Hollywood Gothique

Title: Halloween Horror Nights
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
Link out: Click here

Description: The annual Halloween Horror Nights event returns to Universal Studios Hollywood. This is one of the best Halloween theme park attractions in Los Angeles, one that every fan should check out. It features sets, costumes, makeup and special effects of a quality that the competition cannot match – would you expect anything less, coming from a major Hollywood studio, one whose legacy includes such classic movie monsters as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon?

This year, Halloween Horror Nights features four mazes:

• A Nightmare on Elm Street: Never Sleep Again
• Friday the 13th: Kill, Jason, Kill
• Saw: Game On;
• Vampyre: Castle of the Undead
• Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses in 3-D Zombievision.

Scare Zones are:

• La Llarona (based on the Mexican legend of the “Crying Woman”)
• Nightmarez (with Freddy Krueger)
• Klownz (in the New York City area)
• Lunaticz (in the English street scene)
• Freakz (renegade sideshow performers)
• Pigz (on your way to the Saw maze).

The Terror Tram features the usual tour of the back lot, including the Psycho House. This year, the killer doll Chucky has hijacked the ride; also expect to see La Llorona.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure is back, offering pop culture spoofs and a chance to sit down and take a break from walking around the park.

The usual rides are in place, some decked out especially for Halloween:

• King Kong 360 3-D: The Skull Island Express
• Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
• Jurassic Park – In the Dark
• The Simpsons Ride.

Dates are September 24-25, October 1-2, 8-9, 15-17, 21-24, 28-31. This is a separate event that takes place every evening, after the Universal Studios theme park closes for regular business.

Tickets are $59 at the front gate. Advance online orders can save you from $5 to $25, depending on which night you attend (earlier in the season is cheaper). Of course, there are also more expensive Front of the Line Passes ($69).