Since 2011, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s chilling anthology series American Horror Story has been bringing gruesome stories to life on the small screen. Known for its glossy aesthetics, over the top storytelling, illustrious cast members, and delicate weaving of modern issues with classic horror tropes, American Horror Story certainly has made its mark on the horror genre.
With 12 seasons and counting available to stream, along with a companion spinoff series in American Horror Stories, there’s plenty of American Horror content to watch. Check out the JustWatch guide to how to watch every season of American Horror Story in order below!
How to watch American Horror Story in order of release
American Horror Story has released a new season (almost) every year since 2011. Because it is an anthology series, each season is (mostly) its own unique story and can therefore be watched in order of release without any major continuity issues.
- American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
- American Horror Story: Asylum (2012)
- American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
- American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014)
- American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
- American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016)
- American Horror Story: Cult (2017)
- American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018)
- American Horror Story: 1984 (2019)
- American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)
- American Horror Story: NYC (2022)
- American Horror Story: Delicate (2023–2024)
Some of the actors who reappear throughout the seasons in different (or the same) roles include Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lang, Lily Rabe, Kathy Bates, and others. In addition to Ryan Murphy’s close collaborators who have faithfully appeared across multiple seasons, each season features top celebrity guest stars such as Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, Naomi Campbell, Trixie Mattel, and Kim Kardashian.
How to watch American Horror Story in chronological order
Although American Horror Story is an anthology series, each season does take place in a specific epoch and some stories carry references or ramifications for future stories along the timeline. It would therefore be quite a good idea to watch the American Horror Story seasons in chronological order, if you want to pick up on all the references and crossovers. In the list below, the years in parenthesis refer to the year in which the season is set.
- American Horror Story: Freak Show (1952)
- American Horror Story: Asylum (1964)
- American Horror Story: NYC (1981)
- American Horror Story: 1984 (1984)
- American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
- American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
- American Horror Story: Roanoke (2014)
- American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
- American Horror Story: Cult (2017)
- American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2020)
- American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)
- American Horror Story: Delicate (2023–2024)
Freak Show takes place in the 1950s in a carnival, while Asylum unfolds in a mental institution at Briarcliff Manor in the 1960s. NYC takes place in the 1980s and follows a string of murders and the outbreak of a deadly virus in New York City. 1984 takes place in the titular year and pays homage to the slasher genre popularised in the ‘80s, and is set in a classic summer camp.
Murder House, the first season of AHS, follows the story of the Harmon family in 2011 as they attempt to survive moving into a haunted house. While Coven is set in 2013, it also features flashbacks to other eras as it follows the story of the descendents of witches persecuted during the Salem Witch Trials.
Roanoke takes place in 2014 and pays homage to the supernatural horror genre and is filmed in a part documentary, part found-footage style. Hotel takes place in 2015 and follows the strange happenings at the Hotel Cortez. This season also features callbacks to Murder House and Coven.
Cult takes place in 2017 in the aftermath of Trump’s presidential win in the US, and focuses on a cult terrorising the Michigan suburb Brookfield Heights. The season also features connections to Freak Show. Apocalypse takes place in 2020 and is strongly connected to Coven, Murder House, and Hotel, featuring several overlapping characters and stories converging and continuing together.
Double feature takes place in 2021 and features two separate stories, one that focuses on a coastal town in Massachusetts and another that follows a group of campers who find themselves caught in the middle of an alien conspiracy plot.
Finally, Delicate takes place in 2023/2024 and is based on Danielle Valentine's novel Delicate Condition, which explores themes of pregnancy, motherhood, murder, and birth.
Where to watch American Horror Story in order
Find out how (and where) to watch American Horror Story in order by scrolling down to the list below. The films are all available to stream online across a variety of platforms, including Disney+, Netflix and more!
