A kiss on the forehead to whoever had the brilliant idea of doing a “Sinners” house this year.

Hi, I'm the Latine Editorial Lead at BuzzFeed and cover a little bit of everything, from quizzes and true crime to celebrities and pop culture.

What it is: Based on the titular film, the Killer Klowns from Outer Space have landed at HHN, and they might just trap you in a cotton candy cocoon and turn you into goo.

What worked: This house felt like a fun, low-stakes ride. It was more of a "giggle your way through it" house, which added some much-needed variety to the night. I loved how bright and colorful it was, leaning into neon hues that popped, disorienting and transporting us into its world, along with the sometimes sickeningly sweet smell of sugar. It was definitely more on the simple side, but that made the plot very easy to follow.

What didn't work: It was less frightening and slower-paced than the other houses, both in plot and in spooks. 

How scary is it?: Not all that scary at all, unless globs of whipped cream really shock your system. Some jump scares for sure, but the tamest house of the night by far.

What it is: Honoring the rock and roll legend himself, this house pulls lines directly from Ozzy's music and turns them into haunting scenes in his dark kingdom.

What worked: Fan service to its core, this house is half-memorial to the late rock star and half horror maze. It's full of Easter eggs and references that have been turned into elaborate sets, while still standing on its own as a delightfully spooky time. It wasn't the scariest house of the night by far, but it certainly had its moments. I won't spoil the surprise, but toward the very end, there was one spook that got me so good, it just might've been the best of the night.

What didn't work: This was by far the busiest house. I had an express pass and walked on to just about every other house in the park, but still had about a 10 or 15-minute wait for this one, with GA lines spanning well over an hour. For that same reason, we went into this house in much larger groups, which meant a lot of stop-and-go while inside. Fans were also eager to take the opportunity to grab a selfie with or snap a shot of the iconic visuals from Ozzy's music, which further slowed the pace. In all honesty, it didn't bother me all that much — after all, it felt as much a celebration of the man himself as it was a horror maze. All that being said, the way it affected the pacing did make it significantly less scary than I think it was intended to be.

How scary is it?: Moderately. There is one room toward the end with a ton of hidden entrances and no telling where someone will pop out, which I got a real thrill out of. It's definitely more "jump scare scary" than "situationally scary."

Tips and tricks: If you're an Ozzy fan here specifically for this maze, head straight over as soon as you enter the park, and be prepared to wait. I would highly recommend an express pass if you also have your heart set on doing some of the other more popular mazes, like Sinners or Stranger Things.

What it is: Step straight into the final season of Stranger Things, taking on Vecna, the demogorgons, and the Mind Flayer alongside the Hawkins crew. 

What worked: This house is full of Easter eggs for fans of the show. HHN did a Stranger Things house back in 2023 that I absolutely loved, but it felt more immersive than spooky. They cranked up the fear factor by a thousand for this one, let me tell you. It had a nice balance of horror and fan service, bringing us up close and personal with Vecna, while also nodding to iconic scenes like Karen Wheeler's kitchen battle with a demogorgon. Ugh, my queen. The recognition she deserves!

What didn't work: I found myself a touch confused about which parts of the final season they did and didn't choose to highlight here. It's very heavy into the Eleven and Will storyline, while almost entirely omitting the Max and Holly storyline (which, personally, I feel like would've made a scarier and more interesting narrative here). It felt more like a collection of random vignettes from the season with jump scares between them, rather than a consistent plot. 

How scary is it?: Moderately scary. There are a lot of jump scares, not just by the demogorgons and Vecna, but also from characters like Lucas and Eleven, too. I thought it was a nice touch to shoot water of out the demogorgons' mouths — 10/10, got a shriek from me. 

Tips and tricks: Summer doesn't really start in LA until it's basically fall, so if you're at the park on a particularly hot night, I can't recommend heading to this house enough. Part of the line is in a huge air-conditioned room, which has positively revived me in years past. The wait will likely still be long, but the house is definitely worth seeing if you've watched the show, and you'll be able to stop sweating for, like, 20 minutes, so win-win!

What it is: Art the clown from the Terrifier films takes over the backlot tour when he's told it's waaaay too early to celebrate Christmas.

What worked: This was by far the best Terror Tram that Horror Nights has had in years. It's an absolute campy blast and felt so much more cohesive and consistent than years past. It's equal parts scary and funny, and I loved the unique way it blended ho-ho-horror with Christmas. It felt fresh in every way.

What didn't work: My only real critique here is the long pause between sets ocassionally, which — while necessary as it's on the backlot — does take you out of the experience for a hot minute while you scale the hill by the bloody Hollywood sign.

How scary is it?: I gave it a 2/5. While actors can follow you around more than in the houses, you can see way better since it's brightly lit, so you're not, literally and figuratively, in the dark. With the longer breaks between sets here, the scares are also not as back-to-back as in the classic houses. This one definitely leans more gore-heavy with the horror, as well.

Tips and tricks: I always start with the Terror Tram, and I can't recommend doing so enough. It closes earliest of all the haunts at HHN (11:15 p.m.), and it's a great way to dip your toes in and get into the spooky spirit before some of the more intense houses.

What it is: The Deville Family Funeral Home is overtaken after a "miracle embalming drug" doesn't work as intended, raising the dead.

What worked: This is a true, classic haunted house. No branding, just good ole, tried-and-true haunts. I loved how it leaned into it being a full-sensory experience. It uses smell to move the plot, starting with a heavy, rose-scented perfume that transforms as you walk into something more musty and, eventually, rotten. Additionally, the morgue's freezer was genuinely frosty, and the crematorium felt hellishly hot. 

What didn't work: For having a simpler and easier-to-grasp plot than some of the other HHN houses, its pacing felt a bit slower in comparison.

How scary is it?: This sits ever so slightly above average for the sensory experience of it all. The jump scares are about what you'd expect, and they steadily build up. Nothing wild, but they did get me reallll good a few times.

Tips and tricks: This is a great place to start for someone who has never been to HHN before — it's a true middle-of-the-road spook and sets the tone perfectly for some of the more elaborate houses. Plus, the line wasn't bad at all!

What it is: Inspired by the Oscar-winning film, stroll right into 1930s Mississippi on Club Juke's opening night as the Smokestack Twins battle a clan of vampires.

What worked: If you enjoyed Sinners as much as I did, you'll absolutely love this. It's so immersive. From the second you walk in, there's a mini pre-house show to the tune of "I Lied to You" that really captures the surreal essence of the movie's time-transcending scene. Throughout the house, the set design was some of the best of the night. As scenes from the movie played out, it felt like I'd been snatched through my TV screen and right into the action. The vampires had these menacing, glowing red eyes, which I thought was a nice touch, tbh. There's also one rather creative scare toward the end of the maze that I won't spoil for you, but I was absolutely delighted to see it.

What didn't work: While it's easy to follow along for fans (and I 10000% recommend everyone watch this movie, right now, immediately if you somehow have not!), I could see how it might be a bit confusing for those who haven't watched it. I will note that the house gives you every opportunity it can before you go in to explain the lore, from the video out front to the pre-show, but once you actually step foot inside, that crumbles a bit.

How scary is it?: This house gets all my accolades for being splendidly immersive, but it really isn't all that scary. More often than not, I actually found myself wanting to linger in the scenes and take everything in instead of anxiously anticipating the next spook. I didn't necessarily mind that, but it does make for a slightly duller house in comparison to the others. 

Tips and tricks: If this house is on your must-see list (which, in my opinion, it absolutely should be!), I would recommend making a beeline here first. The line was admittedly long all night, but it seemed to be especially so the later it got.

What it is: Another house inspired by a movie, in this edition, the Book of the Dead has been opened once again, and possessed Deadites are making a house call just for you.

What worked: If I had to describe this maze in three words, they would simply be I AM OVERSTIMULATED. As soon as you walk in, it's nearly pitch black and full of nooks and crannies for hiding, which they made the absolute most out of. There's constant voices looping overhead, and the subtle scents of smoke and something burning linger in the background. Not only are there a ton of jump scares, but there are also a ton of fakeouts — all of which to say, I screamed my head off in this one. The sets were super detailed, and the path was disorienting, both of which really added to the horror of it all. I'm not someone who is generally freaked out by zombies, but this house got me good. 

What didn't work: This very much felt like the fastest house in all of HHN. I really don't think it's any shorter than the other houses in actuality, but everyone in my group was so spooked, they were all but running through. I literally had to hold onto my partner's bag strap at one point so I wouldn't get left behind after a slew of particularly well-timed scares left us in the dark. I think you absolutely can take your time in this one and linger if you dare, but just know that you might be doing so on your own. 

What it is: Underscored with music by Slash, it follows 15-year-old orphan Lola as she seeks revenge on her bullies at her quinceañera. 

What worked: I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed this one. Every year, HHN in Hollywood has at least one house diving into Latin folklore, and it's consistently one of my favorites. This year's is no exception. The plot and overall vibe were giving Latina Carrie, and I am so, so here for it. It's always a bit trickier for an original house to set the scene as opposed to a movie or TV storyline fans are already familiar with, but it had a consistent plot, slowly brought us into its world, and then hit us with back-to-back-to-back jump scares with absolutely zero breaks. The pacing was perfect, the visuals were fun, and as a cherry on top, at the very end, it spits you out into the El Circo de la Muerte (or, The Circus of Death) scare zone, which is BY FAR the most relentless of all of them. An absolute (albeit deeply horrifying) blast overall.

What didn't work: I wouldn't necessarily say this "didn't work," but I do think this house is more fun if you know even a little Spanish. And if you don't, just know every time you see "tu" spray painted on the walls in there, it means "you"...and you should probably run.

How scary is it?: Not terrifying, but pretty darn scary! Mostly jump scares. 

Tips and tricks: I recommend that everyone add this house to their must-see list. It's so fun, and the line isn't nearly as long as some of the others. 

What it is: Inspired by the original trilogy, come face-to-face with Pinhead and his Cenobites for a pain and pleasure-filled trip through the depths of Hell.

What worked: Hehe, so, I was genuinely #stressed here. My palms were sweating. My heart was racing. I caught myself, final girl-level screaming. Really, what more can you ask for? *Stefon voice* This house had everything — hanging chains and bodies to navigate through between scenes. Constant scares from all angles. Flashing lights. Elaborate sets and a well-paced plot that you can easily follow despite the constant frights. Total jackpot. I admittedly have never seen the original trilogy, and I'm sure I missed some Easter eggs along the way for that reason, but I felt like I was able to follow along just fine. My partner has seen all of them, and we both had an equally great time and agreed it was by far the best of the night.

How scary is it?: Scary not just in a jump scare way, but also in a "I am overwhelmed in every single way, and now there is a man with pins sticking out of his head jumping out at me, and I can feel the hair on my neck standing straight up now." Not for the faint of heart, I fear.

Tips and tricks: We hit this house early, right after the Terror Tram. While it was still busy, it was tamer than most of the other lines we saw at that time. This house is located in H-Lot North next to the Evil Dead Burn house, both of which are not only excellent, but well worth swinging over to early in the night to make sure you don't miss. 

The lines will be long all night, so make sure your group knows which houses they want to see most before you get there. It's possible to do them all with a GA pass (I've done it before!), but it's a real hustle at the end there. If seeing every single house is important to you, and you've got some extra cash, I'd highly recommend the express pass. We walked straight into the majority of the houses, and had short waits at almost all the others, minus Ozzy's. It was stress-free, and we finished our last house at about midnight, while taking breaks in between to check out the shops, grab a drink, and do other rides.

Check what other rides are open during HHN! Often, you can walk right onto rides that would normally have a massive wait, because everyone else is busy waiting for the houses. 

Don't forget the scare zones! They're a great opportunity to snap pictures, get some real one-on-one time with characters like Art from Terrifier and Nikki from Obsession (who just might have a surprise for you if you're one of the first 100 people to tell her the secret code, which you can find on HHN's social media accounts every day), and step into an immersive spooky world without waiting an hour in a line. 

If you have your heart set on one of the Terrifier or Fortnite-themed concessions items, be prepared to wait! There were long lines consistently all night. I unfortunately didn't have it in me to wait that long for a chug jug, but everything looked really fun!