ORLANDO, Fla. – Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2025 is underway.
Every year, the world’s premier Halloween event transforms Universal Studios into a playground filled with elaborate sets, terrifying characters and immersive storylines.
For those planning their visit, knowing which haunted houses stand out can make all the difference.
This ranking breaks down this year’s 10 haunted houses based on creativity, scare factor and overall experience.
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10. Grave of Flesh
Synopsis: “Welcome to your funeral, where it’s about to go from bad to worse. You’ll enter the underworld and be hunted by flesh-eaters for eternity.”
Review: What happens after we die? Grave of Flesh proposes a dark and decaying theory. Visitors begin their chilling experience standing at the bottom of their own grave, looking up at their tombstone. From there, they embark on a journey into the nether world, where sinister creatures hungry for dead flesh block their path. I found the scares came at a slow pace, especially at first — perhaps because we are still new to death and are being allowed to adjust to our surroundings?
9. Gálkn: Monsters of the North
Synopsis: "In a remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead with a horde of monsters. Try to escape the belly of the beast."
Review: There’s some fire in this beast’s belly. Bold visuals, creatures pulled from Norse mythology and impressive puppetry give the house strong moments, but the scares themselves feel fairly straightforward.
8. WWE Presents: The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks
Synopsis: “Go head-to-head with The Wyatt Sicks as they lure you through the ominous doorway to their shadowy realm. You’re about to meet your match.”
Review: Research on the late WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt’s storytelling will pay off — but fans will revel in this house loaded with Easter eggs. The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks brings the puppets from Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House to life, opening in the aftermath of the Uncle Howdy & The Wyatt Sicks massacre on Monday Night RAW. I particularly liked the television-style tunnel as it was the gateway into Wyatt’s world.
7. Fallout
Synopsis: “Step into the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Prime Video’s “Fallout.” Based on the global hit show and video game franchise, fans will encounter the horrors of a post-apocalyptic wasteland for the first time at Halloween Horror Nights.”
Review: From vault violence to Wasteland Ghouls, Fallout is loaded with nods that will thrill video-game purists. If you’re new to the franchise like I was, moments such as my first encounter with the gunslinging, bounty-hunting Ghoul still deliver — quite giddily, in my case — but overall I admit I may have overhyped this house up in my head. Before you exit, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a Season 2 special teaser.
6. Dolls: Let’s Play Dead
Synopsis: “You’re about to become doll-sized and be hunted by toys that have been burnt, melded, and stitched together by a twisted little girl.
Review: I entered Dolls: Let’s Play Dead expecting something like Dollhouse of the Damned from Halloween Horror Nights 24, but it wasn’t what I anticipated. Little Lyla certainly doesn’t play nice. The eerie attic space is populated not only by dolls, but other toys (look out for the sock monkey), and Lyla peers in now and then. Given the toy-filled setting, the well-placed guest-activated triggers (GATs) — a big red button — feel perfectly on-theme.
5. Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
Synopsis: “In this Old West town, all hell is breaking loose. Red-hot lava demons are trying to possess everyone, melting everything in their path.”
Review: Get ready to ride along as these bounty hunters show us who’s boss. Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters, a B-movie horror flick featured in the unforgettable Slaughter Sinema 2 haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights 33, tells the story of a demon and a hunter. What stood out most in this haunted house were the distinctive smells, which left a stronger impression than the scares themselves.
4. Jason Universe
Synopsis: "Come face-to-face with the iconic horror villain Jason Voorhees. Step into the terrifying world of this silent killer. Flee through the woods and into his sinister shack. Enter the summer camp where his gruesome legend began. Jason is back and nothing can save you now."
Review: With a kill count exceeding 200 and a dozen movies in the “Friday the 13th” franchise, Jason Voorhees is horror royalty — and this haunted house captured it well. From the shadowed shores of Camp Crystal Lake to the chilling presence behind his iconic hockey mask, the experience delivered classic Jason moments and, for me, was the scariest house in this year’s lineup.
3. El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
Synopsis: "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."
Review: At Halloween Horror Nights 34, the conservatory in El Artista: A Spanish Haunting acts as the event’s narrative center, replacing a single mascot or “icon.” The manor’s façade makes a striking first impression—topiaries, gargoyles, and stained glass spring to life in Gothic style. Inside the conservatory, be sure to look up; one of the gargoyles may take flight.
2. Terrifier
Synopsis: “Try your luck against Art the Clown in the Terrifier funhouse. You’ll witness his grotesque handiwork of torture and be exposed to the spatter of his victims. It’s a whole new level of gore!”
Review: Drawing on three films from the cult franchise, the Terrifier house puts guests face-to-face with a murderous clown, who is as cunning as he is gruesome — yet oddly theatrical, waving at guests to the point where you actually feel welcomed. It’s gloriously gory and wildly over-the-top; I’d call Terrifier a proper “Art” exhibit. At the end of the journey, guests will choose their fate with the dry path or the blood bath. If you want to soak it all in, there’s only one right way to exit.
1. Five Nights at Freddy’s
Synopsis: “Get ready for the night watch at the creepy, abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, where nothing is what it seems and possessed animatronics are lurking around every corner.”
Review: I was hooked on Five Nights at Freddy’s the moment I walked in and was greeted by the band of animatronics performing to “Talking in Your Sleep” by The Romantics. Those animatronics, by the way, were crafted by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. So many of us remember tasteless pizza, arcade games and cheesy live entertainment from our childhood that it won’t matter if we haven’t seen the film or played the video game. This house is an enjoyable time from start to finish.
For a full guide on Halloween Horror Nights 2025, click here.