El Artista: A Spanish Haunting is an original house at Halloween Horror Nights 34, and it’s home to the conservatory that the whole event lives in this year.
Backstory
In 19th century Spain, a tortured artist moves to an isolated country manor to seek inspiration. Instead, the art comes alive and possesses him. You’re about to be part of the permanent exhibition.
This house is an original offering for HHN 2025. The story involves a famous artist named Sergio Navarro, set sometime in the 1800s. To find some artistic inspiration, Navarro moved to a manor located in the woods that was called La Casa Creación, or The Creation House.
However, the house was haunted, and Nevarro began to be controlled by evil spirits. The evil influenced his art, forcing him to paint horrifying images that were intended to give the spirits a way into our world. We arrive when the veil between the worlds has thinned, and Navarro has been completely overcome by his madness.
Review
The craftsmanship that went into this house is incredible. It’s breathtaking, and the scale and detail make Casa Creación feel lived in. It’s easy to see why they took the conservatory and spread it through the event, because everything about the house screams haunted. The wisteria motif, the stained glass, the decor, and architecture — none of it misses a beat.
Beyond the beauty of the set, it’s also a masterclass in environmental storytelling. They took the concept of Saskia’s journal/voiceover from last year’s Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines and worked it into the environment in a much smoother and effective way.
You first see Sergio’s journal outside the facade. It lies subtly on a stone bench, placed strategically enough to be seen but not a spectacle. Each iteration is like that. It’s in plain sight but not a spotlight. And having Sergio present as often as he’s not makes it feel less like we’re listening to a journal and more like we’re walking through his mind.
I could go on and on about this house — and undoubtedly will after I get to see it on my Unmasking tour — but it’s at the same level as, if not better than, Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake, easily cementing its place as an HHN Hall of Famer.
Rating
For us, this house is an easy 7 out of 7. To surpass Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake in our eyes is no easy feat, and that alone earns our top marks.
Know Before You Go
Location
El Artista: A Spanish Haunting is located in Soundstage 22, which is across the street from Terrifier and Grave of Flesh.
Fun Facts
- This house features an original song as your main soundtrack throughout the experience, which becomes increasingly chaotic to match with Nevarro’s mental state.
- Unlike some of the houses with more gory smells, the creative team intentionally gives certain areas the smell of wisteria flowers and library books.
- Some HHN Easter eggs include references to other experiences hidden in paintings. As one example, some “feral felines” are tied to the Cat Lady of Crooked Lane scare zone.
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