Stranger Things 5 Coming to Universal Studios Florida & Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights 2026

Hawkins is returning to Halloween Horror Nights in both Orlando and Los Angeles, as Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood have officially announced all-new haunted houses based on Stranger Things 5, the fifth and final season of the Netflix series. Here’s everything we know about the Upside Down at USF and USH, along with our commentary about IP integrations at the spook season special event.

Let’s start with the basics about the Stranger Things via Universal. These haunted houses on both coasts will showcase the most gripping moments from the final season in an experience that places guests at the center of the ultimate battle to save Hawkins. Fans will confront the scenes they’ve seen on screen as they navigate iconic locations and encounter favorite characters, all while evading a host of horrifying supernatural creatures including Vecna.

The Stranger Things 5 houses will transport guests to the town of Hawkins, as the barrier between reality and the supernatural is collapsing to unleash an ominous darkness. Guests will make their way through familiar locations, including the Wheeler House, Hawkins National Laboratory, MAC-Z military base, as well as the haunting realms of the Upside Down and the Abyss.

All the while, they’ll face the Mind Flayer, be hunted by Demogorgons and other assorted demo-creatures, along with their armies of other sinister creatures. With Vecna on their heels, the terror intensifies, pulling guests into an all-or-nothing battle for survival. The clock is ticking.

Fans can shop all‑new limited-release merchandise inspired by the Stranger Things haunted house. The parks exclusive collection includes a t-shirt and a mug infused with ‘80s nostalgia, plus a new Stranger Things-inspired acrylic figure that fits into the separately sold Infernal Carnival collectible display and more.

These items are available now at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood and will launch tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 9 a.m. PST on shopUniversal.com, with more Halloween Horror Nights merchandise debuting in the months ahead. Much like Walt Disney World Annual Passholder apparel, HHN shirts are almost always over-designed and ugly. Some simple and tasteful designs would be nice.

Halloween Horror Nights runs select nights from Friday, August 28, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 in Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort, and from Thursday, September 3, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Event tickets for both coasts are on sale now, with additional ticket options for Universal Orlando Resort being released soon. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Additional details about this year’s Halloween Horror Nights lineup will be revealed soon.

Our Commentary

Whereas I’m a Disney diehard, I’m much more of a casual fan when it comes to Halloween Horror Nights. I’m in the midst of theme park news, so I’m cognizant of things like HHN speculation maps, but I don’t have many strong opinions. (Well, that’s not completely accurate–I’m hoping the Hellraiser rumors are true!)

I’m more casual in the sense that I don’t have a deep vested interest in Halloween Horror Nights or deep thoughts. My perspective on HHN is admittedly superficial. I go to the event, I enjoy the event and/or complain about crowds. I don’t share house rankings because, frankly, I don’t take it that seriously and my ratings wouldn’t be worth sharing.

One potentially unpopular opinion I have when it comes to Halloween Horror Nights is that it should focus more in established intellectual property. We’ve done HHN many times over the years, even having Frequent Fear passes for several years that we lived in Orlando. (An even more scorching hot take: Jack the Clown and Chance are overrated, but they’re still the best original parks characters Universal has done.)

Being a regular-but-casual Halloween Horror Nights guest gave me a newfound appreciation for Disney’s delicate balance in appeasing the passionate fans and catering to regular guests. When it comes to Walt Disney World, I’m the diehard who wants more original theme park attractions that aren’t tied to existing movie IP.

I almost always prefer established movie IP at HHN. It makes the houses more approachable, and guests entering with background knowledge provided a bit of a storytelling crutch. There’s so little time to convey backstory or accomplish elaborate worldbuilding, so it can be nice when guests already enter with foundational knowledge of the plot, lore, etc.

I am very cognizant that this exact same logic could be applied to Disney and building rides based on billion dollar franchises as opposed to dragons, monkeys, and tigers no one has ever heard of. In both cases, the sure thing is safer and easier, but there’s value in a mix and nurturing original parks IP to build that foundational fanbase in the first place.

In the case of HHN, it also helps that the IP houses almost always have bigger budgets thanks to studio marketing funds. Whether it’s Universal Studios or Netflix, these are usually the blockbuster houses because they’re essentially sponsored.

Even when they’re not, it’s often the case that Universal is more comfortable spending freely on them since these houses will be the marquee draws. Passholders are going to come year-in and year-out regardless, but the random tourists or convention-goers are going to be more inclined to buy 1-night tickets for Stranger Things 5 than they are the Pumpkin Lord (and I love the Pumpkin Lord!).

Halloween Horror Nights has the tough task of striking a delicate balance of appeasing the regulars and first-timers without alienating either. The crowd feeds off of itself, in ways both good and very bad, and the energy of the audience is often the make-or-break component for HHN houses. (Same goes for the scareactors!)

All of this is to say that I’m looking forward to the Stranger Things haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights. Which also reminds me that I should probably finally get around to watching the fifth and final season. (We were busy when it came out around Christmas, and almost nobody we know liked it…but I really enjoyed season four!)

Regardless of the fifth season reception, recent Halloween Horror Nights houses that have clearly had “Netflix money” have been phenomenal from a themed design perspective, and I look forward to seeing what Universal Creative can do when given the resources. My only request: Resident Evil. Also, From. Oh and Midnight Mass. There are actually a lot of other requests, as I love horror movies, shows, and video games.

If you’re preparing for a Southern California vacation, check out our other planning posts, including our exhaustive Guide to Universal Studios Hollywood. Need advice for LA? Read our Ultimate Los Angeles, California Planning Guide. Visiting other SoCal theme parks? Consult our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide and Knott’s Berry Farm Planning Guide.

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of a Stranger Things 5 haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights? Which game or film franchises you like to see Universal Creative turn into HHN houses? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Will you be attempting to visit Universal Orlando or Hollywood for HHN 35? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!