Your guide to the creepiest, cleverest, & scariest haunted houses at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights

Stranger Things, this year's marquee maze, faithfully follows the storyline of the Netflix series, but it's the innovations along the way that really sell the experience. Impressively realized set pieces will be sure to please fans with touches like Jonathan Byers' radio playing The Clash, or ash falling in the Upside Down. In another innovation, many of the "scareactors" aren't enemies. Maybe one of the kids pops out unexpectedly, looking for a friend, or maybe Sheriff Hopper thinks you're getting in the way and has had enough. The costume work is also exemplary, as seen in the high-quality hazmat suits that glow blue from the inside, and of course the Demogorgon, which is fully realized with moving parts rather than just being a costume.

Released in 1982, Poltergeist set a new standard for paranormal thrillers, and Universal's Poltergeist maze does the same at this year's Halloween Horror Nights. Unlike the movie, it's not a slow burn—visitors begin their journey by dodging reanimated corpses in the graveyard beneath the Freeling family home. Still, the overpowering creep factor remains thanks to impressive animatronic work on the house's demonic characters. Fans of the horror classic will likely be impressed by the deeply unsettling "Beast," while newcomers should take warning: It's exactly as creepy as it sounds. The lanky-limbed clown doll from the film also features prominently, growing more malevolent with every appearance.

Like past mazes based on the Halloween franchise, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is laser-focused on the knife-wielding murderer. Why is this house scary? You’ll have to dodge Michael Myers in his signature jumpsuit and mask as he tries to stab you, leaping from behind doors, through windows, from every conceivable angle. In some spots, you may see him up ahead and think you've got a breather—only to discover that he can be in more than one place at a time. There aren’t many things scarier than knowing this white-masked slasher is almost certainly lurking around the next corner watching your every move.