How to watch American Horror Story in order by release & chronological

Having been on our screens for over a decade, this is a show that changes shape and style each season and offers us all sorts of horror beasties including aliens, vampires, ghosts and demons.

It’s also prone to see certain actors recur in different roles, including series mainstays Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters.

So, what is the best way to view American Horror Story? Is the chronological order the same as the release date order?

Here is how to watch American Horror Story – which is now available to watch on Disney+ in its entirety in the UK.

How to watch American Horror Story in release date order

Below, in brief, is the order in which each season of American Horror Story was released.

1. American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
2. American Horror Story: Asylum (2012)
3. American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
4. American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014)
5. American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
6. American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016)
7. American Horror Story: Cult (2017)
8. American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018)
9. American Horror Story: 1984 (2019)
10. American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)

Below is all you need to know about each season in more detail.

1. American Horror Story: Murder House

Starring: Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Denis O’Hare, and Jessica Lange.

In 2011, the Harmon family move to a new house in California as a way to escape their troubled history. However, the house they find themselves living in harbours many secrets, some of which connect to their sinister neighbour Constance Langdon (Lange).

How many episodes are there? 

1. Pilot
2. Home Invasion
3. Murder House
4. Halloween (Part 1)
5. Halloween (Part 2)
6. Piggy Piggy
7. Open House
8. Rubber Man
9. Spooky Little Girl
10. Smoldering Children
11. Birth
12. Afterbirth

Watch American Horror Story: Murder House on Disney+ now

2. American Horror Story: Asylum

Starring: Zachary Quinto, Joseph Fiennes, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Lizzie Brochere, James Cromwell, and Jessica Lange.

In 1964, journalist Lana Winters (Paulson) arrives at the mental hospital Briarcliff Manor to investigate following the apprehension of the man believed to be the terrifying serial killer dubbed “Bloodyface”. Winters soon finds herself in conflict with the ruthless Sister Jude Martin (Lange) and meets the strange, wonderful and nasty characters of the establishment.

How many episodes are there? 

1. Welcome to Briarcliff
2. Tricks and Treats
3. Nor’easter
4. I Am Anne Frank (Part 1)
5. I Am Anne Frank (Part 2) 
6. The Origins of Monstrosity
7. Dark Cousin
8. Unholy Night
9. The Coat Hanger
10. The Name Game
11. Spilt Milk
12. Continuum
13. Madness Ends

Watch American Horror Story: Asylum on Disney+

3. American Horror Story: Coven

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Emma Roberts, Denis O’Hare, Kathy Bates, and Jessica Lange.

In 2013, Zoe Benson (Farmiga) comes to Miss Robichaux’s Academy after a troubled life brought about by her abilities as a witch and comes to train under Cordelia Foxx (Paulson). However, the academy is haunted by its past secrets and those of surrounding New Orleans, bringing it face to face with witch supreme Fiona Goode (Lange), voodoo queen Marie-Laveau (Angela Bassett) and historical slave-owner Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Bates).

How many episodes are there? 

1. Witchcraft
2. Boy Parts
3. The Replacements
4. Fearful Pranks Ensue
5. Burn, Witch, Burn!
6. The Axeman Cometh
7. The Dead
8. The Sacred Taking
9. Head
10. The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks
11. Protect the Coven
12. Go to Hell
13. The Seven Wonders

Watch American Horror Story: Coven on Disney+

4. American Horror Story: Freak Show

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Michael Chiklis, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Emma Roberts, Finn Wittrock, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Jessica Lange.

Set in 1952 in Jupiter, Florida, season 4 follows one of the few surviving freak shows on its last legs as its leader Elsa Mars (Lange) pursues stardom at any cost. Will Mars’ ambitions destroy her beloved freak show?

How many episodes are there? 

1. Monsters Among Us
2. Massacres and Matinees
3. Edward Mordrake (Part 1)
4. Edward Mordrake (Part 2)
5. Pink Cupcakes
6. Bullseye
7. Test of Strength
8. Blood Bath
9. Tupperware Party Massacre
10. Orphans
11. Magical Thinking
12. Show Stoppers
13. Curtain Call

Watch American Horror Story: Freak Show on Disney+

5. American Horror Story: Hotel

Starring: Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer, Chloe Sevigny, Denis O’Hare, Cheyenne Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Lady Gaga.

Set in 2015 at the mysterious Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, California, season 5 follows Detective John Lowe (Bentley) as he seeks to track down the horrifying Ten Commandments Killer and encounters an ensemble of evil spirits, vampires and villains on the haunted premises. Among these inhabitants of the hotel is the vampiric fashionista dubbed ‘The Countess’ (Gaga).

How many episodes are there? 

1. Checking In
2. Chutes and Ladders
3. Mommy
4. Devil’s Night
5. Room Service
6. Room 33
7. Flicker
8. The Ten Commandments Killer
9. She Wants Revenge
10. She Gets Revenge
11. Battle Royale
12. Be Our Guest

Watch American Horror Story: Hotel on Disney+

6. American Horror Story: Roanoke

Starring: Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lily Rabe, Andre Holland, Denis O’Hare, Wes Bentley, Evan Peters, Cheyenne Jackson, and Angela Bassett.

The first half of the sixth run is a paranormal documentary series entitled My Roanoke Nightmare, which follows the events that traumatised a family that came to stay in a house built on the infamous 1580s Roanoke Colony disappearance. The second half sees a follow-up documentary filmed but soon turns into a found-footage horror.

How many episodes are there? 

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9 
10. Chapter 10

Watch American Horror Story: Roanoke on Disney+

7. American Horror Story: Cult

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Cheyenne Jackson, Billie Lourd, Alison Pill.

In the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the US presidential election in 2016, a dangerous new cult is born headed by Kai Anderson (Peters) and the life of the anxious Ally Mayfair-Richards (Paulson) is turned upside down forever.

How many episodes are there? 

1. Election Night
2. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
3. Neighbours from Hell
4. 11/9
5. Holes
6. Mid-Western Assassin
7. Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag
8. Winter of Our Discontent
9. Drink the Kool-Aid
10. Charles (Manson) in Charge
11. Great Again

Watch American Horror Story: Cult on Disney+

8. American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, Emma Roberts, Cheyenne Jackson, and Kathy Bates.

The major crossover season, Apocalypse is a semi-sequel to both Murder House and Coven and sees new characters thrust into an apocalyptic future before we see how witches must prevent this dark fate from having ever occurred as they go up against the antichrist, Michael Langdon (Fern).

How many episodes are there? 

1. The End
2. The Morning After
3. Forbidden Fruit
4. Could It Be…Satan?
5. Boy Wonder
6. Return to Murder House
7. Traitor
8. Sojourn
9. Fire and Reign
10. Apocalypse Then

Watch American Horror Story: Apocalypse on Disney+

9. American Horror Story: 1984

Starring: Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, Matthew Morrison, Gus Kenworthy, John Carroll Lynch, Angelica Ross, Zach Villa.

In 1984, a group of young adults head to the haunted summer camp known as Camp Redwood and soon find themselves in grave danger in this retro throwback to the slasher films of yesteryear.

How many episodes are there? 

1. Camp Redwood
2. Mr Jingles
3. Slashdance
4. True Killers
5. Red Dawn
6. Episode 100
7. The Lady in White
8. Rest in Pieces
9. Final Girl

Watch American Horror Story: 1984 on Disney+

10. American Horror Story: Double Feature

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Finn Wittrock, Frances Conroy, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Adina Porter, Angelica Ross, Macaulay Culkin, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Neal McDonough, Kaia Gerber, Nico Greetham, Isaac Cole Powell, Rachel Hilson, Rebecca Dayan.

The first half of season 10 takes place in 2021 and follows a family as they move to Provincetown, Massachusetts from New York City. However, this family soon finds that their new community hides sinister secrets.

How many episodes are there? 

Part 1: Red Tide

1. Cape Fear
2. Pale
3. Thirst
4. Blood Buffet
5. Gaslight
6. Winter Kills

The second half of the tenth run follows a group of students who are out camping but are drawn into a vast alien conspiracy, with events spanning from the 1950s to the 1970s.

How many episodes are there? 

Part 2: Death Valley

1. Take Me to Your Leader
2. Inside
3. Blue Moon
4. The Future Perfect

Watch American Horror Story: Double Feature on Disney+

How to watch American Horror Story in chronological order

The following time frames are when the majority of the main narratives of each season of American Horror Story take place.

Here are the American Horror Story seasons in chronological order.

1. American Horror Story: Freak Show – 1952
2. American Horror Story: Double Feature – Part 2: Death Valley 1954 to 1979 
3. American Horror Story: Asylum – 1964
4. American Horror Story: 1984 – 1984
5. American Horror Story: Murder House – 2011
6. American Horror Story: Coven – 2013
7. American Horror Story: Roanoke – 2014 to 2016
8. American Horror Story: Hotel – 2015
9. American Horror Story: Cult – 2017
10. American Horror Story: Apocalypse – 2020 to 2021
11. American Horror Story: Double Feature – Part 1: Red Tide – 2021

Each season often contains flashbacks and flash-forwards too with one season even containing time travel, so this order is perhaps not the best to view the show in. We would recommend watching in release date order!

American Horror Story in Rotten Tomatoes score ranked order

The following seasons are rated from highest to lowest based on their score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

The clear winner from this ranking is the ninth run, AHS: 1984, while the fifth season American Horror Story: Hotel comes out as the clear loser with the most divisive season.

It should be noted, however, that no season is marked as “Rotten” by the website..

1. American Horror Story: 1984 – 88 per cent
2. American Horror Story: Coven – 85 per cent
3. American Horror Story: Asylum – 84 per cent
4. American Horror Story: Double Feature – 80 per cent
5. American Horror Story: Apocalypse – 79 per cent
6. American Horror Story: Freak Show – 77 per cent
7. American Horror Story: Roanoke – 74 per cent
8. American Horror Story: Cult – 73 per cent 
9. American Horror Story: Murder House – 72 per cent
10. American Horror Story: Hotel – 64 per cent

American Horror Story seasons 1 to 10 are available now to watch on Disney+ in the UK – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.