A giant clown face and a blue carnival wagon have landed at Universal Studios Florida as Halloween Horror Nights 35 sets go up

The Tribute Store facade at Universal Studios Florida has grown a face. A giant painted clown cutout now stands at its right side, its mouth open around three painted words: "Here's a secret..."

Crews spent the weekend installing scare zone set pieces across the park as Halloween Horror Nights 35 closes in, and WDW News Today photographed the results on Sunday, August 2. We have written plenty about which scare zones are coming. This round adds the clown face, the carnival stages and the wagon to props installed in earlier weeks.

The Tribute Store facade, behind its barricade fencing and a Pardon Our Dust sign, with the new clown face standing at right. Credit: WDW News Today

A giant clown face outside the Tribute Store

The cutout stands in Downtown Clowntown, the New York area scare zone starring the Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Art the Clown. The paint is distressed cream, with purple eyeshadow, a red bulb nose and yellow teeth above a black mouth carrying the "Here's a secret..." text.

The clown face up close, with the R.H. Macy and Co. facade behind it on the New York backlot. Credit: WDW News Today

Curtains at the first scare zone

At the front of the park, red and purple curtains now hang at the entrance to Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, set below and behind the "Halloween Horror Nights" sign. Beige scrims have been wrapped around the scaffolding that sits ahead of the entrance trusses.

Infernal Carnival of Nightmares is the first scare zone guests walk into, and it stars Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow. Guests will gather at the trusses at the park's main gates for the nightly "Opening Scaremonies."

New stages past the Mummy

Further into Downtown Clowntown, past Revenge of the Mummy, WDW News Today counted two new stage sets, plus a separate set piece built as a blue carnival wagon. The wagon is weathered and gold-trimmed, with mock crates stacked at both ends.

The blue carnival wagon set piece, with the "35" marquee stage in the background. Credit: WDW News Today

One of the two stages stands next to the wagon, topped by a "35" marquee in red, blue and yellow, its arch flanked by red and blue striped columns. A large wheel sits among the props on its wooden platform.

The "35" marquee stage on the New York backlot, with a wheel prop at right. Credit: WDW News Today

The second stage sits closer to the Mummy, outside the 208 Fifth Avenue storefront and next door to Gertner's Bakery. It is planked in rainbow stripes under a purple valance of pale blue stars, and its back compartment is closed off with wire mesh.

The second stage, with its wire mesh caged back, outside 208 Fifth Avenue. Credit: WDW News Today

And five black boxes Universal has not explained

In Minion Land, five black boxes have turned up at the curb line. Two sit outside the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem queue, two more across the street by Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast, and the fifth sits on its own near Super Silly Stuff. An equipment cart was parked nearby when the photos were taken.

Worth flagging: WDW News Today calls these "probably the bases of future set pieces," which is a reasonable guess and not a confirmation. Universal has not said what they are for.

The rest of the event

Halloween Horror Nights 35 runs select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026 at Universal Studios Florida, which puts opening night 26 days out from these photos. Four scare zones are planned for 2026: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Sideshow of Decay, FORTNITEMARES and Downtown Clowntown.

On the entertainment side, Universal has named the Stranger Things lagoon show Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins, and the stage show Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir. WDW News Today says sword swallower Auzzy Blood is in that show, a detail Universal's own event rundown does not mention.

Sources

• WDW News Today, "Curtains & Clown Face Arrive at Universal Studios Florida for Halloween Horror Nights"
• Universal Orlando Resort, "Universal Halloween Horror Nights 35: Everything Coming to HHN at Universal Orlando Resort"

Image credits: All five photographs by WDW News Today.