Universal Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Scare Houses, Ranked

Prime Video’s Fallout was the breakout hit of last year, and the video game has been successful for years. Everyone loves this post-apocalyptic world stuck in a decayed 1950s. But we have to admit, the Fallout haunted house at HHN Hollywood was among our least favorites of the year. It’s not bad per se, there were indeed some cool bits. You had the giant vault door, the irradiated wasteland, and some great creepy ambiance that evokes the series. And of course, the Ghoul appears a few times (although we wanted more). But there are some long stretches without any jump scares or scare actors. We did like giant mutant bear, though. Now that was really cool. We just think Fallout deserves something grander than we got.

7. Five Nights at Freddy’s 

I’m not a Gen Zer, so my familiarity with the Five Nights at Freddy’s phenomenon is minimal. I know it’s about a haunted Chuck E. Cheese knock-off called Freddy Fazbear’s, and there are ghost children and evil animatronics. I will say I think the theming for this haunted house is amazing. You really feel like you’re walking into an abandoned pizza place from the ‘80s. The animatronics look incredible, too. So why is this one so low on the list? Well, as good as the animatronics look, they’re not very scary. And there’s just not enough scare actors, aside from a few random ghost kids, to make up for it. For as huge a property as this is, this haunted house is just over four minutes long. So an A+ for theming, but a C for actual scares.

6. WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks

As someone not into wrestling at all, I had no clue who/what the Wyatt Sicks are. And when I saw the name of this haunted house, I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t crazy about HHN’s tendency to give celebrities who have nothing to do with horror and mold attractions around their “vision.” Last year, it was the Weeknd. Although I later learned that the Wyatt Sicks are indeed horror-adjacent wrestlers. But actually, WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks had lots of creepy vibes, and more than its share of decent jump scares. I noticed less wrestling and more “Texas Chainsaw,” but that’s not a bad thing. I can’t really tell you the “story,” if there even is one, but it hits most of the bullet points to qualify as a decent haunted house this year.

5. Jason Universe

It’s always good when Jason Voorhees makes an appearance at Universal Halloween Horror Nights. This year, the Friday the 13th haunted house (not using that name, for legal reasons) came roaring back with Jason Universe. Even though the Friday the 13th name is not used, this attraction features a greatest hits approach to the Camp Crystal Lake slasher’s many kills, from his many movies. Plus, we get nods to every Jason look, from burlap sack to iconic hockey mask. This haunted house had just the right amount of jump scares per second and was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. What more can you ask for?

4. Scarecrow: Music By Slash

One of HHN’s original haunted houses returning in a new form is Scarecrow: Music By Slash, which features some classic country horror, where guests wander into a remote farmhouse filled with (you guessed it) a lot of creepy scarecrows. Not to mention other assorted nightmare fuel hillbillies. Last year, it was called Scarecrow: The Reaping. This time, HHN royalty and heavy metal icon Slash created the music for this one. We’re not quite sure how much Slash’s guitar riffs add to the overall vibe, but we appreciate how classic Americana Halloween this all feels. It’s also genuinely creepy, with a good amount of scare actors for every corner you turn.

3. Poltergeist 

As a Gen Xer, Poltergeist was THE formative horror film for me. So I was thrilled that HHN took this one out of mothballs and brought it back after eight years. All the elements of the classic ’80s Tobe Hooper film are present, from the killer tree, to the guy ripping his face off, to a metric ton of that evil clown doll that mortified a generation. This Haunted House has plenty of the clown jumping out at you, and the finale with all the raised corpses makes for a fitting finale. Yes, I even found myself screaming, “You left the bodies but only moved the headstones! Why???” It really evoked the film in every way. The only reason this one doesn’t rank higher is that it’s basically a replica of the HHN 2017 maze, with nothing new really added. But it’s still fantastic.

2. Monstruos 3: The Ghosts of Latin America

This is the third year with Monstruos: The Ghosts of Latin America. And this original haunted house has been top-notch every time. 2025 is no different. Once again, this haunted house, which showcases the creepy legends south of the border, simply rules. We love the El Muerto figure that looms in the catacombs, and La Llorona, both as a scare actor and as a giant animatronic, show the best of the best of what HHN can provide. If we have a complaint, it’s that this is called Monstrous 3, which implies it’s a sequel to the last haunted house of the same name. It’s actually just the same one, with a bit of parts one and two mixed in. But it still rocks, so we give them a pass. We hope 2026 gives us a Monstrous 4.

1. Terrifier 

I have to say right off the bat, I have never seen any of the Terrifier movies. I heard a review once mention “a diarrhea scene,” and I decided right then and there I was never going to watch them. Having said that, I have to give this house serious points for being the most disturbing. I don’t need the context of seeing the movie to freak out over a scary clown murdering people and slicing them in half. This maze has plenty of “Art the Clowns” popping out at every corner, some truly disgusting areas (one was a dirty bathroom. I’ll leave it there). And while I truly hate bad smells pumped into these mazes, it sure worked to make Terrifier a properly unpleasant experience. But isn’t that what we pay to see? For its effect as a full-on haunt experience, we give Terrifier the top spot.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights is running until November 2, on select nights.