affiliate links in this post and on this site
Howl-O-Scream® is back for 2022 starting select nights September 9 to October 31, 2022
Your fate awaits with five haunted houses, five terror-tories™, four sinister shows, two party zones and six menacing BOOze bars and bites to fuel the fear and tackle the night’s frights. This year there are three NEW haunted houses and three NEW terror-tories! Beyond the haunts, guests can take horror to new heights with nighttime rides on eight world-class coasters, including the all-new Pantheon.
For Busch Gardens ticket discounts visit here.
Now for what is going on this year at Howl-O-Scream! If you have not yet been to Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream here is a breakdown of the event. The park turns into Terror-tories™ and Haunted Houses to scare you as you walk through the park. It really is fantastic. The scary stuff starts at 6 pm so before that make sure to bring the kids to Counts Spooktacular. After 6 pm it is really not for little kids – but most teens really like it and adults have a great time!
Haunted Houses in Howl-O-Scream 2022
First let’s start with the 5 Haunted Houses for 2022
- Killarney Diner: What say, Daddy-O? What say, Daddy-O? Will you make it through your meal before becoming the flavor of tomorrow’s blue plate special? Order’s up: now serving you with a side of demise. Is this a good one to go through…yes!
- Nevermore Chapter 2: A disturbing new chapter in the Nevermore saga has been unveiled, wreaking horror and havoc for the nobility and townsmen alike. The gothic nightmare reads on as tales of torment and terror take frightening form. Explore a world where literature comes to life and Poe’s poignant prose takes on an even darker reality.
- NEW! Death Water Bayou: The sounds of the carnival celebration grow faint as you are beckoned deeper into the bayou by an unseen force. The cursed hands rise out of the swamp, reaching in desperation for their next devilish devotee. Beware of the bayou, or fall victim to the horrors cast by the swamp’s sinister citizens.
- NEW! Inferno: When death is only the beginning, there’s no end to the scorching terror in sight. As the ground opens to the fiery torments of the dead, your only hope for escape is to journey further into this twisted domain. Descend deep into the pits of Lucifer’s lair to find your way out but beware– the underworld’s demonic horde is yearning for your soul.
- Witch of the Woods: Legend tells of the old Witch of the Woods, who descended upon the ancient village and wreaked havoc. Nobody alive has seen her, but if you’re brave enough to travel the woods at night, it’s said that you can hear her chanting and crying out to the skies. Those who give in to her control become her disciples, and those who don’t…inevitably meet the same fate. But this is only a story, right?
Terror-tories at Howl-O-Scream for 2022
Howl-O-Scream has five Terror-tories and a roaming horde of monsters with chainsaws. The Terror-tories are sections of the park that you walk though…but beware…there are scary characters all about waiting to terrorize you!
NEW! Dead A-Head: Location: France
The bloodied bodies of the beheaded are lurking through the streets of France seeking revenge for their bludgeoned fate. Beware of your surroundings– one wrong move and it could be your head on the chopping block.
NEW! Gorgon Gardens – Location: Italy Gardens
Don’t look too closely– staring straight into the soul-less eyes of these serpent sisters leads to venomous consequences and a stone-cold eternity. There’s no escaping these sinister sirens once you’ve been added to their succulent garden of souls.
NEW! Scary Tale Road – Location: Rhinefield
Once upon a time, these fairy tale fantasies lured you to sleep with picturesque places and harmonious heroes. Survival is slim as these childhood icons have been ripped from the pages and are now haunting your dreams.
Meat Market – Location: New France
Fresh meat! The denizens of this devious dwelling are serving up delectable delicatessen and gorging on human hors d’oeuvres.
Ripper Row – Location: England
Don’t wander the streets of Whitechapel after dark – you never know who you might run in to. Murder, mayhem, and mistaken identities abound in the back alleys of this English town.
Roaming Hack Pack – Location: Where you least expect it
This roaming horde of monsters has one objective— to remind the most confident and unsuspecting guests that there is no place to hide at Howl-O-Scream®. You may hear the roar of their chainsaws coming, or you might not…
Shows for 2022 Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens
Don’t miss this year’s four spirited productions that are said to be “worth dying for.” Guests can enjoy showtimes throughout the day in indoor theatres and in Ireland village. Keep reading to see more about each one.
Skeletones – This lively brass quartet leaves nothing but bones on San Marco stage in Festa Italia. Take a break from the scares with this spooky ensemble.
Monster Stomp® on Ripper Row – Opens September 29
This modern rock and rhythm spectacular features Jack the Ripper like you’ve never seen him before. Electrifying percussion, dynamic dance and sensational singing return to Globe Theatre stage in a pulse-pounding revue.
Jack is Back – The popular disco dance celebration returns to Ireland village with pumpkins, scarecrows and Howl-O-Scream’s® legendary character, Jack.
Phantoms of the Festhaus – This isn’t your typical singing contest. Join the living audience as a NEW lineup of your favorite ghouls take on spooky hits, and the winner is put to vote. The more spirited the audience is, the more exciting the competition is.
Party Zones
Heartbeats and pulses aren’t the type of rhythms these DJs are throwing. Head over to a Party Zone for a Halloween party full of dancing and music.
NEW! DJ Marie Antoinette Party Zone – A Queen’s duty is never done – even after death. Revel in the streets of France as the bourgeoisie soirée like it’s 1793.
NEW! DJ Masquerade Party Zone – MasqueRAVE with your fellow ghouls and goblins in Festa Italia like it’s the last night of your life, because it very well may be.
BOOze Bars at Howl-O-Scream 2022
BOOZE BARS – Stop by one of the four themed BOOze bars located throughout the park for liquid courage to tackle your greatest fears. Become the mastermind behind the scares at the interactive Control Bar, where guests can initiate scares in different villages and houses with the push of a button.
Stop by one of the six themed BOOze bars located throughout the park for liquid courage and a sinister snack to tackle your greatest fears.
NEW! Stone-Cold Spirits – Italy Gardens
NEW! Pete’s Provisions – New France
Back Alley Bar – England
Jack’s Nightcap – Ireland
Frost Bar – Oktoberfest
BarKastle Spirits – Oktoberfest
Control Lab at Inoculation is your chance to take part in the scares. By the push of a button you can activate a scare and watch as your victim jumps out of their skin. 5 scares is $3 or 10 scares for $5.
Don’t forget to stop by some of the shops for Halloween swag including shirts, decorations, jewelry, and much more. We are loving this fun bag.
There are absolutely no costumes allowed in the park for the general public. But if you want to join in the Halloween fun, we would recommend getting your face airbrushed. I had my whole face done in under 5 minutes. It is easy, silly and you look crazy in selfies which is great fun.
Howl-O-Scream opens September 9 and will run on select days through October 31. Get your tickets NOW!
Busch Gardens becomes a seriously scary place at 6 p.m. when the Howl-O-Scream haunts come out. Guests should consider the park’s elevated scare factor when deciding whether Howl-O-Scream is appropriate for young children after 6 pm. If your little ones do not like scary creatures coming at them with chainsaws, or creatures jumping out from the woods, then you might plan to end your visit at 5:45 pm. They will have a great time during the day and for older kids, teen and adults – Howl-O-Scream is a great time anytime!
The Count’s Spooktacular at Busch Gardens 2022
During the daytime Howl-O-Scream has lots of fun kid friendly activities including trick or treating, hay maze, character fun and more. Learn about Howl-O-Scream for younger kids here at The Count’s Spooktacular on Saturdays and Sundays Sept 24 – Oct 30, 2022.
Countdown to Halloween Weekend, Sept. 24 – 25: Join Count von Count as he kicks off the first weekend of The Count’s Spooktacular at Busch Gardens! Activities include trick-or-treating throughout the entire park, special Halloween arts and crafts, a costume dance party with some of your favorite Sesame Street® friends, and more.
Funny Bones Weekend, Oct. 1 – 2: Elmo and Zoe are ready for the Halloween season dressed in their favorite skeleton costumes. Kids will enjoy Halloween crafts, dance parties with Elmo and Zoe, special photo opportunities, and searching high & low for hidden skeletons in the hay maze.
Clowning Around Weekend, Oct. 8-9: Come clown around with Cookie Monster and Grover in your favorite Halloween costume. Shimmy and shake at the dance parties, enjoy arts and crafts, and search for hidden friendly monsters in the hay maze. Plus, catch the family ever-favorite Countdown to Halloween show!
Pirate Party Weekend, Oct. 15-16: Ahoy, mateys! Arrrgh you ready for a pirate party with your Sesame Street friends? Join Bert and Ernie in your best costume as you dance, explore the hay maze, and enjoy arts and crafts. Be on the lookout for candy treasures at ten trick-or-treating stations throughout the park!
Magical Halloween Weekend, Oct. 22-23: Join in the magic of Halloween with wizard Elmo and knight Cookie Monster for a weekend filled with costumed dance parties, arts and crafts, special photo opportunities, and fun in the hay maze. Don’t forget to participate in the park-wide trick-or-treating!
Halloween Weekend, Oct. 29-30: Celebrate Halloween Weekend with your Sesame Street friends and have a not-too-spooky good time! Spend the last weekend of The Count’s Spooktacular trick-or-treating your way through the park. Get groovy at the dance party and showcase your costume at the parade. The fun continues with special photo opportunities, arts and crafts, and making your way through the hay maze.
For more information visit Busch Gardens. For the latest discounts on tickets visit our Busch Gardens Ticket Discount post HERE.
We hope this review helped you decide to enjoy Howl-O-Scream with your family this season. It is a scream-fest-of-a-good-time – it’s official..we love it!
Want to read more about Busch Gardens? Check out our other Unofficial Guides:
Busch Garden: Unofficial Guide (great tips from locals)
Busch Garden’s Food & Wine Festival Unofficial Guide
WilliamsburgFamilies.com is a member of the Thrill Chasers™ Blogger Ambassador team and is invited to attend new ride and show openings as well as review food and events at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.
