The Halloween Horror Nights houses becoming year-round experiences at Universal Horror Unleashed will have expanded stories and updated experiences.
Universal Horror Unleashed Details
Universal Horror Unleashed vs. Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights creative alums Nate Stevenson, Creative Show Director, and TJ Mannarino, VP Art & Design, appeared on the Discover Universal Podcast to talk about Universal Horror Unleashed, which opens at AREA15 in Las Vegas next month.
As they explained, traditional HHN like Universal Horror Nights 2025 is limited to the space of an existing park. They were able to build this experience from the ground up and make it “semi-permanent.” The creative team wanted to “elevate” Halloween Horror Nights and make it more interactive.
Scare zones and haunted houses at HHN are immersive, and guests get genuine interactions with scareactors, but they are forced to move on within seconds. At Universal Horror Unleashed, guests can grab a drink or food and hang out around the characters, raising the possibilities for individual, unique experiences and the potential for different experiences on multiple visits.
The characters of Horror Unleashed live in the warehouse and have rich backstories and hierarchies. The characters and scareactors are roaming. There will be a storyteller in each area, who guests can sit with for 30 minutes or more, discussing everything they want to know.
It’s not one horror experience, the creatives say, but a culmination. The food, drinks, and merchandise all tie into the story.
Universal Horror Unleashed Haunted Houses
As previously confirmed, the four haunted houses of Universal Horror Unleashed will be Universal Monsters, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scarecrow: The Reaping, and Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer.
The house entrances are portals. While the house themes are repeating from Halloween Horror Nights, they are updated experiences. The house layouts were changed and the experiences were “plussed” because they could do “everything we had wanted to do” without restrictions.
As one example, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is completely different. It follows the original 1974 film, starting in the graveyard. Every aggressor and victim is represented.
Scarecrow: The Reaping has a holding area outside the farmhouse and barn, which are realized as full facades. The house’s holding rooms have audio and video adding to the story. Scarecrow’s dust bowl story about the Earth taking revenge will be upgraded with a “fully realized dust storm.”
Towards the end of the podcast, they referenced when guests were pulsed through HHN houses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They explained guests enjoyed the story more because they had more time in each room. Universal Horror Unleashed gives guests more time in the space and with the characters, so they can see more and enjoy the expanded stories.
The full Discover Universal Podcast episode is below.
When Does Universal Horror Unleashed Open?
Universal Horror Unleashed opens on August 14, 2025. Tickets are available now.
How Much are Universal Horror Unleashed Tickets?
Tickets range in price from $59 to $99. There are tickets with one-time access to each house, including a discounted option for Nevada residents, and tickets with unlimited access to the houses on the selected date. Read more ticket details.
Universal Horror Unleashed Chicago
Though Universal did announce a second Universal Horror Unleashed coming to Chicago, the podcast only addressed the initial Las Vegas location. The Chicago experience may have different theming, although its concept art still resembled a warehouse.
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