Is there anything better than rollercoasters and exotic animals? Only rollercoasters and exotic animals with a man dressed like a zombified clown jumping out at you, of course! This year, I attended Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream for the first time. Not only was this my first time experiencing this particular event at the park, but it was my first time at a haunted house or any kind of scary event. As someone who has to watch something as tame as “Stranger Things” with the lights on, I most certainly howled and screamed.
The 25th rendition of Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream features 5 walk-through themed ‘haunted house’ attractions, 8 scare zones along the paths of the park, a special circus show in the Stanleyville Theater and a dinner show in Dragon Fire Grill. Only 1 of the houses are brand new, with one other house being a re-imagined version of another house. All 8 scare zones are unique to this year, however.
I went on a Sunday night 2 weeks before Halloween, so crowds were not quite at their peak for this event. Based on my experience with Busch Gardens, I did not find it any more crowded than a normal day. We got there right as the park was closing for the regular day, at 6 p.m. With the park pretty empty as people were leaving for the day, but before the Howl-O-Scream people arrived, we were able to walk onto Montu. We waited a little more than an hour for Cheetah Hunt, which can be expected as the park’s staple attraction. Later in the night, I was able to get on Tigris in about 10 minutes. If you are going to be attempting to ride coasters, plan to get there early and prioritize which ones you cannot leave without riding. The experience has a whole is so large that you need to do your research before-hand to make sure you are able to do everything you would like to do.
My personal favorite house was “Shadows of Wonderland”, a dark Alice in Wonderland themed haunt. While this was not the scariest house, I really enjoyed the theming. The dark hallways were decorated to look like a forest with knarled stumps and tall bushes demonic rabbits would jump out of. Then, we transitioned to Wonderland where we were met with a room full of heads in the Queen of Hearts palace. Throughout my walkthrough, I found myself wishing I could slow down and enjoy the decor. I’m a scaredy cat, so I thought this house was plenty frightening. However, the people I was with were not scared at all. So, if you are looking for a thrilling, heart-pounding haunt this may not be the house for you. If you love a good story and good theming, make sure Shadows of Wonderland is on your list of houses to hit.
Even with light crowds, I have to recommend prioritizing certain houses over others. Before going, look over the list of attractions and select the ones you find interesting. Howl-O-Scream has so much to offer that you simply will not be able to do everything. That being said, if you are free this Hallows-Eve, Howl-O-Scream 25 at Busch Gardens is a must-do event.
