I Asked The Creators Of Las Vegas’ Universal Horror Unleashed How It’s Different Than Horror Nights, And I Have Thoughts On Their Answer

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Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights has grown significantly since its beginnings in the 1990s. What started as a three-night Halloween week event has evolved into multi-week haunts within the theme parks. Now, Universal has expanded the experience with a year-round attraction in Las Vegas called Universal’s Horror Unleashed, and another location is planned for Chicago. With more options available for horror fans, it can be tough to decide which event to visit.

As someone who regularly attends Halloween Horror Nights, I recently tried Universal Horror Unleashed and was really impressed. It’s a great alternative to the theme park experience if you’re looking for a scare! I spoke with the show’s director, Nate Stevenson, and TJ Mannarino, Vice President of Entertainment Art & Design, who explained how Horror Unleashed differs from the traditional Horror Nights event. Stevenson shared that:

We created this experience entirely from scratch, rather than simply adding scary elements to an existing park. From the moment you approach the building – an old warehouse we call Warehouse 25, supposedly standing for a century – you’re immersed in a narrative. We’ve been storing Universal props here, and the story revolves around a breach between our world and a shadowy dimension.

Visiting a Universal park means exploring a huge theme park filled with popular franchises like Harry Potter, The Simpsons, and Super Nintendo, all while encountering spooky clowns and monsters. While Universal Studios offers a generally fun experience, the Horror Unleashed event focuses entirely on creating a deeply immersive and terrifying atmosphere, as if you’ve stumbled into a warehouse full of frightening creatures. As one speaker explained:

How engaging an experience is really key for us. We see events like Horror Nights as quick, in-and-out scares. This is different because you can actually have conversations with the characters. They’ll share their stories with you, and if you interact with enough of them, you can piece together the entire history of the warehouse – learning as much or as little as you like.

I especially enjoyed being able to interact with the characters at Horror Unleashed. It felt similar to Universal’s FanFest Nights earlier this year, where guests, including myself, were immersed in a realistic *Back to the Future* setting, like being on the original movie set.

I’m already eager to revisit because there were so many interesting characters I didn’t get to interact with. It really adds to the experience – it’s not just a haunted house, but a story you’re actively involved in, with meaningful conversations with the actors. As Stevenson explained…

We anticipated guests would have more time to explore each house, so we designed each one to begin with a detailed outdoor scene that introduces its story. Inside, there’s a key story moment in every house designed to fully immerse guests. We’ve incorporated several new elements to create a more engaging experience.

Upcoming Horror Movies

Find out what scary movies are releasing in theaters and for streaming this fall and in the months to come!

I can confirm that Universal’s Horror Unleashed really lets you spend more time inside the haunted houses. Instead of sending people through one after another, they allow groups to enter together, which makes the experience much better. They even brought back one of my favorites from Universal Hollywood, *Scarecrow: The Reaping*, and it was at least five times scarier than it was during Horror Nights.

For more details, you can find my full interview with the team behind Horror Unleashed, and visit the Universal Horror Unleashed website to purchase tickets.

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2025-10-15 04:10