularly spooky homage worthy of the American Werewolf title.

07:33Number 2. The Thing Assimilation

07:35In 2007, Jack the Clown returned to Horror Nights to host a carnival of carnage,

07:40and brought with him one of the most innovative houses yet.

07:43The Thing Assimilation wasn't a one-to-one adaptation of John Carpenter's 1982 film,

07:54but an unofficial sequel, which played up the fictional world's grotesque horror elements.

07:58It was one of the first mazes to very wildly utilize puppetry and animatronics,

08:02paving the way for some of our favorite modern houses.

08:05Given its place in HHN history,

08:07it's a shame that this house was only seen in Orlando,

08:09and existed at a time when there was far less documentation of the event.

08:13Because of this,

08:22we're thankful to YouTubers like MaddestFat24 for sharing the experience online for future generations.

08:28Before we unveil our top pick,

08:29here are a few honorable mentions.

08:31American Horror Story Vol. 2.

08:33Three frightening seasons of American Horror Story,

08:36all in one house.

08:42The Cabin in the Woods,

08:44well-timed jump scares,

08:45incredible Easter eggs,

08:47and a menacing mix of monsters.

08:54Halloween,

08:56Michael Myers lurked around every quarter of this thrilling recreation of the 1978 film.

09:00Universal Monsters Unmasked.

09:09A loving reimagining of some of Universal's most iconic monsters.

09:18Evil Dead.

09:19Evil Never Dies.

09:20Before we continue,

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09:43Have you ever wished you could book a night at the Overlook Hotel?

09:50Well, in 2017,

09:52you could.

09:52The Shining is such a popular property

09:54that it likely would have been packed nightly regardless of quality.

09:59But luckily for fans,

10:00it was one of Universal's white whales,

10:03and they took the opportunity to go all out.

10:05Orlando's version of the maze was particularly impressive,

10:07using a mirror effect to translate the hotel's long corridors into a small space.

10:11These faux hallways acted as a brilliant contrast to the more claustrophobic scenes,

10:16like Jack violently breaking through a wooden door.

10:21Unfortunately,

10:22it seems neither park was granted the ability to use Nicholson's likeness,

10:25but the scare actors more than made up for it with their shocking intensity.

10:28What film or television show do you hope to see Halloween Horror Nights tackle next?

10:32Let us know in the comments.

10:39Did you enjoy this video?

10:41Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,

10:43and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

10:48we're here on the chair.

10:49We'll see you next time.

10:56We'll see you next time.

11:06Good night.

11:08We'll see you next time.

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