Howl-O-Scream is in full swing at Busch Gardens in Tampa, and if you’re thinking about experiencing all of the thrills while you’re there - I’ll go over all of the scare zones, haunted houses, and a few tips to help you plan your night.
Howl-O-Scream in Busch Gardens Tampa annual Halloween event that is running now until October 31st.
Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event, and the prices this year start at $44.99. If you don’t want to cram all of your thrills into one night, Howl-O-Scream also offers Unlimited Admission Tickets that are starting at $124.99.
This year's event has taken over the entire park with 5 haunted houses, 7 scare zones, and 4 live shows.
We went on opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday night to try and experience as much as possible to give you a rundown of this year's event.
And like I said earlier, this year's event features 5 haunted houses that are spread throughout the park. If you head around the park counter-clockwise, the first house that you’ll encounter is Death Water Bayou: Blood Moon - The Final Phase. In this house, the blood moon is in its final phase and the werewolves are clawing their way in to get to you.
Next is the Stranglewood Estates - which is the new haunted house for 2022. This new house used to be a home that was filled with laughter and held lavish parties. Now, it only has darkness and evil that fill its wander halls.
If you escape the chilling opulence of Stranglewood Estates, the next house that you’ll come across is The Residence: Home for the Holidays where you’ll walk through a suburban family home where the festivities have turned murderous and new horrors are just waiting to get unwrapped. While you're here, there is no guarantee that you’ll survive this silent night.
If you do make it through the holiday season alive, then the next house that you’ll encounter is The Forgotten. In this house, the victims are lured into a dark world that is hidden behind the rocks and rubble of a quarry. Here, dark secrets lurk in the shadows and everyone is destined to become the newest minion of the forgotten army.
If you can escape the lure of the forgotten army, then the last house you’ll head to is The Witch of the Woods where an ominous legend will summon you with an inescapable curse. Travelers from all over the world come to trek through this dark forest but only dark tales of their screams ever make their way out.
Once you’ve finished with all of the houses, there are 7 scare zones as well as one hidden zone, and a few roaming haunts that will roam freely.
So, there is nowhere to hide no matter where you are in the park.
But, if you head back to the front of the park, going counterclockwise again the first scare zone that you’ll see is Beyond the Veil which is a new scare zone for this year. In this zone, you’ll walk a path that takes you into the depths of a dark forest. This beautiful yet haunting forest is where fairies and orcs will reveal themselves.
Just passed Beyond the Veil is Voodoo where witch doctors have been driven out of the bayou by the ravenous werewolves and now want to practice their dark magic on you. So watch out as they pursue their twisted revenge through their ancient curses.
If you escape the voodoo curse, then you’ll encounter The Shortcut where you’ll think that cutting through this cemetery might seem like a good idea… however, there is no easy way out. You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled because you might just see corpses rise right out of the ground. Then, you’ll have to escape before they take you back with them.
If you survive The Shortcut, then you’ll come across a surprise scare as you make your way to your next scare zone. As your passing Kumba, you’ll have to try and keep your distance from this hidden scare zone of Crash Test Clowns. These clowns seem to be seeking revenge as they lure you into an unsuspecting trap.
If you want to join the fray, you can always try your hand at the bumper cars. But keep your eyes on those pesky clowns, because they’re nothing but trouble on this ride. So, do your best to stay away.
Once you make it through the Crash Test Clowns, you’ll head into the depths of The Skeleton Crew where you’ll find shipwrecked pirates rising from their watery graves. These pirates are in seek to plunder the world of the living…so don’t get lost in the fog or they might take your soul back with them as their bounty.
If you make it past The Skeleton Crew, then you’ll take your chances in Raven’s Mill. Ravin's Mill is another new scare zone for this year and one of my favorites as I made my way around the park. In this area, you’ll find yourself walking through a nightmare as the scarecrows come alive around you.
Once you’ve escaped Raven’s Mill, then you’ll walk straight into the next scare zone which is In The Shadows where you’ll find eerie legends and cryptic creatures coming to life. You have heard their dark tales and ghost stories all your life, and now you’ll get your chance to have your encounter turn you into a believer.
Last but not least, if you make it out of the Shadows, you’ll come across our very last scare zone, which is another one of my favorites. This is one I think you need to walk through - The Junkyard. Here, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a very creepy scrap site. In this junkyard, you’ll have to do your best to stay alive before you get devoured by the haunted rubble.
At Howl-O-Scream in Tampa, just because you’re not in a scare zone, doesn’t mean that you're safe. Throughout the entire park, several roaming hordes will get you when you least expect it. So, no matter where you are in the park - just remember you’re never safe.
If you’re looking to get off your feet for a bit, four different shows are featured during this year’s Howl-O-Scream.
And if you’re feeling lucky, you’ll want to take your chance at 50/50 choose your fate where you can join the game show where the host decides your fate…and no matter your choice… you’ll always lose.
Just behind 50/50 is Fiends where you’ll get to join Dr. Frankenstein and her companions as they infect you with dance fever. A fair bit of warning though, this show features quite a bit of suggestive content only intended for adults… so, it’s not anything you’ll want to take your kids to. Other than that, this show features a lot of fun dancing, lighting, and fireworks.
If you want to get out of the humidity for a while, you’ll want to go see The Rolling Bones which is located inside the Dragon Fire Grill. This live band performance features epic covers of classic rock songs and anthems that will light up your night.
The last show that you’ll be able to enjoy this year is Cirque X-Scream - which was not available on the nights that we were there but looks like an amazing performance of stunts tricks and aerial performances.
If you finish all of the houses, scare zones, and shows several rides do stay open during the night.
The list of rides includes the Iron Gwazi, Crash Test Clowns, the Sheikra, Cheetah Hunt, Tigris, Cobras Curse, Kumba, Montu, Scorpion, and the Sand Serpent. So, there is plenty to do at Howl-O-Scream.
If you’re looking to bring home a souvenir from Howl-O-Scream, several shops offer specialty merchandise throughout the park. But, the largest selection will be located at Mandy’s Meat Market which is located in the front of the park.
If you are thinking of heading over there this year, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event, so, unfortunately, your day ticket will not get you access to the nightly festivities.
The lines during the weekend can get pretty long. Some of the popular houses reach over an hour's wait. If you want to shorten your wait times, I highly recommend getting a front-line fear pass which will give you front-line access to 5 houses of your choice. You can also get the Front of line extreme which will get you front-of-line access to both the houses and some of the rides throughout the night.
If you prefer not to be targeted by any of the scare actors during your trip to Howl-O-Scream, then you’ll want to pick up one of the no-boo necklaces that you can find in any of the merchandise shops throughout the park.
If you arrive after the event has started, they do not allow any outside food or drinks once the festivities begin…not even water. So, make sure to empty your containers before you get to the front gates because you’ll be emptying them anyway.
Costumes are not allowed, so that includes masks or accessories.
Howl-o-Scream happens rain or shine, and there are no cancellations or rain checks due to weather.
And last but not least, there is no re-entry. So once you leave, you’re done. So, make sure not to leave anything behind that you’ll need for the night.
If you’re looking for more thrills this Halloween season, then I've got several other blogs that you can go through that you can find right here. I've covered everything from the major events at the major parks as well as a few local ones.
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