On Friday, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood made its latest haunted house announcement, unveiling the third and final installment of the Monstruos haunted houses, which debuted in 2023 with “Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America” and was followed up last year with “Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America.”
“Monstruos was always intended to be a trilogy,” said Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director John Murdy on X following the announcement. “Monstrous 3: The Ghosts of Latin America” will feature three spirits from Latin American folklore, including La Llorona, La Muelona, and La Siguanaba, and will be housed in the Parisian Courtyard.
La Llorona, meaning ‘The Weeping Woman’, originates from Mexican folklore. While there are variations of the tale, she always appears as a ghost and is typically seen in a white dress near bodies of water, where she weeps for the loss of her drowned children.
This isn’t the first time Horror Nights in Hollywood has tackled the legend of La Llorona. The Weeping Woman first appeared in a scare zone in 2010, before being given her own haunted house in 2011 and 2012, and then again in 2022.
La Muelona, or ‘Big Molar Woman’ is a specter from Colombian mythology. She is said to haunt the lonely roads of Colombia, waiting to seduce unfaithful men, drunks, and liars with her beautiful smile, which hides fang-like teeth she ultimately uses to devour her victims.
La Siguanaba hails from the old neighborhoods of Guatemala City. Another seductress, La Siguanaba, is often depicted as wearing nearly transparent white robes, with long, beautiful black hair that conceals her face. If men approached her, she would lead them into the shadows before revealing her face to be that of a horse, which is said to frighten men to death.
Muerte, the caretaker and narrator of the houses since they debuted, will again play host as guests make their way into the Cemetery of the Lost, but this time, Murdy shares that he’ll be accompanied by a pet.
Today’s announcement marks the second year in a row that Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood has featured a house with an all-female monster lineup. Last year, the event featured “Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines,” which was headlined by an all-female ensemble of classic Universal Monsters.
“…this house is focused on 3 female characters,” said Murdy on X. “When I was a kid, female representation in horror was mainly girls screaming and running from the killer. The horror icons were all dudes. Now it will be you who are running and screaming from these female monstrous!”
The original Monstruos was one of my favorite haunted houses of 2023, and while last year’s house felt underwhelming to me, I look forward to seeing how John Murdy and team close out this incredible series of houses. Though Murdy did share on X that while this is the final act, he’s not against pulling a classic horror movie move and making another sequel.
Halloween Horror Nights begins Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Universal Studios Hollywood and will run select nights through November 2. A variety of ticket options are now available, including General Admission, Universal Express, After 2 P.M. Day/Night, the Early Access Ticket, which provides entry to select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m., the R.I.P. Tour and popular passes, Frequent Fear Pass and Ultimate Fear Pass, which enable guests to experience the scares again and again.
