The Sin City Zombies scare zone at Busch Garden Tampa Bay’s Howl-O-Scream event. (Source: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment)
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has just released new details of this year’s upcoming Howl-O-Scream, a separately ticketed event that takes place on select nights during spooky season, from September 8 through October 31, 2023.
The SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment-owned theme park announced the addition of an all-new haunted house, two new scare zones, and all-new interactive entertainment offerings; making for a grand total of six spine-tingling scare zones, five hair-raising haunted houses and four fearsome entertainment productions. On top of all that, guests get to experience the thrill of Florida’s wildest rides in the dark.
Some of previous years’ haunted houses will be returning with a vengeance, including as Stranglewood Estate, Witch of the Woods and The Residence: Home for the Holidays, as will Howl-O-Scream’s infamous scare zones, including The Junkyard, Beyond the Veil, The Shortcut and Ravens Mill. These returning fan favorites will be well-complemented by the addition of this year’s brand-new and reimagined attractions, including:
All-New and Revamped Haunted Houses:
D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear (All-new) – Come one, come all, to the most bone-chilling big-top performance you’ve ever seen. Ringmaster D.H. Baggum has all of his various monstrosities on display, a menagerie that’s sure to make your spine tingle and your blood run cold!
The Forgotten: Uprising (Revamped) – Be Brave. Be Fearless. Survive the Night. Rise up against horrifying hordes of vampires before they take back the city and kill every human that gets in their way.
All-New Scare Zones:
Big Ed’s Demolition Derby – Step into the twisted and adrenaline-fueled world of Big Ed’s Demolition Derby. He has pulled together some of the roughest, toughest, and meanest baddies from all over Howl-O-Scream and brought them here to battle it out—but, there’s always room for some unexpected guests. Step up and see how long you can survive while navigating this automotive nightmare.
Sin City Zombies – On the outskirts of the Las Vegas Strip sits a dilapidated motel that housed some of the best entertainers to ever live, now inhabited by packs of zombies who run rampant through its halls. Try your luck and hope your number wins because this is one town where you don’t want to lose the game.
The Demolition Derby scare zone at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Howl-O-Scream after-hours event. (Source: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment)
Eerie Entertainment Options
An all-new show performed live at the Festival Fields stage, Rock the Grave is an explosive, high-energy production that blends classic rock, alternative and pop music hits into one mesmerizing Howl-O-Scream experience. Rising from the grave, this year’s event will feature high-octane, pulse-pounding performances by returning band The Rolling Bones at Dragon Fire Grill. Elsewhere, at the Stanleyville Theater, Cirque X-Scream will expose audiences to a series of death-defying (or, perhaps, deathly) acts and stunts.
This year, attendees will also be able to step behind the mic as part of the after-hours event’s all-new “Scare-E-Oke” experience, taking place in Gwazi Plaza. Guests can select their song of choice and walk away with a commemorative photo of their participation. Meanwhile, at the Coke Canopy, guests can dance the night away until the clock strikes twelve in the all-new Raveyard,an electrifying venue filled with music and specialty cocktails.
Visit the Howl-O-Scream website for all the details on this year’s event and to take advantage of a limited-time “Monster Sale” offer that can save you up to 65 percent off the price of admission when you purchase your tickets by August 20, 2023.
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