If you’re new to the classic Universal Monsters and want to learn their stories and their history with Halloween Horror Nights (or HHN), read on! These monsters have appeared in numerous haunted houses and scare zones, sharing their tales with generations of HHN fans.
Universal Monsters in Theme Park History
The legacy of Universal horror films that started with co-founder Carl Laemmle Sr. has left a lasting impression in cinematic history and the history of Universal Destinations and Experiences. Universal’s classic monsters have been featured in our Parks since the beginning. Some of our favorites are Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Invisible Man. (Click each name to learn more!) With this slate of iconic characters, it’s no wonder that the Universal Theme Parks decided to create a horror-based annual experience.
Universal’s classic monster films have served as inspiration for Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) ever since the event’s beginning at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1986 and at Universal Orlando Resort (as Universal Studios Fright Nights) in 1991. Longtime HHN fans have seen these popular characters appear in a variety of settings and experiences over the years. In the beginning, guests were able to step into the classic films they love to see these iconic characters in the storylines we all know. Now, the creative approach has shifted.
“What we leaned more into recently was creating new stories within this universe,” says Charles Gray, senior show director for Universal Orlando Resort’s Art and Design department. These days at Halloween Horror Nights, he says, “we’re creating our own stories that still live in this universe of the Universal Monsters and having the freedom to do that has been wonderful.”
Universal Monsters Index
To help new Halloween Horror Nights fans navigate the intriguing world of Universal Monsters, we created this quick reference guide of popular characters, when they appeared in Universal films, and what their most popular appearances at Halloween Horror Nights have been so far. I hope it inspires you to watch their films and make your own connections with their brilliant stories. This background knowledge will give you a deeper understanding of their current and future HHN appearances and all of the detailed references and fun twists our Art and Design team includes for these characters.
Who is Anck-su-namun?
Anck-su-namum is the love interest of The Mummy, beginning with the 1932 film “The Mummy”and continuing throughout the franchise. In each retelling, the mummy character is searching for his long-lost love. The 1932 film calls her Anck-es-en-Amon. In the Kharis mummy films (see Who is the Mummy? for more information), she appears with the name Ananka. The 1999 “The Mummy” film refers to the same character as Anck-su-namun. In every appearance, the singular goal of her Mummy lover is to find and reincarnate her so they may continue their relationship.
Before Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, the most recent Halloween Horror Nights appearance of the Anck-su-namun character was in the 2021 scare zone Universal Monsters: Silver Screen Queenz at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Who is The Bride of Frankenstein?
The Bride of Frankenstein first appeared in the 1935 film “The Bride of Frankenstein,” following the success of the 1931 film “Frankenstein.” In this film, Dr. Frankenstein is blackmailed by his colleague, Dr. Pretorius, to create a mate for his Monster also made of assembled corpse parts. Although she is successfully brought to life, what will she think of her intended partner?
The Bride of Frankenstein has most recently appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2021 Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein haunted house. This original house, which took place immediately after the events of the film, was the first to exclusively feature a story from the Bride’s perspective. She also had notable cameos in the Orlando house Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned in 2009 and the Hollywood house Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man in 2019.
Who is Dracula?
Dracula first appeared in the 1931 film “Dracula,” based on the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker. In the film, Count Dracula moves from Transylvania to London, England with his devoted servant, Renfield, and his beautiful vampire brides. Known to attack his victims in the night by drinking their blood, the only way to stop the ravenous Count is by enlisting Professor Van Helsing and his knowledge of vampires.
Dracula has most recently appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2022 haunted house Universal Monsters: Legends Collide at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. Although Dracula has made many appearances at HHN over the years, he has notably had two haunted houses devoted solely to his story: 2009’s Dracula: Legacy in Blood (Orlando), which took place in Dracula’s Transylvanian castle and put a spotlight on his brides, and 2014’s Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood (Orlando and Hollywood), based on the film of the same name that focused on Dracula’s origin story.
Who is Dracula’s daughter?
Dracula’s Daughter, also known as Marya Zaleska, is the star of the 1936 film “Dracula’s Daughter,” following the success of the 1931 film “Dracula.” “Dracula’s Daughter” is loosely based on the short story “Dracula’s Guest” by Bram Stoker and takes place immediately after the events of “Dracula. Upon hearing the news that Dracula is dead, Marya hopes that the curse of her bloodlust died with her creator. Fighting against her vampiric nature, she enlists Professor Abraham Van Helsing’s student, psychiatrist Jeffrey Garth, to help her resist her murderous desires. Will Jeffrey discover Marya’s secret before more innocent victims are slain?
2024 is the first appearance of Dracula’s Daughter at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando. She previously appeared in the 2021 Universal Monsters: Silver Screen Queenz scare zone in Hollywood.
Who is Frankenstein’s Monster?
Frankenstein’s Monster first appeared in the 1931 film “Frankenstein,” based on the book by Mary Shelley, originally published anonymously in 1818. In the film, Dr. Henry Frankenstein and his assistant, Fritz, rob graves to assemble a human body and bring it to life. The resulting Monster (often referenced informally as “Frankenstein”), stitched and bolted together from various corpses and a stolen brain labeled as “abnormal,” is enormous, frightening and tragic. He escapes the lab where he was created and terrifies the countryside in search of genuine human connection while Dr. Frankenstein struggles to regain control over his invention.
Frankenstein’s Monster has most recently appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2021 Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein haunted house. The Monster has also appeared frequently in past haunted houses and scare zones. Some of his most notable appearances at the event were 2019’s Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman at Universal Studios Hollywood, and 2009’s Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned, a steampunk-inspired extension of the original story, at Universal Studios Florida.
Who is the Gill-Man (Creature from the Black Lagoon)?
The Gill-Man first appeared in the 1954 film “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” In the film, a crew of marine biologists travels to the Amazon rainforest to gather information on an ancient species of amphibious humans. They are surprised to discover that one living descendent of this species still remains, who they name the Gill-Man. Unfortunately, the Gill-Man is only interested in the female member of the expedition, killing many of her colleagues in a quest to capture her.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon has most recently appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2019 Universal Monsters haunted house. After his appearance at the inaugural Fright Nights event in 1991, the Gill-Man has made only a few additional appearances at the Orlando event, including Universal Classic Monster Mania in 2000 and Universal’s House of Horrors, a house designed to look like stepping into the original black-and-white classic monster films, in 2012.
Who is The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame first appeared in the 1923 film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” based on the 1831 book “The Hunchback of NotreDame” by Victor Hugo. In the film, the Hunchback, named Quasimodo, lives in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and acts as the cathedral’s bell ringer. Although kindhearted, Quasimodo is mistreated by most due to his physical deformities. He considers only Notre Dame’s archbishop, Dom Claude, and kindhearted dancer Esmerelda to be his friends. In the film, he will do whatever it takes to protect his home and his friends.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has most recently appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2023 Universal Monsters: Unmasked haunted house. You may also remember him from the 2019 Universal Monsters house, as well as the 2015 Universal Orlando scare zone All Nite Die-In: Double-Feature, or in the Monsters Masquerade 2018 scare zone at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Who is the Invisible Man?
The Invisible Man first appeared in the 1933 film “The Invisible Man,” based on the book “The Invisible Man” by H.G. Wells published in 1897. In the film, Dr. Jack Griffin is experimenting with a new drug that results in turning him invisible. Once he realizes the effect the drug has, he searches for a way to reverse the effects and plans to sell his new discovery to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that a side effect of the drug has compromised his sanity, turning him more ferocious and power-hungry as he attempts to evade capture.
The Invisible Man last appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2023 haunted house Universal Monsters: Unmasked, as well as Universal Orlando’s 2015 All Nite Die-In: Double Feature scare zone, and at Universal Studios Hollywood’s 2018 haunted house, Universal Monsters. He has only appeared a handful of other times at Halloween Horror Nights, mainly in Universal Studios Hollywood starting in 2012 with the Universal Monsters Remix house.
Who is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde first appeared in the 1913 film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” based on the 1886 novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the film, we are first introduced to intrepid and benevolent Dr. Jekyll, a medical doctor who volunteers his time treating underserved patients at his clinic in England. After patient hours, however, he conducts questionable experiments in a quest to set free his “evil self”: he creates a drug that transforms him into Mr. Hyde, an animalistic, instinctive, violent man completely lacking the kindness of his alter-ego.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were last featured at the 2023 Halloween Horror Nights haunted house Universal Monsters: Unmasked. Records indicate that, prior to his 2023 appearance, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were last featured at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights in the 1990s.
Who is The Mummy?
The Mummy first appeared in the 1932 film “The Mummy.” In the film, archaeologists open an ancient Egyptian tomb and unwittingly resurrect the mummy of high priest Imhotep. Mummy Imhotep escapes the tomb and disappears, resurfacing years later disguised as a human to search for and reincarnate his lover, Princess Anck-es-en-Amon. He will let nothing – and no one – stand in the way of his quest. Following the success of the original film, several additional Mummy films were produced, such as “The Mummy’s Hand”in 1940 and “The Mummy’s Tomb” in 1942. In these subsequent films, The Mummy is a prince named Kharis searching for his lover Ananka. Then in 1999, The Mummy storyline from the original film was rebooted into a new series that became the basis for the Revenge of the Mummy attraction at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Both Imhotep and Kharis have appeared as The Mummy at Halloween Horror Nights. Most recently, The (Kharis) Mummy was seen in Universal Monsters: Legends Collide at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. One of Imhotep’s most notable appearances at HHN was in 1999, when both coasts had haunted houses based on “The Mummy” (1999 film). In fact, Orlando’s 1999 event featured The Mummy as the icon for the year and also followed up with a sequel house, The Mummy Returns: The Curse Continues in 2001.
Who is the Phantom of the Opera?
The Phantom of the Opera first appeared in the 1925 film “The Phantom of the Opera,” based on the 1910 novel “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux. In the film, we learn that the Phantom, also called Erik, is an obsessive and manipulative patron of the Paris Opera House that hides his disfigured face behind a mask. He is enamored with understudy performer Christine Daae and resorts to destruction and even murder to ensure she becomes the lead performer at the opera.
Phantom of the Opera has a long history of appearances at Halloween Horror Nights, materializing frequently since the event’s inception in 1991. He was last seen at Halloween Horror Nights in the 2023 Universal Monsters: Unmasked haunted house.
Who is Saskia Van Helsing?
Saskia is an original character created for the 2024 Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines haunted house. Her family name, however, comes from 1931’s “Dracula,” in which monster hunter Professor Abraham Van Helsing is an expert on vampirism and uses his knowledge to find and dispatch Dracula. Professor Van Helsing also appears in the 1936 film “Dracula’s Daughter,” in which he is arrested for the crime of murdering Dracula.
In the 2024 haunted house, Saskia is called to take up the family mission after her brother is killed. As the last in Abraham Van Helsing’s line, she is the only one left to avenge her brother and complete her family’s work of retrieving the Amun-Ra amulet and preventing the monsters from slaying more innocent victims. Hear more of Saskia’s story on the Discover Universal podcast.
Who is She-Wolf?
The 1946 film “She-Wolf of London” follows the anguish of Phyllis Allenby in turn-of-the-century London. Engaged to be married with a bright future ahead of her, everything changes when a series of mysterious murders occurs in a nearby park. Phyllis knows of the Allenby curse that is said to turn her family into werewolves under the moon, so she fears she may be to blame for the recent deaths. The evidence against Phyllis mounts and Scotland Yard gets involved to put a stop to the spree before more victims are taken.
Besides Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, She-Wolf of London’s only appearance at Halloween Horror Nights was the 2021 Hollywood scare zone Universal Monsters: Silver Screen Queenz.
Who is The Wolf Man?
The Wolf Man first appeared in the 1941 film “The Wolf Man.” In the film, main character Larry Talbot is visiting Wales when he ends up attacked and bitten by a werewolf, therefore turning him into a werewolf as well. Upon moon rise each night, Larry transforms into a murderous wolf terrorizing the Welsh town. In the morning, however, Larry has no memory of his crimes, so he’s hesitant to believe that he is the killer roaming the night.
The Wolf Man has made numerous appearances at Halloween Horror Nights, most recently in 2022’s Universal Monsters: Legends Collide haunted houses in Orlando and Hollywood. He made memorable appearances in the Universal Studios Florida Museum of Horror houses in 1997 and 1998 in the Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Monsters Remix houses in 2012 and 2013, but his headlining houses – 2009’s The Wolfman in Orlando and 2011’s The Wolfman: The Curse of Talbot Hall in Hollywood – really allowed the character to shine (under the light of the moon, of course).
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