We Survived Opening Weekend of Halloween Horror Nights 35: Houses, Food & 35 Years of Scares!

Thirty-five years of scares, and we were there for opening weekend! Sam and I headed to Universal Studios Florida for the kickoff of Halloween Horror Nights 2026 (HHN 35), and let me tell you, Universal went absolutely all out for this anniversary year.

This year's event is built around the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, with longtime HHN icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow running the show together for the first time ever. Ten haunted houses. Five scare zones. Live shows, themed food that looks almost too good to eat (almost), and scareactors around every corner.

Let's break it all down.

All 10 Haunted Houses at HHN 35

This year's house lineup might be the strongest top-to-bottom we've ever seen: a mix of huge horror IPs and original HHN creations:

• Stranger Things: The Final Chapter. Stepping back into Hawkins never disappoints, and with the final season in the air, this one hits different. We made this a priority on opening weekend and it delivered.
• Sinners: You're in for one bluesy bloodbath. Based on the hit vampire film, this house brings the juke joint horror to life.
• Hellraiser: Raise some hell. The franchise's first officially licensed HHN house, with Doug Bradley reprising Pinhead. We have such sights to show you...
• Evil Dead Burn: Fan the flames of evil. Groovy, gory, and turned all the way up.
• Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness: Let the madness begin. Decades of dark rock imagery turned into a walk-through nightmare. All aboard!
• Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control: The forces of horror collide. This year's icons get their own house. A perfect anniversary centerpiece.
• Cybergoria: Immortality comes at a cost. An original techno-horror nightmare.
• INVASION: Alien Abduction: Extraterrestrial. And extra terrifying. Enough said.
• MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals: You're at the bottom of the food chain. In this one. Literally.
• H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!: Big screams on the small screen. Starring HHN's own deranged horror host.

Art the Clown Is Watching

One of the biggest highlights (and jumpscares) of the night: running into Art the Clown from Terrifier, all dressed up as Santa. Nothing says Halloween Horror Nights like a killer clown in a Santa suit staring into your soul. We got the photos to prove we survived the encounter... barely.

Fortnitemares Takes Over

Gamers, this one's for you. This year HHN has an open-air scare zone inspired by Fortnitemares, Fortnite's Halloween event, complete with the Battle Bus! Seeing it lit up in real life was a trip, and it's a perfect photo op between houses.

The Shows Are Next Level

Beyond the houses, the live entertainment this year is stacked, including Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir, the vampire-themed stunt show, and a Stranger Things-inspired lagoon show lighting up the water at night.

Let's Talk About the Food

Here's something people sleep on: Halloween Horror Nights has quietly become one of the best food events in Orlando. This year's menu has 30+ themed items, and the creativity is off the charts. Here are the standouts with our eyes on them:

• Carn “Evil” Smash Tacos ($14.99): Topping just about every “best of HHN food” ranking this year. Find them at Jack's Surplus.
• El's Battery Jerky ($16.99): Creamy mac 'n cheese with garlic bread and jerky pieces, served in a themed can at the Stranger Things booth. As a Stranger Things fan, this one was calling my name.
• Bloody Bones ($12.99): Smoked and charred BBQ ribs with crispy jalapeño bits at Meetz Meats. Yes, please.
• Torn to Shreds Pork Sandwich ($12.99): BBQ smoked and shredded pork shoulder with jalapeño slaw on a pretzel roll. Also at Meetz Meats.
• Lasagna Burn ($10.99): At the Evil Dead Burn booth. The name alone sold me.
• Birria Pizza Fries ($13.99): Because everything is better as pizza fries.
• Pleasure & Pain Brain ($7.99): The Hellraiser tribute. We have such sights to show you... and snacks.
• Prince of Darkness Cake ($9.99): A three-tiered mini carrot cake with cream cheese mousse and a chocolate bat, honoring the Prince of Darkness himself. Find it at San Francisco Pastry.
• The Jack Shake & The Oddfellow Shake ($12.99 each): Over-the-top themed milkshakes at Schwab's Pharmacy celebrating this year's icons.

And for the 21+ crowd, the specialty cocktails are on theme too: the Hopper's Recharger, Cenobite's Kiss, Slide Guitar Smash, and Black Rain are all worth a look.

Pro tip: eat BEFORE the houses, not after. Trust me on this one.

Videos Dropping Soon

Here's the best part: this was just visit number one. We're doing a multi-visit HHN 35 adventure this year, and we've got videos dropping soon covering the houses, the scares, the food, and everything in between. If you want the full experience (the screams, the scares, and our honest takes on every house), make sure you're following along. Subscribe to Holmes Away From Home on YouTube so you don't miss a single scream.

Stay tuned... if you're not scared.

Jeff