When it comes to spending an evening at Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), I’m a big proponent of the concept of “moseying.” Which might sound strange, since HHN is known for being a high-octane, thrilling fear fest — why would you want to mosey in those conditions? The answer, of course, is to take in one of my favorite elements: the scare zones!
- HHN 2026 at Universal Studios Florida has four sinister scare zones: Downtown Clowntown featuring Art the Clown and Killer Klowns from Outer Space, FORTNITEMARES, Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, and Sideshow of Decay.
- All four scare zones at this year’s HHN are filled with roaming scare actors and set pieces intricately themed to each zone’s unique narrative.
- HHN 2026 also offers additional street experiences, including zombie carhops in front of Mel’s Drive-In and the ever-popular Club Horror party zone.
Curious about the story behind each scare zone? Read on for a full breakdown!
Infernal Carnival of Nightmares
Located near the entrance of the theme park, the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares is the first scare zone you’ll encounter when you arrive at HHN. The zone is tied to the overarching narrative of this year’s event, in which Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow have opened the gates to an infernal carnival of their own creation.
For the uninitiated, Jack the Clown was HHN’s first original icon: a murderer masquerading as a circus clown who traveled the country with Dr. Oddfellow’s Carnival of Thrills. When Jack’s murderous tendencies drew too much attention to Dr. Oddfellow’s Carnival, he killed the clown and stuffed his body into a box. Thus began a long-running rivalry between the two characters culminating in this year’s event:
“We’ve had such a build-up of these two characters and we’re finally getting to see them together,” shares show director Michelle Alagna. “We took a lot of care and consideration in the interactivity that we wanted Jack and Dr. Oddfellow to have. Not only with each other, but with our guests.”
Read more about Jack the Clown’s origin story in our deep dive on the first original HHN icon.
Alongside Jack and Dr. Oddfellow themselves, you’ll encounter carnies both sinister and stunning to behold. If you have the chance in between screams, take a peek at their costumes — you might notice that they represent a blend of Jack and Oddfellow’s own sensibilities. And longtime fans of HHN lore will recognize The Usher, looming over the crowd as he oversees his ticket booth and officially welcomes you to HHN.
Learn the story of The Usher and other HHN lore in our beginner’s guide to HHN here.
As you make your way through the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares and toward New York, you’ll pass by photo opportunities featuring the franchises and properties represented at this year’s event. If you’re looking to snap a pic in the fog, this is the place to do so!
Downtown Clowntown
While Jack and Dr. Oddfellow are busy managing the evil intricacies of the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Chance and Eddie (Jack’s partner in crime and brother, respectively) have taken it upon themselves to turn New York into a city of clowns. And what a city it is!
“This is the biggest footprint we’ve had [for a New York scare zone],” says Ramon. “We have our classic, kind of main area where you typically see the entirety of the New York scare zone, but we’re activating other areas as well.”
With so many clowns roaming the streets of Downtown Clowntown, Chance and Eddie saw fit to split their kingdom into boroughs:
- Clown Square, where you can spot Eddie (chainsaw in hand) and watch as Chance torments a victim with the help of her Chance-O-Matic 2.0.
- Art’s Christmas Tree Farm, where Art the Clown wows guests with a holly, jolly, electrifying display of terror.
- The Big Top, where the Killer Klowns from Outer Space are filling up their cotton candy cocoons.
- The Midway of the Bizarre, an interactive nod to a scare zone from years past where a carnival barker shows off his bloody prizes.
- Vintage Valley, home to old-timey, dust bowl clowns hailing from the early 1900s.
- Delancey Street, home of Delancey Dan… standing there… menacingly…
If you need a refresher on the lore of Jack and Dr. Oddfellow, don’t miss the marionette show in Vintage Valley. Along the way, look for guest-activated triggers throughout the entire scare zone — you never know what kinds of clownery you might be able to get up to yourself. And, of course, superfans will want to keep their eyes peeled for clowns from haunted houses past; think Giggles & Gore Inc., Puppet Theater: Captive Audience, perhaps even some Treaks and Foons… the circus tent top is the limit.
“There’s so much to take in in this scare zone, truly,” shares Ramon. “I’m excited for guests to just live in this world — I mean, they can spend a whole evening at HHN just in Downtown Clowntown, soaking it all in.”
FORTNITEMARES
At last, an answer to the age-old question, “Where we droppin’, boys?”: FORTNITEMARES, located in the Central Park area of Universal Studios Florida. You’ll land in Freaky Fields, where you’ll make your way to the HHN point of interest at the end of the path. That point of interest? A Halloween party in celebration of HHN and FORTNITEMARES!
Along the way, you’ll find yourself in the middle of an ongoing Battle Royale. Trust me when I say it’s as much of a spectacle as you’d hope! You might find yourself passing between two performers on battle structures on either side of the path, firing rounds at each other above your very eyes. Amidst the turmoil, keep your eyes peeled for Shadows and Husks prowling in the dark. And, of course, there’s the ever-looming storm to keep in mind…
“If you’re caught in the pathway when the storm rolls in, the scares intensify and there’s a really cool show moment,” says show director Ramon Paradoa. “The technology in this zone is some of the most advanced we’ve ever done at HHN, from a lighting, audio, FX and show control standpoint. It’s stunning.”
Once you finally arrive at the point of interest, you’ll get to lay eyes on the FORTNITEMARES Battle Bus in all its glory. Even more exciting, you’ll meet Skeletara: She’s holding down the fort and swapping emotes, so get to practicing that Default Dance — you’re going to want to bring it to this Halloween party for the ages!
“It’s truly some of the most fun I’ve had working on any project I’ve done,” says Ramon. “There are some really great [visuals] we received from Epic Games that FORTNITEMARES fans are going to love. They were incredible partners; from the jump, they were so collaborative and open to ideas.”
Sideshow of Decay
Should you choose to head right into Hollywood when you arrive at HHN, you’ll find yourself in an offshoot of the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares: the Sideshow of Decay. Here, Cindy Caine (of HHN lore) has teamed up with her adoptive father, Albert Caine (also known as The Caretaker) to resurrect characters from HHN’s past and wreak havoc on guests.
“Basically, they’re putting on their own little show off the beaten path of the carnival,” explains Michelle. “They’ve used the carnival trash materials and made them into makeshift displays for these animals, plants, undead friends and creatures.”
For HHN superfans like myself, this is the scare zone where you’ll want to pay even more attention to detail than usual. HHN 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the event in Orlando, and the team seized on the opportunity to celebrate many characters from the past in this zone with Easter eggs and tributes. It’s also a milestone for Cindy, starring in her very own scare zone for the first time.
“It’s really exciting to not only see her, but see her at the center, taking the reins and making this her own,” shares Michelle. “The Caretaker is by her side, watching it and supporting her — but it’s just nice to give her a moment in the spotlight.”
Bonus: Street Experiences
As you make your way from scare zone to scare zone, be on the lookout for extra street experiences throughout HHN. Near Mel’s Drive-In, you’ll encounter zombie carhops on rollerskates. Just don’t look too closely at the “food” they’re serving — you might lose your appetite. Over near the San Francisco area of the theme park, you can groove in the Club Horror party zone.
“We’re leaning into a 90s, classic Halloween idea over there because it’s an anniversary year,” says Michelle. “You’ll see that in the costuming as well as in the music — but it’s definitely the same vibes and energy as last year.”
Grab a snack or drink, find a spot near the DJ and go-go dancers and enjoy the only thing more terrifying than the rest of the HHN scare zones: dancing in front of strangers!
Only one question remains: Which HHN scare zone are you heading to first? Comment and let us know!
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