I'm obsessed with Halloween and always looking for new haunted houses to go to. This was my first year going to Howl-O-Scream and I didn't know what to expect, and it was great! I got my tickets early bird so they were pretty cheap (I think like $35 each), which is definitely the way to go. I went in the beginning/middle of September and it wasn't crowded at all; we waited at most 15 minutes, and walked straight into some of the houses. There were 5 houses, and I would say the actual set designs are surprisingly almost as good as HHN. They do such a great job with movie-level sets and themes. The acting and scare zones weren't as great. Some of the scare zones were minimally decorated, to where you couldn't even tell you were in them. While some of the actors were really into it, a lot of them were so low energy that my husband even joked that they may be normal daytime Busch Gardens employees that they just threw costumes on. We went to both shows. The circus one was absolutely mind-blowing! It was creative and impressive, and kind of like a dark Cirque du Soleil show with different crazy stunts. The other show was more of a play, and was kind of cheesy. If you only have time for one, I'd definitely recommend the circus one. Overall, I think Howl-O-Scream is a great value for the price, and definitely worth going. read more

Howl-O-Scream - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This year's experience was a bit disappointing compared to prior years. Arrived at 6:15 but spent a long time in line waiting to pay to park, then waiting for the tram and waiting at guest services to get my fast passes. Started the night at Strangewood Estates which already had an hour long wait at 7pm. There were some new houses this year including MARS but aliens aren't my thing. My favorite was the circus house which was a carry over from last year, had the best scare actors and jump scares. read more

Howl-O-Scream - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Howl-O-Scream is Busch Gardens Tampa's Halloween event open select nights in September and October. The event includes most of the major roller coasters operating, a couple of Halloween themed shows open, themed merchandise/food and drinks, scare zones and 5 haunted houses - all included with your Howl O' Scream ticket. The hours are usually 7-midnight/1 AM. You are allowed to enter the park 2 hours early at 5 PM to start off your night early however. Howl O Scream is very fun, I'd highly recommend purchasing the Front Line Fear passes if you're visiting the event on a Friday or Saturday night as those are the most crowded days. I've been here twice now and enjoyed the Sunday I came a lot more - lower crowds and wait times. If you like Halloween and theme parks, this is definitely the event for you. read more

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I come every year for the scares and coasters at night are the best. This year I will say, didn't seem to have as much effort in the houses or scare zones as it has most years. The new Mars house is pretty lame, it could definitely use more effects, props, & actors. Otherwise we had a great time running around and riding the coasters! Busch Gardens is always a good adventure, hope they will bump up next year's howloscream read more

Howl-o-Scream always puts on a good show. They switched out the Christmas house from 2023 to an Alice in Wonderland house for 2024. This was a great addition and my favorite house for 2024. The use of scare zones in multiple places throughout the park really adds to the experience. Will continue to attend each year. One of my favorite events of the holiday season and I attend HHN as well. read more

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Not worth the admission. few scare zones and people who get scared watching Goosebumps should NOT be allowed to be here after it gets dark. let them come during the daytime and let everyone else have some fun. Maybe I am spoiled as I went to the first 5 Halloween horror night, when they could chase you down. Children should NOT be allowed either below 15. scare zones were a joke not dark at all and few scares. Not recommended. Just go to the regular park. read more

Howl-O-Scream is Tampa's premier Halloween event at Busch Gardens Theme Park with 28 killer nights in September & October with scare zones and haunted houses, including 3 new haunted house experiences. Park guests will find nowhere to hide as zombies, deranged clowns, werewolves and new surprises stalk their prey throughout eight scare zones, and unpredictable roaming hordes lurk in the darkness. Beyond the haunts, killer entertainment can be found on stage with "Fiends!" returning to the Festival Field and last year's best-kept-secret "The Rolling Bones" performing electrifying rock covers at Dragon Fire Grill. 5 Haunted Houses 1. NEW: WITCH OF THE WOODS Something wicked this way haunts...an ominous legend summons you with her inescapable curse. Curiosity has brought many travelers into this dark forest, but only bone-chilling stories and dying screams make their way out. With each step deeper into the woods, the prospect of survival quickly fades as demonic disciples hunt wandering intruders through their abandoned village. Human sacrifices are chased to the witch's altar, where dark fates are sealed with more than spells. 8/10 2. NEW: THE FORGOTTEN Victims will be drawn into a hidden world beyond the rubble and rocks of an unsuspecting quarry, where dark secrets lurk in the shadows. Just beyond a hidden gutter entrance, the legend of the human uprising is revealed as a swarm of starving vampires plot their imminent revenge. Will those who enter return to the world of the living or are they destined to become the newest minion of the Forgotten army? 10/10 3. NEW CELL BLOCK ZOMBIES Welcome to Purgatory Penitentiary, where afterlife sentences are served with a vengeance. Incarceration is just the beginning, as maniacal guards shuffle fresh meat down dark and lawless paths for processing. Surviving the prison yard leads to maximum security and confinement that is anything but solitary. There are only two options for inmates here: breakout alive or be devoured in detention. 8/10 4. Death Water Bayou Blood Moon The voodoo chants have died off, replaced by blood-curdling howls...and your screams. Dark magic has manifested into darker curses, as ravenous werewolves claw their way through the bayou on the hunt for human flesh. Beneath the midnight sky, the moonlight reveals glowing eyes, bloodstained teeth and an inescapable fate for all who enter the swamp. 7/10 5. THE RESIDENCE Friendly neighbors have gone mysteriously missing in this seemingly normal suburban community. Enter the pristine home of a picture-perfect family but beware of unseen horrors - once you're invited in, you may never make your way out. Don't let yourself become the next sacrifice in their sinister devotion. 5/10 Scare Zones 1. NEW: VOODOO 7/10 2. NEW: SKELETON CREW 6/10 3. NEW: IN THE SHADOWS 5/10 4. THE SHORTCUT 6/10 5. THE JUNKYARD 7/10 6. LITTLE NIGHTMARES 8/10 7. DEADLY TOYS 6/10 SIGNATURE HOWL-O-SCREAM COCKTAILS Swamp Water came with Milagro Tequila, Flor de Caña Rum, Beefeater Gin, Monin Granny Apple 9/10 Witch's Brew came with Tito's Vodka, Blue Curacao, Grenadine, Cranberry Juice 8/10 The Bite Jell-O Syringe Shot consisted of Milagro Tequila, Berry Jell-O 9/10 Fiends Show 10/10 Rolling Bones Show 7/10 Cirque X Scream 9/10 Unlike Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream has no lines over an hour for Haunted Houses so there is no need for fast passes. Busch Gardens is huge and going to the 5 haunted houses will still occupy most of your night with the chance to do a couple of houses twice if you don't watch all the shows. Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is way better with movie tie-in but is tough to do without fast passes with 2-3 hour lines that can be brutal. If you're in the Tampa area and in the mood for haunted houses, I highly recommend checking out Howl-O-Scream, Scream-A-Geddon, and Sir Henry's Haunted Trails. read more

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Amazing and beautiful place to visit in Busch Gardens when you are around Tampa. The decor is amazing and beautifully decorated which haunted houses and roller coasters in night which makes the experience unimaginable and beautiful. We went on the first day of howl-o-scream and we were able to complete the houses as well as shows in 5 hours. Amazing job by Busch gardens and all the people who worked at Busch Gardens to make howl-o-scream successful. Don't miss howl-o-scream. read more

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10/19/24:Parking costs $38 when you don't pay in advance. We got a ticket deal, 2 for $120. Parking availability is limited. We arrived at 7 pm. Once getting through traffic it was 20 mins to park. It took 35 mins to get a parking spot. It was 8 when we entered the park. The organization of the entrance line was completely mismanaged. There were no attendants directing guests where to go. It was just a huge disorganized mob of people. So many were cutting the line & idly wondering in a confused state, asking us for guidance. We waited 50 minutes for a 4 minute walkthrough on Circus of Fear. There was no fear involved. At 9 pm, each roller coaster & horror house walkthrough had a 1+ wait time (90 mins, about). The Reckoning was a very exciting show that I highly recommend to anyone over 13!! The scare zones were a lot of fun, though not scary for anyone over the age of 13. The splash zone for one of the largest coasters is very wet & humorous when one gets caught in it. The scare actors work incredibly hard & their makeup & costumes are very well done! Overall, it's a family friendly event that you should go to in September/early October, on a weekday & with children/or if you're a preteen. Arrive at 5:30 latest or it's not worth it to wait for countless hours. read more

Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit @howloscream at @buschgardens and we had a blast! The haunted houses were very well produced and can easily compete to those from @horrornightsorl The only downside was that it felt more crowded and lines were longer as there is only 5 houses vs. 10 that @horrornightsorl offers. So a fast pass is highly recommended if you plan on visiting all the houses. Also, there were less food options outside of the traditional food venues which had very long lines as well. Here is a TIP if you wish to save some time in food lines: stop by the the Giraffe Bar in the Serengeti Plain area which is on the 2nd floor. Drinks and food were pretty good there and lines were much shorter Overall, @howloscream was super fun! Houses and rides were awesome. We would say rides are probably even better than @universalorlando if you like thrill roller-coasters. Food options are a bit more limited tho and lines are long, specially as we get closer to Halloween...so keep those things in mind before going Visit @orlandotravelfoodies for more reviews and tips of local attractions and restaurants!!! read more

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I had the pleasure of attending this event at Busch gardens for free. My first house visited was the stranglewood estate that's near oasis pizza. It was a wait because it was getting ready to open. I think I waited 15 minutes. Once open it moved pretty quickly. Next up was the circus of fear.it wasn't busy at all. The I wandered up too witch of the woods, moved quickly. Then the forgotten and lastly my favorite the residence. The show cirque x scream was good. I think I did all houses in less then 3 hours. I didn't go on any rides. Hopefully they can hire more actors next year. read more

They did a great job of creating the props for the haunted houses. The performers played their parts well and the costumes and makeup were on point. We took a break and watched an acrobatic show which was phenomenal. The lady that spun by her neck while suspended in the air - was amazing! The signage could be better.Halloween themed food and drinks being sold out of carts would have been a plus. I didn't buy the IV filled with what appeared to be blood drink. But it was a fantastic idea. I would have bought one if it had alcohol in it. Maybe Jell-O shots in big plastic syringes I don't get scared typically. But toward the end I actually screamed a few times. I loved it! Overall it was a great night! read more

I have been to Howl O Scream a few times and it's been a few years since I went last, but this year I was super excited...yet a bit disappointed. Especially, this this is their 20th year of fear! First, the good.... I was super happy to have gotten the front of the line passes. Those are definitely a necessity! Even on a Sunday night. Well worth it. Better with a pass holder who gets a discount. I enjoyed the displays, the people dressed in costume and in themed areas, it was definitely fun and made it around the whole park. Deadly Toys was fun - there were weird and gross looking adult sized stuffed animals... I did the hop scotch pattern and realized that it's REALLY HARD! LOL Dia de los muertos was pretty cool. Not scary at all. Pretty nice costumes but the masks were just masks. Only a couple had real painted faces. But I didn't see a lot of the other scare zones... And was even able to get on 2 roller coasters! The drinks, definitely best with a pass holder - the discount is beneficial, obviously. What I was disappointed with this year is out of the 6 haunted houses, and I visited all 6 (even INSOMNIA I went twice because it was the best one they had)... I was only happy about the one, the others were just ok. For 20 years of fear, I expected to be crying and peeing my pants. That didn't happen at all. Overall, I had a great time anyway. It's not something I have to do each year but may do it again, depending on the opportunity. read more

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Spooky season is the best time of year! took my son here with a group of his first timers scream squad . These boys survived their first haunted house and scare zone experience. As for myself , I had a no boo necklace to scare off the monsters. There are 5 haunted houses and 7 scare zones throughout the park, we were able to go in 3 houses before the lines got long. With the event ticket you can arrive at 5 PM instead of 7 PM. The houses don't open until 7 PM but that gives you time to enjoy some rides and get in line for the first house. Our plan from years past at Halloween horror nights also worked here. We started in the back of the park and worked our way to the front. Everybody tends to crowd the front first. Wait times were only 20 to 30 minutes for each house if you're in the right spot at opening. Otherwise towards the end of the evening it became a 50 to 60 minute wait. I don't mind the haunted houses but I don't particularly enjoy being spooked at scare zones. They sell a 'no boo' necklace for $15 which basically tells the monsters to avoid you. warning , first contact may happen. Overall it was a great night and if you have an annual pass ,tickets are discounted for the event depending on which day you go. read more

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This event had way better Haunted houses than Universal's HHN, in my opinion! We opted for the 3 hr VIP tour which included a tour guide with a group of 15 of us. We all had green glowing necklaces with a VIP badge. There were put stops for free drinks (even alcohol) and snacks. We received drink glasses that you could wear around your neck, and could be refilled at the stations. We were walked straight to the front of the line for each Haunted House! Our guide also gave us quick tours on the side, and got us on the Quick Que for the Cheetah Hunt coaster at the end! It was a fantastic night! The tour for extra $ was totally worth it! The scare zones at HHN were better than Howl-O-Scream. read more

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Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed Halloween Horror event that runs on select nights from September 25 to November 1 every year! The Busch Gardens Theme park closes to daytime guests at 6 p.m. & turns into a place of terror from 7PM - 12AM on Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays! In general, crowds are historically lighter on Sundays and gradually increase as it gets closer to Halloween. For 2020, there are a grand total of 10 scare zones, including 4 brand-new ones & 6 returning ones from last year. Much of the props are reused and repurposed from past houses and zones. Busch Gardens set up a an outdoor "haunted house" for The Junkyard & The Shortcut where guests are pulsed one way through the entrance! For 2020, unless you're a huge roller-coaster fan, the scare zones alone don't offer enough to warrant the hefty price of admission. Scare Zones: 1. Lycan Landing Campground (New) 7/10 2. The Shortcut (through the Cemetery) (New) 8/10 3. The Junkyard (New) 7/10 4. The Escape (from the Penitentiary) (New) 4/10 5. First Fear (by Entrance) should setup earlier 4/10 6. Little Nightmares - classic chain saw scares 5/10 7. Hell on Wheels - post apacolyptic biker gang 6/10 8. Dia de los Muertos - Mexican Dancers, Not Scary, & out of place 1/10 9. Maniac Midway - crazy glowing clowns 7/10 10. Deadly Toys - life sized scary stuffed animals 4/10 The Fiends Show - Dr. Frankenstein & his fiends are back to entertain guests once again, featuring some funny raunchy comedy based on events in pop-culture from the year with some impressive dancing! 9/10 Rides: 1. Tigris - just a bunch of loops. Too short. 6/10 2. Cobra's Curse - cool rotating & theme-ing 8/10 3. Falcon's Fury - doesn't seem safe. 2/10 4. Cheetah Hunt - fun fast explosive start - 9/10 5. SheiKra - very scary drop, Won't go on again. 3/10 6. Montu - cool feeling with legs dangling 8/10 7. Kumba - lot of fast loops & not too scary 7/10 8. Sand Serpent - for kids but has quick turns 6/10 9. Scorpion - super old & needs to be replaced 3/10 For 2019, 2018, 2017, and previous years, Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream typically features 6 or 7 haunted houses. Many of the houses are returning fan favorite houses with some alterations made to keep patrons on their toes & typically there are only 1 or 2 new houses every year which can be hit or miss. Haunted Houses: Insomnia (2019, 2018): Years of cruel treatments at this sleep institute have warped the minds of the tortured and imprisoned patients. Rising against the demented doctors, the inmates have taken over the ward to seek sick revenge to torture their evil caretakers. 7/10 Simon's Slaughterhouse (2019, 2018): Watch where you step in Simon's Hillbilly Slaughter house, as every twisted turn corrals you from one sickening scene to the next. Don't get caged in or you might be the next one up on Simon's butcher block. 7/10 The Black Spot (2019, 2018, 2017): An infamous pirate has you marked for death and he has you right where he wants you. Dare to enter the underbelly of Captain Saw-Tooth Silas' pirate ship. Try not to fall victim to what this macabre labyrinth has in store for you! 7/10 Death Water Bayou (2019, 2018, 2017): The Queen of the Shadows has been lifted from the dead by Voodoo's dark magic and is seeking revenge upon the living. Armed with her devilish devotees, all who dare to enter the swamp are subject to curses around every corner. 8/10 Motel Hell (2019, 2018, 2017) : Hordes of oozing, wriggling insects have infested Motel Shellburn and the exterminator is determined to extinguish all signs of life, including the guests. Every room in this motel from hell brings new skin-crawling horrors as you try to escape his noxious attacks and check out alive. 6/10 The Residence (2019): As you enter the pristine suburban Clark Family home, beware of unseen horrors - once you're invited in, you may never make your way out. Sadly, the atmosphere of this house was disspointingly dull and did not instill any fear in patrons. 3/10 Unearthed (2018, 2017): A centuries-old house has been Unearthed, unleashing a vengeful demon seeking revenge. The vengeful demon takes her revenge by collecting the eyes of all who enter the house. 8/10 Cost: $29 to $73 + $10 Service Fee Parking Fee: $25 Scare Factor: 7/10 Costume Quality: 8/10 Set Design: 3/10 Atmosphere: too many dark unlit areas 4/10 It's a real shame that Howl-O-Scream re-uses most of their haunted houses and only offers 1-2 new houses per year and that these houses are not tied to any beloved horror movies like Universal's Halloween Horror nights houses who offer 8-10 all new houses every year. Howl-O-Screams tickets are priced for far less than Universal's and tends not to get as busy as Universal but Universal is by far exponentially better in quality of houses, all new houses, and scares. I highly favor Universal's Halloween Horror nights, Scream-A-Geddon, and Sir Henry's Haunted Trails over Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream. read more

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So I have never actually been to howl-o-scream before this year and it was an absolute blast. Being an Orlando native it was worth the trip to Busch Gardens. The actors came out right around 7 and they do a fantastic job. Between 5:00 ish and 12:30 am we rode 2 coasters, ate, walked through 4 haunted houses and saw a show. There are a few scare zones too that are great along with all sorts of entertainment around the park. We were sort of in the right place at the right time and ended up at "Fiends" the show. It was hilarious and raunchy with an amazing cast and crew, right up our ally with humor. We went on a Saturday night and although lines were a little lengthy, still not as bad as HHN. Average house lines looked much longer than the wait actually was, averaging 20-45 minutes. I definitely preferred longer waits so smaller groups would go through, far less of a giveaway of certain house elements. Other than that, don't miss out! read more

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We attended during the day, so not sure how scary it is. But certainly looked fun w all the pumpkins and props around the park. From the warnings and stories I've heard I wouldn't take hound children. As the actors can be frightening. Look forward to going at night. read more

My husband surprised me with tickets to the howl o screams tonight. We got there at 5 o'clock before everything started and it was fun! We saw all the animals up close! When the haunted houses started at 7, it wasn't as packed which was nice but, as the night went on more people showed up! The costumes and make up were awesome! I loved the cirque scream x show...that was the best thing of the whole night. I would probably prefer doing Busch gardens during the day but, overall we had fun! read more

I usually like to go to horror nights but me and boyfriend wanted a change since we have gone to horror nights before. Let me just say I got more scared than I did in horror nights, there was barely any line traffic and the staff did a great job with splitting groups so everyone can get the scares. There is no line traffic at all and theme wise pretty good! The scare zones are also AMAZING, so interactive and the actors did a really good job. Food and drinks were great, not very hard liquor but I prefer it that way for theme parks. As for shows, the show with the host of howl o scream was pretty cheesy and didn't put much effort into special effects. The best shows to watch are cirque x scream and the rolling bones! And there is a bar with food at the rolling bones show! Definitely planning on coming next year ! read more

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Been to Howl-O-Scream before and this time the lines were much better but overall it was meh. The lines for the houses ran smooth and efficiently though some looked long. We did all the houses in less than 3 hours. Not that much wait. Rides were open. Everything however was so overpriced like robbery. Parking was 32.00! Bottled water 5.00 soda 7.00 and don't get me started on the Chic fil a with a chicken sandwich was 10.00, fries 7.00, and smaller sized large drink 6.50. The total for one meal came out to 24.00. Security seemed adequate and staff pleasant but not worth it for me. One area with a DJ was lame and the music hard rock or techno playing throughout the night. read more

This year was my first time attending howl-o-scream. My friends and I opted for the VIP guided tour. I feel that this definitely delivered the most bang for our buck. We were able to maximize our time in the park. We visited all 6 of the haunted houses and received front of the line access. We also received plenty of snacks and refreshments not alcoholic and non alcoholic. My recommendation is to get the VIP tour since your guaranteed a great time! read more

Howl-O-Scream - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This was my first time ever at Howl-O-Scream despite the fact that I am an annual pass-member of Busch Gardens and so I gave it a shot. I read the reviews and the one tip that helped the most was, "GET A FRONT OF THE LINE PASS" -- only on weekends though meaning Friday night to Sunday. The rides were awesome at night, I loved it. It made it even more thrilling and exciting and the wait for the lines weren't as long as we expected them to be on a Friday night. (Except for Cheetah Hunt and Cobra's Curse, it was 30+ minute wait. Not cool.) They had two new haunted house attractions this year: Motel Hell and The Black Spot. We were able to experience them all with no wait (thanks to our Front Of The Line Pass) except for the Zombie Containment Unit -- WHICH I might add is NOT included in your front of the line pass which was lame because that's the one where you get to shoot zombies and the line was just too long to even wait for. By the time you get in and get out, you would have wasted 3 hours. I kid you not. That line wrapped for decades it seemed. I didn't even see the end of the line. Haunted Houses were pretty cool, especially the new attractions. It was a nice walk-through and some people might not like it that people get scared in front of you but for me, it was a life saver as I was able to dodge all those areas -- well, most of them. The BEST part of Howl-O-Scream really was the haunted paths! Oh my goodness, I loved it. I thought it was an attraction at first but it's a haunted path you have to cross to get to certain areas and it is marked on the map. I love it, every bit of it. I think those got me more scared than the haunted houses and I enjoyed every bit of it. Howl-O-Scream was worth it in my book. Spent almost $90 per person but we were there from 6pm-12pm. Definitely made it worth it and the people who you go with too. Very fun and I would definitely go back next year! read more

We did the ultimate VIP private ​tour on opening weekend. With this you get a customized 7 hour VIP tour, You get preferred parking ($35-50 variable value) Front of the line access to all houses, front of the line access to all rides, a one-time front of the line pass to Iron Gawzi since it's still new. If you want to do the same house over and over or the same rides over and over that's your choice the guides will do that since it's customizable. You also get a free interactive Skull lanyard that lights up and does fog ($35 value) and a free yard cup that you can put alcoholic beverages in that is allowed to go in haunted houses that you can wear around your neck. ($17 value) these are included with your ultimate VIP tour ticket. You also get unlimited drinks at select areas and at the fiends show, such as water, soda, beer seltzer alcohol, and signature drinks. Complimentary spicy popcorn bags and sun chips. I was very pleased with our experience. Our guides, Michael and Jessica were awesome. They were very knowledgeable about all aspects of the park! We started the night at the lounge for small snacks and drinks. At 7, we went to Dragonfire Grill for dinner and the Rolling Bones. They did covers of classic songs like Ghostbusters and The Devil Went Down to Georgia. The show was pretty good. We could choose between chicken tenders, burgers or Chinese. The burgers were really good. Afterwards, we started walking through the houses and exploring the park. The houses were amazing. They were very immersive and very well put together. There was a stand still in one of the houses but Michael tried to get the issue fixed. Unfortunately, the other times we tried to go back, there was still a stand still. It didn't put a damper on our night. I really liked the 50/50 show. It was really fun. The Fiends was ok. The jokes were pretty adult in nature. I really enjoyed the scare-actors. I liked how they were able to interact with you. It's not like that in some other haunts. When it says that nowhere is safe, they mean it. As we were walking out, we passed a guy who was yelling for his wife to hurry up - it turned out he was a chainsaw guy and made my wife jump. The actors were even in the shop messing with people while they shop. We definitely had a better experience here than Halloween Horror Nights. We were able to take our time and enjoy the night, whereas at HHN, we were rushed and pushed through the houses. Our tour guides Michael and Jessica went above and beyond to make sure our night was amazing and always made sure that we were happy and that we were doing what we wanted to do We will definitely be back. read more

Howl-O-Scream - Pictures with some of the scare actors - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Let's just chalk this special event up as an "Educational Experience".... because you will learn new things about yourself regardless of how stubborn you are and admit you don't know every thing about yourself (yet)... You see, I "THOUGHT" my big fear was heights but turns out I was wrong... oh yeah, I'm definitely afraid of heights (that fact was solidified by the 200 foot height of Sheikra)... apparently my big fear is (wait for it).... CLOWNS I've heard friends say silly stuff like "clowns freak me out".... I've never jumped on that bandwagon and frankly thought it was funny but in a 5 second experience, in one room, of one haunted house I had to cross paths with CLOWNS and none of them even jumped out; all mannequins but as soon as I entered the "clown room" my adrenaline jumped and I panicked and I left behind the dozen friends I was with... didn't even know I could move that fast. * * * * * * * * * * What exactly is HOWL-O-SCREAM? Basically the entire theme park is converted to an haunted experience during the late hours of the night with a few goals in mind... entertains you, scare you and give you a night to remember with action packed roller-coasters, haunted houses and all sorts of things that go BOO in the night (like zombies, monsters and chain-saw wielding mad-men). * * * * * * * * * * I conquered my FEAR.... Not of CLOWNS.... I think that's here to stay. Most of my group wanted to ride SheiKra... the monster of roller coasters with a top speed of 70 MPH; and although heights scare me silly, I went along for the ride (call it peer pressure). 8 people across, dangling feet (with no floors), a slow 200 foot elevation climb and then the car pauses at the peak hanging over the 90 degree drop... just to scare the sh&t out of us (it worked). At the end, I was a little quiet and my hair was a bit messier but it was all worth it. During the ride I learned more about myself than previously thought... I already knew I curse (perhaps a bit too much) but when we began the 90 degree drop I began cursing... A LOT of cursing... words that I didn't really think I knew... poor Rosario was beside me with her own fears and the poor girl had to yell "SHUT UP GLENN"... I assume I was freaking her out even more... Sorry Ros ! I even went on to do Cheetah Hunt (not scary, just fast and exciting and almost a mile long) and Montu (I hated and loved this one due to it's unique inverted tracks (attached to rail above instead of running on tracks beneath the car... a bit too much twisting and upside down turns) * * * * * * * * * * At least 6 haunted houses.... each with their own theme... what scares one person is no big deal for another but guarantee one of those other houses will find something to scare "that guy". * * * * * * * * * * Let me give you one bit of advice that'll shock you due to high cost but afterward you will be happier than a fat kid bathing in ice cream.... BUY A FRONT-OF-THE-LINE ACCESS PASS (also known as Front Line Fear Evil Upgrade). It's not cheap but it's worth it. Basically for an additional 55 dollars you get to skip the lines... consider this, some of the roller coasters and haunted houses had 30 to 45 minute wait times... I was in those haunted houses immediately and the roller coasters took about 15 minutes and that was only because we wanted to wait for the front row each time. * * * * * * * * * * In summary... CLOWNS SUCK ! read more

MAYBE I'm just a bit biased, but I think that the people who work there are the best in the industry. They give it their all, from the start to the finish, you see people giving blood (Sometimes very literally) sweat and tears. From the humble beginnings to the zombie extravaganza of last year, each new house that is rolled out, each new show and every performer is geared up to get YOU with a scare that will send a shiver down your spine and maybe some urine down your legs if you're the susceptible type. Wicked sets, creepy music and eerie lighting all add to the ambeince that create this seasonal creature feature, every person who works the event from behind the scenes, to the ride operators to the scare actors themselves really do throw every thing they have into it to make it the best event it can be. They truly do scare from the heart and deep into your soul, creating a lasting impression that makes you want to come back year after year. read more

This was actually my second trip to Busch Gardens for Howl-O-Scream. I had previously gone a few years back after a very mediocre "Halloween Horror Nights" experience in Orlando. Both times HOS was so much better than HHN in every way. The park just gives off such a cool Halloween vibe at night it's hard to describe. Just having so much more nature around you instead of just a bunch of man made structures gives you a different feel. First off, their Haunted Houses are very well thought out. There isn't really a cheeseball feel to them. Riding roller coasters at night is so cool too. Unfortunately, this year I got rained on literaly the entire night which closed all the coasters. It did make the park 10 times more creepy though so it wasn't all bad. Paying the extra money to skip the lines is extremely recommended & worth every penny. I skipped right to the front of quite a few lines that were at least one hour long or more. For 2014, the sickest Haunted House award goes to the 3D Clown house. It was beyond twisted & took me back to the movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The Bayou house was a strong second place. All of the houses were well thought out with slight exception to the laser tag house. In theory, it was a cool idea but it wasn't executed very well. On top of that, the line skip pass didn't apply to this house so the wait time didn't justify the payoff. If you can still have fun while being soaked from head to toe in rain then you know the place is worth the money. If you are deciding between HHN & HOS, Busch Gardens takes the Win! read more

Howl-O-Scream - Line skip passes 2014 - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

So this review is for 2020. This is a nice rollercoaster park with some neat zoo e hi it's worked in to the park. There is a safari attraction in the park that is 40 bucks more per person. We did not do the safari but it looks nice. I'm not sure it would be worth the price though. We went for the HowlOScream event. This was the worst money grab I have ever been caught up in. It was a total joke unless you like coasters at night. The rides are cool. There really is not Halloween event. So sad... read more

Howl O Scream 2015 Opening Night! Fun, lots of "spookhouses" and crazy characters running around trying to entertain and "scare" you! I would not call any of it terrifying, although some of the guests apparently do get "spooked"!. Sometimes it is more fun to watch the reactions of some of the other guests, than the things that are scaring them. The "Unearthed" attraction was pretty decent... lots of good props, and the "actors" seem to be getting into it a little bit. The "Zombie Containment Center" was fun... although a lot of the Zombies seemed not overly enthusiastic. This is the one that is like "lazer tag", you are given a "gun" to defend yourself against the Zombie Hordes... and run through the maze shooting Zombies as they pop out at you! Since the Zombies get blasted so much, and have to freeze and hide when they are shot... I can see where they would turn into ZZZZzzzzombies after a while. DeadWater Bayou... one of my favorites, love that spookie, swampy ambience... and the actors are over the top.. hamming it up! Lots of fun! Missed Deadfall.. so can't comment on that! Didn't do the Circus of Superstition since my girlfriend really does not like spooky clowns! The other Zombie thing... ehh... Food? It is a theme park... Snowcones are great! Funnel cakes are decent. The BBQ... eh... smells awesome, but not very tender, and way overpriced. Burgers, do-able.. but not great. Salads... ok, but check to make sure they are fresh! The food is edible, but I don't eat there anymore unless I have to! (Warning: I am picky about food, so am probably harsher than most on this) We ran into a couple of cool characters, wandering around the park that were fun, too! The lady asking me if her "baby" was normal... NOT! But she played it well! The spook hiding in the bushes... made my girlfriend scream! lol! Riding the rides at night is always cool... I just wish Gwazi was still running, THAT was a rollercoaster! Although Kumba is awesome too! A good time... lots of fun, good exercise too since the park is so huge. Lots of beer and wine too, if that is something you are into. Saw several people who may have had one too many...but that is not my problem. If you can get discount tickets, well worth the time! Long hours, and lots to do. Oh.. and you can get your picture taken with some HOT vampires, or some luscious Scream Girls... :) (oh.. and please remember Cell Phones can be rude, especially in the dark!) :) EDIT.. I see a lot of reviewers are recommending front of line passes. On a weekend, probably a good idea... except there will be so many people buying them, that they may not help much! If you can, go during the week... lines will be none to 15 minutes or so at the most! read more

Howl-O-Scream - Bored Vamps with a victim! (or me hamming it up with some pretty vamps!) - Haunted Houses Near Me - Tampa, Florida

First time coming to Howl-O-Scream...was super excited to bring my NY Halloween loving boyfriend with me. I am normally terrified of everything but decided to put on my big girl pants and go since he was excited to experience Halloween in Florida. I was disappointed in the scare zones, the walk through and the snacks. I was not scared the entire time, only time I was scared when someone from our group scared us coming out of the bathroom. The scare zones were very short with few actors that just stood around and tried to make loud noises. None of them were "scary" as staring is not the best scary tactic. Not sure if this was a Covid prevention tactic done by the park, but standing behind bushes with a light beaming up while you stare at guests is not scary. The food (pretzel & popcorn) at the kiosk were both luke warm at best. The thing I was most disappointed in was the "Fiends show". Was hoping it would be funny and entertaining but it was beyond distasteful, dirty and I felt like I needed a shower after watching the strip show. It was all nasty provocative dancing which I did not find entertaining but repellant. The only reason I gave it two stars is for the rides that were open in the park (all with hour+ wait and various ride shut downs throughout the evening) but was able to get on 3 rides during the evening. Overall disappointed and will likely be heading to Halloween Horror Nights for Halloween next year since they know how to put on a real "horror night". read more

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) So many amazing haunted houses! I loved the attention to detail. The decor in each was amazing. Being a zombie hunter in one with laser tag style gun that made a target on the zombies light up was great. The 3D clown colorful adventure was amazing too. And with all the actors running around the while park was haunted!!! I loved cheetah hunt. It really feels cheetahtastic as you whoosh along and accelerate in parts including along flats and up slopes. Doing Falcon's Fury as a VIP with absolutely no wait was nuts. Going up is a thrill. The views were amazing. And them free falling facing straight down is stupid fun! The Zambia Smokehouse food was quite good. And the hot caramel topped bread pudding was tasty. Afterwards I I didn't have room for pretzels from the other parts of the park, but they looked good too. I liked that there were ghouls doing bumper cars with us. The fog machine dance party flashing lights area was fantastic! I got dowwwwwn!!! So many freakish ghouls hiding out Around the park in great costumes, camouflage and acting in character and saying creepy stuff. It was hard to tell what was mannekin and what was Tampa nut job. :) The while experience was fantastic. I wore my 3D glasses from the colorful clown haunted house most of the time so I not only looked extra cool but was tripping out with colors and streaky lights and weird 3D red floating visions. What a contrast to the Christmas lights and decorations!!! The park was so well decorated and there was so much to see and do. I didn't even make any of the shows on offer! And people watching at the park was fun too. read more

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The park looks amazing and the wait times for the rides were decent. However the lines for the haunted house were insane. Luckily I was able to obtain one fast pass for any haunted house of my choice as complimentary after I complained about the horrendous traffic we faced. 2 HOURS!! They told us we should've planned to come earlier. First of all, I've been to the busiest days of the holidays to Disney and Universal Studios and Halloween Horror Nights. It's never this bad. They have police or staff helping to navigate the traffic and help people park to make it a quick and easy process. We were literally a 10 minute walking distance from the park when we faced a horrible traffic that lasted 2 HOURS. For what reason you ask?? Because there is absolutely NO ONE navigating the fucking traffic. No one guiding people where to go. Everyone cutting each other off. Not a single staff member in their little booth was helping to create a smooth and quick process. This was a horrendous mess of people going around in circles looking for parking in one area that the road led us to. But there was plenty of parking in another section that we ended coming across. Never again will I pay to come here for Howl o Scream. This shit was unacceptable. 2 hours and I tell you I am not even exaggerating. I was appalled by the lack of staff member or police helping to navigate the traffic. And client relations only offered us complimentary a single fast pass as a compensation. Weak. It's perhaps the very tiny bit they could do though. I did appreciate it however I was still very upset. Their excuse was that we should've planned ahead and that police didn't want anyone working to navigate guests in parking, that's it's a free for all, find your own parking. Bad excuse. Think twice before coming honestly. Nothing should take 2 hours to access that parking area when we were right there around the corner. I had one of my friends walk to the parking lot to see what was going on. Just chaos. read more

I went to Busch Gardens for Howl O' Scream and I was incredibly impressed with how Busch Gardens handled COVID-19. I normally haven't been going out at all because I have been very concerned with safety, but when I saw that masks and social distancing would be required, I decided to take a chance. Busch Gardens went above and beyond my expectations, even social distancing on the parking tram and all of the rides (only your party to a row, with an empty row between you and the next party). There were temperature checks as we went in, and everyone followed the mask rule (except for when they were in the no-mask zones, which were small and out of the way much like the smoking zones). There was a little less social distancing in the lines for rides, however, when I followed the distancing rules whoever was behind me always gave me space as well. It was a highly pleasurable experience. Bier Fest was going on at the same time, so there were plenty of snacks and alcoholic beverages to choose from, including the usual shots themed after the scare zones available at every snack/drink kiosk. There were also plenty of places to eat/drink out of the way, although there is no objection to people drinking as they walk. Roller coaster lines were, at the absolute longest at the very end of the night, 60 minutes long. For most of the evening though they were only 20-30 minutes. On how scary the event was, I can't say because I have never really been scared at any events like this, but I had a fun time joking with the scare actors. There were other people screaming though so I guess it depends on who you are. read more

I couldn't have been more dissapointed in this place. We've been to a couple of these throughout the years and this was by far the worst experience. We went to the kiosk to buy our tickets and they're $20 more expensive then getting them online. SO DO NOT BUY YOUR TICKETS AT THE KIOSK!!! we just used our phones to buy the tickets, this was so stupid Parking is $30 when you first enter the park there's no halloween theme until you walk towards the first scare zone, first impressions are important there were only 2 okay haunted houses. so if you plan on waiting an hour in line you might want to priortize Death water bayou and the forgotten. scare zones were so watered down. The houses themselves had fisher price props and not enough people working. There was too much park with dead zones where nothing was happening. This was a complete waste of money and I'm really sad cause previous years were so much fun (I didn't go last year), so maybe just pre-covid it was way better? Hats off to the staff though, every staff member we encountered were super friendly and helpful and for you zoomers that want to record the entire haunted house with your phone, stop living through your lens and live in the moment Save your money and find another park, trust me read more

What a dump. Don't waste your money. The only thing scary about this place is how much of a whore they are. Went Saturday. Expected it to be busy and it was. Rides were shut down, so you're paying for not even the full experience. Worst part was waiting an hour for a hot dog at dragon somethings. When we finally got our food and sat down; it was ice cold! $20 for a cold hot dog, cold Mac cheese, and cold fries. Marched back to the counter, demanded the manager feel the food, when I asked him what he felt he said "it's cold". Demanded we get our order right and re-fired. His response "it will be a half an hour". On what fucking planet does it take a half an hour to re-heat pre-made food? Just don't go. Go to Busch Gardens during the day when it's fun. Above all; don't piss away money at Busch Gardens. Ride the rides. Have fun. Enjoy their free water. read more

If I had known (or had it been posted ANYWHERE online) how many of the attractions were closed, I would not have bought a fast pass for my wife and myself for hallowscream on the last weekend. I get that the remodel in prepa for their Christmas season..... But that should be reflected in the price for a fast pass. We got to use it on 3 locations..... And we spent $130. Not cool Busch gardens. Either scale back the cost, or actually have your attractions open. Totally disappointed. read more

Howl-O-Scream is always so much fun!! It wasn't super busy when we went so the lines weren't crazy long. The houses are scary enough that even my skeptical father jumped and ended up stepping on my toe haha our favorite thing was the guys on stilts who would walk up behind you and look over you from above. Scared the crap out of us quite a few times! read more

Took my 8 year old last night because he really wanted to go and swore he wouldn't be scared. Big mom fail. The scary people were so nice and saw how terrified he was. They got down to his level and reassured him that it's all pretend and let him check out their props and masks. Thank you to the nice clown woman and clown on stilts for going above and beyond. They did a great job with the houses. So much detail and great acting. This was a great experience. We usually go to universal horror nights but this was just as good and way shorter lines! read more

2020 is definitely not the year to do this event. It was an extreme disappointment for our party of nine. I understand they couldn't do haunted houses, but basically we were told the park was at half capacity which they were NOT. The lines were ridiculous. We were also under the impression that the entire park was pretty much a big scare zone. The scare zones we went through were not even scary. I also understand that with social distancing to scare actors are not allowed to approach you or come anywhere near you, but I guess that took the novelty away from the fact that they were so far away from you, some of them even behind a fence or a prop, so you could see them from far away. Most of the food places were closed so in order to find food you had to walk pretty much on the other side of the park which was inconvenient since the Sky Ride was not operating. The water rides were not operating either. It just seemed like a waste of money this year when we have been going as a tradition every year for the past five years. Save your money and wait until they bring back the haunted houses. read more

Why 4 stars? Every October, it keeps me coming back! --- --- --- First of all, if you are going to Howl-O-Scream, especially on a weekend in late October, there is one VERY important bit of information to know: *****BUY A FRONT OF THE LINE PASS***** If you don't, plan on waiting in lines of approximately two hours for each haunted house. The houses are fun, but they are not worth two hour waits. Despite knowing that no one can touch you, there is definitely an adrenaline rush that comes from these haunted houses. Sometimes the characters hidden in the bushes throughout the park will get a good jump out of you. The only negative from Howl-O-Scream is the weird dreams that come that night. The images you'll see and the mindset you are in throughout the night can definitely take your mind to some strange places. read more