Behind the Screams Tour

An Exclusive, Pre-Season Tour and Analysis of Universal Horror Unleashed

Tour Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025 – 8:30AM to 8:30PM

The most highly anticipated year-round haunt opening since Terror on Church Street in the early 1990s is here: UNIVERSAL’S HORROR UNLEASHED at Area 15, Las Vegas, NV! And I am personally inviting you to join me in experiencing this cutting-edge, year-round scream park only days after it opens to the public.

Year-round haunts have been attempted in Las Vegas before—and all have failed miserably. But never with the budget, the power of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights creative, or this multi-attraction approach. The industry is skeptical, even as Universal plans for more locations, including Chicago in 2027. Will this finally be the one that succeeds? Our tour is designed to answer that question. READ MORE

Your All-Access Itinerary

This is more than just a visit to the haunt; it’s a comprehensive analysis of the future of our industry. Your tour package includes:

Unlimited Entry to Universal Horror Unleashed: Experience all four haunted “mazes” as many times as you want. We won’t just see the show; we will deconstruct it.
Dining at Horror Unleashed: Your package includes food at a themed eatery, allowing us to analyze their approach to immersive dining.
A Creative Deep Dive at Meow Wolf: An extended (2+ Hour) self-guided tour through the phenomenal Omega Mart to spark new ideas on interactive and environmental storytelling.
Unprecedented “Behind the Screams” Experience: You will get not one, but two exclusive, lights-on backstage tours not available to the public:
- - The John Wick Experience: An in-depth backstage look at the infrastructure of this masterclass in monetizing IP in the form of an immersive experience like no other—not a haunted house, not an escape game, but something new.
  - Escape IT: See the technology and design behind BOTH of these revolutionary haunted house/escape room hybrid games. Please note: We are not playing the game; we are taking a lights on inside look at the attractions.

A Deeper Look at Your All-Access Itinerary

Universal Horror Unleashed: A Living Laboratory of Legends

This is your opportunity to witness the pinnacle of horror IP integration. We will analyze Universal’s approach to large-scale operational challenges, their mastery of theatrical lighting and sound, and their techniques for delivering intimate scares within a high-capacity environment. This is a rare, ground-floor opportunity to study the execution and craftsmanship of what will undoubtedly become the new benchmark for our industry. LEARN MORE

Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart: An Odyssey of Environmental Storytelling

Omega Mart is a living textbook on environmental storytelling. It demonstrates how to embed a narrative into every single prop, sign, and hidden corner of an attraction. We will explore how their designers guide guests without a traditional single pathway and build a world so deep that guests spend hours inside. It will leave you asking: Could you transform your haunt from a linear path of scares into a “sticky,” immersive world? LEARN MORE

The John Wick Experience: A Masterclass in Monetizing Immersion

This attraction is a living blueprint for how to monetize your haunt’s IP. Many haunts stop making money the second a guest exits. This experience teaches a different philosophy: the end of the haunt should be the beginning of the retail and social experience. We will study how they transition guests from a high-intensity experience into a relaxed, high-spend social environment like the Continental Bar. LEARN MORE

Escape IT: The Future of Interactive Horror?

This attraction’s most important innovation is its business model. It feels more like a walk-through experience with puzzle elements than a traditional escape room, allowing for higher guest capacity. This is your chance to analyze how to successfully give your guests “agency”—the ability to interact with and affect their environment—without bringing your entire operation to a halt. LEARN MORE

Our Base of Operations: The Haunted El Cortez Hotel

Every great mission needs a legendary base of operations. For our “Behind the Screams” tour, we will be headquartered at the historic and genuinely haunted El Cortez Hotel & Casino. This isn’t just where you’ll sleep—it’s your first immersion into the power of authentic atmosphere and the official starting point for our daily excursions.

Sleep Among the Ghosts of Old Vegas

The El Cortez’s most legendary spectral resident is none other than mobster Bugsy Siegel, a former part-owner before his violent death. For years, staff and guests have reported seeing a phantom figure believed to be Siegel, often in the hallways near his old top-floor apartment. His presence is tied to the “fatal business deal” that led to his murder, but his is not the only spirit said to linger here. Other paranormal claims include disembodied voices, phantom touches in the casino, and inexplicable cold spots. By choosing the El Cortez as our home base, you aren’t just visiting a haunted location—you are living in one. LEARN MORE

Discount Code for the Haunted El Cortez Hotel

The group discount rate for official host hotel is $96 per night, plus fees and taxes. Contact the haunted El Cortez Hotel directly by phone at 800-634-6703 and use the discount code LPGRP0825 for the “Behind the Screams Tour” group rate. The room block ends on Aug. 15, so make your reservations now!

Your All-Inclusive Ticket Includes:

The ticket price for this once-in-a-lifetime tour includes everything you need for the day:

- - Admission fees to all attractions
  - Themed Lunch and Dinner
  - Private bus transportation from our host hotel, the haunted El Cortez, to the attractions
  - Tips and taxes

To maintain an exclusive and personal experience, this tour has a very limited capacity. Do not wait. This is a rare opportunity to join fellow haunters from across the country to analyze and share thoughts on this state-of-the-art attraction before the paint even dries on the sets. Reserve Your Spot Today! This tour will sell out.