You guys already know that I am a HUGE fan of a good scare, especially at Halloween time, but I’m also *slightly* picky about my scares. I tend to have high standards when it comes to haunted attractions. Last week I was invited to a media preview for Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens as well as invited back for a second day to experience the full event. It is hands down my favorite Halloween event this year. I want to talk a little bit about why and then talk about the houses individually.
Before we get into all the details about the houses and scare zones, I want to give some general information about Howl-O-Scream this year. Howl-O-Scream is happening September 10- October 31st, Fridays & Saturdays from 7pm-1am and Thursdays & Sundays from 7pm-12am. This event has five houses, 8 scare zones, roaming hordes, two nighttime shows, and several thrilling attractions that remain open for Howl-O-Scream. Single night tickets start at $41.99 and extras are available to get you to the front of line. Not interested in scares? Head to Sesame Street Kid’s Weekends to enjoy a more family friendly version of Halloween fun.
I debated breaking each house down by how much I liked them, but I can honestly say that I loved every house equally. The detail and scare actors brought these cohesive stories to life and they were jam packed with great scares. We ultimately opted to go through each house twice because they were too good to only go through them once. So instead of breaking them down by how much I liked them, Im going to briefly go over the synopsis of each house before going into the scare zones.
NEW Witch of the Woods- Witch of the Woods is Howl-O-Scream’s newest house and it also happens to be the longest house they have ever created. This house will take you into a dark forest where the witch will lure you in.
NEW The Forgotten- This house takes you into the dark world of modern vampires. It has some of the best scares and the details in this house are absolutely insane.
NEW Cell Block Zombies- Cell Block Zombies shows you just what happens if those death row inmates could come back from beyond the grave for a taste of revenge.
Death Water Bayou- There is more than alligators in this swamp as a vicious Werewolf terrorizes you through the bayou.
The Residence- See just what happens to the picture perfect suburban life when it is transformed into a horror film. This is a classic haunted house and delivers on all the scares.
This year Howl-O-Scream has EIGHT scare zones, not including the roaming hordes that could pop out at any second. What I loved about the scare zones is they truly felt like mini outdoor houses with cohesive themes and great scare actors. My personal favorite was The Junkyard which felt the most immersive.
Another thing that made Howl so much more enjoyable is at no point while I was in the house did I feel rushed. They kept us nice and spaced out so we got individual scares instead of watching other people get scared. We opted to go on a Sunday night which I think was a great choice because it also resulted in smaller crowds and more scares for us. Overall, Howl-O-Scream is an incredible experience for an even better price. If you are trying to pick a halloween experience this one has my recommendation!
If you want to see more behind the scenes and details from Howl-O-Scream, head to my Instagram where you can check out TWO highlight bubbles dedicated to this event!
Marvelous Mrs. Morin 