Seasonal events are a big way that all theme parks try to attract visitors, as well as try to attract the same visitors back into the parks again. Few seasonal events, however, are as popular as Halloween Horror Nights. The horror-themed event takes place at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida and is by far the biggest event of the year for both. Every year fans get scared by a new collection of houses, and HHN 2024 is looking to be a great event.
In a significant shift from the normal way Halloween Horror Nights has been handled in the past, the announcements we’ve seen so far have been focused on HHN’s original concepts created especially for the event, rather than the licensed projects based on popular or upcoming movies or TV series. There’s still a lot we don’t yet know about Halloween Horror Nights, but here’s everything we know so far about the houses at this year’s event on both coasts
Halloween Horror Nights At Universal Studios Florida
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort is, with apologies to the other HHN events, the marquee version of the event. It’s the biggest, and therefore it always has more to offer. This means it always has more unique houses not available at the other park.
Slaughter Sinema 2
Carey, OH is a fictional town where many of Halloween Horror Night's original concepts are set. Back at the one in 2018, we were introduced to the town’s drive-in movie theater as part of the Slaughter Sinema house. Every good movie needs a sequel, and the same is true with houses. Slaughter Sinema 2 will offer scares inspired by classic grindhouse flicks, spaghetti westerns and more.
Goblin’s Feast
Most Halloween Horror Nights houses, like the stories they’re based on, are usually set in the real world, or something close to it. But, one house this year is going hard with a fantasy setting. Goblin’s Feast is set in a village of goblins where a feast is being prepared for a collection of fantasy monsters, and the guests are set to be the main course.
Major Sweets Candy Factory
These houses usually take a year or more to be designed, and for that reason it seems unlikely that a candy factory-themed HHN house was inspired by the ill-fated Wonka experience in the UK. Having said that, from the perspective of the kids, Willy Wonka is a horror icon, and Major Sweets Candy Factory seems to be inspired by that idea. Guests are chaperons on a field trip, where treats turn the children into monsters (more so than children already are, I mean). The house is a canonical prequel to the Sweet Revenge scarezone from HHN in 2022
The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
You always need to be careful when examining creepy museum exhibits. The Museum: Deadly Exhibits will place guests at a folklore museum to see a special exhibit, The Rotting Stone. Unfortunately, the stone is home to a terrible evil that is able to escape just as you arrive.
Monstruos: The Monsters Of Latin America
When a HHN house is popular enough we might see it return after a few years, or as in the case of this year’s Slaughter Sinema, a sequel. This year will see at least one house make the jump across the country. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America was, in our opinion, the best house at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023. It seems a lot of people likely agreed, because the house will appear at Universal Studios Florida this year. It remains to be seen if it will be an exact replica of the previous one or an upgraded and expanded version.
Triplets Of Terror
Halloween Horror Nights has created some incredible original characters over the years. Known as Icons, none of the houses announced so far will include any of them, but Triplets of Terror may be the beginning of creating new ones. The Barmy Triplets are celebrating their birthday this year and you’re invited to the party. Unfortunately, the triplets celebrate by recreating the murder of their family.
A Quiet Place
The first announced house that actually is based on a movie is A Quiet Place. To say the least this house is an exciting concept because one assumes that the goal here will be for a Quiet Place house to remain near silent, rather than full of screams. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
Universal Studios Florida Halloween Horror Nights Rumors
Halloween Horror Nights in 2023 had 10 houses and only six have been announced for 2024 so far, which means there are at least four more left to be announced. Considering the focus on original concepts right now, it’s a safe bet the remaining four houses will be based on popular franchises.
Several rumors have indicated that we could see the return of a Ghostbusters house, though this one may be based on the new Frozen Empire movie. Other franchises that are churning through the rumor mill have included Five Nights at Freddy’s, which had a massive hit movie last year. There are, honestly, more rumors than there are available slots for houses, so they won’t all come to pass, but rumors have ended up being correct before. Such reports did predict The Last of Us coming to Halloween Horror Nights before it happened.
Halloween Horror Nights At Universal Studios Hollywood
So far, Only one house has been confirmed for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. USH usually has around eight houses, compared to USF 10, but it also has the Terror Tram, which turns the classic Universal Studios Backlot Tour into a themed experience. We often see a few of the houses shared between the two parks, usually the IP-based houses, but USH is virtually guaranteed to have some original concepts, as well.
A Quiet Place
While HHN in Florida started with original houses, Hollywood is starting with, well, Hollywood productions. The park's version of A Quiet Place was the first announced house. Not every house the two parks share is always perfectly identical, so this one may have some surprises in store.
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Rumors
As has been the case in previous years, the houses rumored to be attached to IP are the ones both parks are likely to share. Rumors include a Bride of Frankenstein house, possibly the return of a popular Bride of Frankenstein house from 2021. A Quiet Place and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire are also being rumored. A Terror Tram inspired by Blumhouse, which has been the source of many HHN houses the last few years, is also a possibility.
Halloween Horror Nights is already shaping up to be an incredible event on both coasts in 2024. We’re still months away before the first nights, so keep checking back here as we’ll be updating this as new announcements are made for this year’s HHN.
