Journey to the wasteland! Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Fallout house for Halloween Horror Nights 2025.
Prime Video’s Fallout was a massive hit with fans all around the world, largely in part because they did a wonderful job of adapting the beloved video games. Now, these same fans can journey to the wasteland in real life, thanks to Halloween Horror Nights 2025. There are houses at both the Hollywood and Orlando parks, each of which offers a slightly different experience.
Mama’s Geeky was invited for a behind-the-scenes look at the Fallout house at Universal Studios Hollywood just a week before opening. Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director John Murdy led the tour, offering up details of how certain moments came together. We will not be revealing all the details so that fans can experience the scares for themselves.
When John Murdy first began working with Amazon on a haunted house based on the hit series Fallout, he was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the world. With three intertwined storylines to draw from – Lucy’s search for her father, Maximus’s journey with the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Ghoul’s transformation – Murdy and his team decided the best approach was to take guests on a path mirroring the protagonist, Lucy. The resulting house is a testament to the show’s lore, following Lucy’s footsteps from the eerie familiarity of the vault to the desolate expanse of the wasteland, and confronting all the horrors in between.
Step Into The Iconic Fallout Vault
The experience begins the moment guests step inside Vault 33. While the atmosphere may seem calm at first, Murdy explains that the house opens with a tense scene set during Lucy’s arranged marriage. “You, the guests, are basically caught between the warring couple,” he revealed.
As Lucy and her new husband, Monty, engage in a violent confrontation from the show, guests are caught in the crossfire. All around, klaxon warning lights flash in contrast with the serene music of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening,” an iconic piece of classic Americana music used in the series.
The attention to detail inside the vault is phenomenal. Every element, from the custom-built, full-size vault door – made of over 20 layered pieces – to the bolts, had to be custom-created. The tour also gives a glimpse into Vault 32, a scene that recreates the haunting moment where Lucy’s brother, Norm, discovers a group of hanging, desecrated corpses.
The Unforgiving Wasteland
After a harrowing escape from the vault, guests are plunged into the desolate wasteland. Murdy explained that the team used a massive cyclorama to create a sense of scale, making it feel as if the wasteland stretches on and on. As you walk through the desolate landscape, Geiger counter clicks fill the air, signaling the presence of radiation. Threats are everywhere, from radroaches crawling in windows to the sounds of a Ghoul becoming feral.
A key challenge for the team was capturing the many threats from the Fallout world. To help bring them to life, Murdy revealed that they were able to get specific 3D files from the Amazon production team to create accurate recreations of the creatures.
These creatures were then brought to life by a team of young mechanical engineers at Universal, who just happen to all love Horror Nights, and are now building full-scale animatronics for the event. This collaboration has elevated the level of technical wizardry, allowing for the creation of some of the most advanced animatronics ever seen at Halloween Horror Nights.
The Terrifying Yao Gai Bear
One of the most impressive results of this technical advancement is the Yao Gai bear, a monstrous, mutated creature exclusive to the Hollywood house. Murdy revealed that it’s one of the largest things the team has ever built.
The final product is a massive animatronic with a pneumatically driven face, allowing for realistic movements, including a snarling lip and a jaw that opens and closes. Unfortunately, photos of this creature were not allowed during the tour, but trust me, it is impressive to say the least.
A “Ghoul-a-palooza” and The Super Duper Mart Finale
The maze also dedicates significant time to the Ghoul and his storyline, featuring several performers who represent his character at different stages. In a graveyard scene also unique to Hollywood, the Ghoul plays a key part in startling the guest (but of course, we will not reveal how). This performer uses an impressive custom silicone mask that allows them to show more facial expressions.
The house reaches its climax inside the Super Duper Mart, a location Murdy immediately recognized as “tailor-made for a finale” because it’s where all the ghouls break out in the television series this house is based on. The team meticulously recreated the grocery store, filling it with custom props, some of which were sourced by an experienced movie prop team that has worked on films for decades.
Inside, guests will encounter the menacing robot Snip Snip, which Murdy describes as “incredibly polite” despite its intention to harvest your organs. Guests will also be confronted by several live performers – but we will not get into the details.
Murdy calls this climactic showdown a “ghoul-a-palooza” that concludes with one final scare before a small teaser for Fallout‘s second season – New Vegas.
From the custom-built vault doors to the carefully sourced props and complex character portrayals, the Fallout house is a testament to the creative team’s dedication. It’s an immersive experience that will put guests directly into the world of the show while delivering the signature scares that fans have come to expect from Halloween Horror Nights.
Halloween Horror Nights 2025 at Universal Studios Hollywood runs from September 4th to November 2nd.
Tickets can be purchased here, as it is ticketed separately from general admission to the park.
NEXT: Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Food & Drink Guide
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.