'Stranger Things' gets one more adventure at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

"Stranger Things" fans will get to visit Hawkins and the Upside Down one more time.

The beloved Netflix series, which wrapped its fifth and final season this past New Year's Eve, is returning as a haunted house at this year's Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights in both Florida and California.

"As visitors make their way through familiar scenes, including the Wheeler House, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, as well as the haunting realms of the Upside Down and the Abyss, they’ll be hunted at every turn by Demogorgons and other sinister creatures," Universal said in a news release on the house, centered on the show's fifth season. Vecna and other iconic characters will be there too, of course.

Here's what fans should know about Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2026.

35 years of horror

This year marks 35 years of the Florida event, and its creators are leaning in by bringing back two of their most beloved icons: Jack the Clown and his nemesis, ringmaster Dr. Oddfellow, who first debuted in 2000.  

“For the first time, these two rivals – they've literally killed each other in the past – are coming together and presenting a unified carnival theme that our legacy and all of the new content that we'll be presenting this year are all under,” Mike Aiello, Universal Orlando Resort’s senior director of Entertainment Creative Development and a mastermind of the resort's HHN, told USA TODAY.

“When you come through our front gate this year, we’re bringing you into this Infernal Carnival of Nightmares.” And it’s no coincidence those first initials spell out I.C.O.N. 

What houses are going to be at HHN? 

There will be 10 new haunted houses at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2026. Only three have been announced so far: "Stranger Things," "Sinners" and “Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control," an original house unique to Universal Orlando.  

Like a prelude for the larger event, the latter house will explain Jack and Oddfellow's backstories and their decades-long battle. 

“The haunted house is going to be wild because ... basically you’re going into the box. You’re experiencing what Jack experienced when he got killed and shoved in there, and essentially you’re going into a realm that we call the Oddverse. And it’s in this realm that Jack and Oddfellow have this immense, epic battle,” Aiello said.  

Longtime fans will get to see the kinds of moments they’ve been asking for for a long time, but they may be surprised that the house culminates in Jack and Oddfellow joining forces to create even more collective terror, in their own unique ways. 

“So you’ve got a cerebral end of the spectrum and you’ve got a visceral end – two great ideologies there in how they can affect a guest,” Aiello said. “And that is a lot of the content that we’ll be presenting this year, is under that infernal banner.” 

Without going into details, he hinted there may be other breaks from the past this year.  

Additional house and scare zone themes will be announced in coming months. 

How long do Horror Nights last? 

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights will be held on 48 select nights between Aug. 28 and Nov. 1.

• Aug. 28-30
• Sept. 2-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, 30
• Oct. 1-4, 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-31
• Nov. 1

Additionally, this year there will be two Premium Scream Nights with further limited capacity (shorter lines), all-you-care-to-eat or drink food and non-alcoholic beverages, and free parking. Those will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27, and Monday, Oct. 19.

How much does it cost to go to Halloween Horror Nights? 

Halloween Horror Nights tickets vary by date.

Single-night tickets start at $87.99 this year at Universal Orlando. The past two years, they started at $82.99.

Premium Scream Night tickets start at $399 this year, which is less than last year's $415.

Additional HHN offerings like multi-night tickets, Express passes for shorter waits, small group R.I.P. tours, daytime Behind the Screams tours, and Scream Early entry are available for separate fees.

Can you still ride rides at Universal during Halloween Horror Nights? 

Yes. Select attractions remain open during the event at Universal Studios Florida. They typically have shorter waits than on regular park days. 

What does Universal Halloween Horror Nights include? 

Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event, not included with standard admission.  

Guests get access to a variety of immersive haunted houses and open-air scare zones, as well as event-exclusive entertainment and select rides. Themed food, beverage and merchandise offerings are also available for purchase throughout the park. 

Is Halloween Horror Nights kid-friendly? 

In capital letters, HHN’s website warns, “EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13.” 

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Is Universal Halloween Horror Nights actually scary? 

Scary is subjective, but for many people, HHN is terrifying. That’s part of what brings fans back year after year.  

Last year, for the first time, more timid guests had the option of buying a light-up Deathly Afraid lanyard for a more toned-down experience. It’s not yet clear if those will be offered again this year. 

Can the actors touch you at Halloween Horror Nights? 

Scareactors are not supposed to touch guests, just like guests aren’t supposed to touch them. It’s possible a scareactor may brush by or bump into a guest by accident, but it wouldn’t be intentional. 

(This story has been updated with new information.)