Howl-O-Scream 2025 at Busch Gardens Tampa Delivers Big Scares and Incredible Value

By Grant Duvall. Photos by Ellie Logan

On Friday, September 5, Ellie Logan and I were invited to attend the 2025 edition of Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa. I had been to Busch Gardens several times, but I had never been to Howl-O-Scream. When asked if I would check it out, I had to jump at the opportunity. As a lover of haunts, I couldn’t wait to see what this one was about!

Once we arrived, we were treated to some cocktails as well as a black hot dog with a shishito pepper on it called a Slaughter Dog. Everything tasted great and was a nice start to the adventure. As soon as the haunt began, we rushed off to see what was in store.

Several scare zones are spread around the park. These are relatively far apart, which allows for breathers between them as well as keeping the numerous animals in the park undisturbed.

Sawgrass Slaughter: Legend of the Skunk Ape involves the Florida version of Bigfoot. This was a smaller scare zone, populated by bloodied scientists searching for the elusive skunk ape. The creature itself was several feet tall and genuinely intimidating. Ragnar’s Wrath features evil Vikings, although when we visited it started raining so the zone wasn’t as populated.

One of my favorites was Breadcrumbs to Nowhere, a violent version of Hansel and Gretel. This had some of the best interaction as well as the creepiest makeup.

Murders at Buckshot Ridge is a more traditional scare zone themed to a haunted campsite. Sliding scare actors and classic jump scares filled this area.

The most unique zone was The Pestilence, filled with plague doctors in an apocalyptic city. Because it is tucked away in an enclosed section of the park, you could easily miss it, but it felt like its own haunted maze that you could linger in. It was huge, and while most scare zones were smaller, all of them were well done and really came to life once the darkness enveloped the park.

Five haunted houses are offered this year. The longest one, and arguably the best, is Stranglewood Estate. It is a haunted manor theme, which can be overdone, but here the set decoration was immaculate and convincing. At one point, we even had to crawl through. Were there scare actors waiting? I will let you find out. This house was a highlight, and Ellie screamed more than once.

Shadows of Wonderland was incredible, a terrifying version of Alice in Wonderland. The makeup and costuming were phenomenal, with some interactive elements. The mirror maze section in particular has to be seen to be believed.

D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear is filled with evil clowns and oddities. While a little short, it captured the vibe of a classic circus. The actors were fun and the creatures and oddities were so well designed that I found myself staring in awe.

Raven’s Mill: Lambs to the Slaughter is not for the squeamish. All I will say is: slaughterhouse. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Last but not least is M.A.R.S., set inside an alien research spaceship overtaken by creatures. This house was short but packed with scares and incredible creature effects. Overall, all five houses were top-notch and distinct enough not to blend together, which is something other haunts sometimes struggle with.

Two stage shows are offered, Cirque X-Scream, a stunt show, and The Reckoning, a dance performance. We did not catch them this time because we were so busy with the other offerings, but guests in line raved about how much fun they were.

Of course, we could not go to Busch Gardens without riding some coasters. Ellie and I braved several in the dark, which made them even more thrilling. With shorter wait times than usual, you can ride all night even if you are not a haunt fan.

Howl-O-Scream is a fantastic event, and I regret that as a Florida resident since 2014 I had never experienced it before. Ticket prices vary by night from $51 to $64, making it an incredible bang for the buck. With so much to do including rides, shows, scares, and food, one night is not enough.