Halloween Horror Nights haunts Southern California once again
A crow animatronic greets guests at the entrance of the Murder of Crowz scare zone. Alylah Owens
One of the most iconic Halloween events in Southern California is Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights. It returns this year with eight haunted houses, two live entertainment shows, four scare zones and the newly-themed terror tram.
The event was introduced in 1991 and has expanded greatly since. Every year they incorporate new experiences that keep audiences coming back for more. What attracts crowds to this ticketed event is their exclusive theming and expansive special effects.
Haunted houses are one of the main attractions of the events. What makes Universal Studios Hollywood’s haunted houses stand out from other horror events is the immersive theming. The theming is often based on classic, popular horror franchises.
This year, the lineup includes Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Insidious: The Further, A Quiet Place and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface.
There are also four more original houses such as The Weekend: Nightmare Trilogy, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America and Dead Exposure: Death Valley.
“I liked [Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire]. One because it’s silly and fun, and I did get spooked in there but it was a fun ha-ha silly spook” said Natasha Tyler, who has experienced Halloween Horror Nights three years in a row.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was really well designed,” said Tyler. “It was the best designed, with it being scary and awkward.”
Another major attraction is this year’s Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse. Movies such as The Purge, M3GAN and The Black Phone are some of the movies featured on the iconic tour of the park. It was rather short, but very well-themed to the Blumhouse production studio’s catalogue of films.
Whether you enjoy being frightened or if you are prone to being scared, there are different haunted house options for you to explore. There is definitely something for everyone to experience at this event.
Scare actors patrol scare zones and attempt to scare anyone in their way. The scare zones this year are Luchadores Monstruosos, Murder of Crowz, Chainsaw Punkz and Skull Lordz. One memorable moment of the night were three massive crows chasing someone in a wheelchair, following them for about two minutes straight.
“We were eating at one of the themed restaurants and a scare actor revved their chainsaw at us to scare us. I didn’t even know that was allowed.” said Daniel Tello, a first time visitor.
Halloween Horror Nights is very popular this year and the crowds show it. Wait times are generally longer than they usually are. If you are interested in attending, it is recommended to plan out your night based on what you want to experience.
“I would recommend checking out the different houses they offer,” said Arianna Campbell, who also visited for a third year in a row. “Try to plan out what order to do them in so that you can maximize your time and experience there.”
Starting at $10, you can also purchase different add-ons such as early access to avoid excessive wait times. General admission tickets range from $89.99 to $129.99.
Everyone that was interviewed recommended the event to others and would be willing to go again next year. If you are a fan of horror-themed events, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights is worth visiting!
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