The video above is from 2022.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — Busch Gardens is celebrating 25 years of Howl-O-Scream this year.
Starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, the music will quickly change and the ghouls will come out, as the park shifts into scary time.
Howl-O-Scream debuted back in 1999, not too long after the release of “The Blair Witch Project,” a cultural phenomenon that had audiences wondering if the film’s events actually real did happen.
It turned out to be great timing, as the first year of Howl-O-Scream saw a 20 percent increase in the park’s October attendance, per a Washington Post article from the time.
And going back and watch footage of the park’s first haunted houses, The Curse of Pompeii and The Dark Tower, you get a Blair Witch vibe, with video shot on a grainy hand camera, well before social media as we know it.
In the two-plus decades since, Howl-O-Scream has grown well beyond just a handful of haunted attractions, becoming well known for monsters jumping out at unsuspecting victims even outside of the park’s designated haunted houses.
This year includes five different haunted houses and six different “terror-tories,” designated scare zones in the park that don’t require waiting in line.
Here’s what to expect:
New haunted houses
Clown Town – “Having been deemed ‘too terrifying’ for the park, the clowns of Busch Gardens’ Festa Italia village were cast out. Now, shunned and vengeful, these twisted jesters have forged their own dark domain – CLOWN TOWN.”
Monster Manor – “The Doctor is in! The anatomy of evil has been perfected, and the Doctor is bringing his dark arts into grotesque reality! Within his chilling laboratory, he weaves unspeakable horrors, transforming hapless victims into monstrous creations.”
Above: Howl-O-Scream 2013
New terror-tories
The Bash – “Howl-O-Scream characters from years past have been summoned to France for a sinister celebration marking 25 years of Fears. The air is thick with dread as these malevolent monsters converge for a night of ghastly revelry. Dare to join the horrifying reunion and face the legends of horror that refuse to rest.” That includes Howl-O-Scream icon, Jack O’ Lantern.
Stalker Street: “As darkness falls, New France transforms into a nightmarish realm where terror reigns supreme. The townsfolk barricade themselves in their homes, while sinister scarecrows stalk the deserted streets, hunting for their next victim. Enter if you dare and navigate the shadows where every rustle and whisper could be your last.”
There’s also a new show called Fiends: The FREAKquel at the Abbey Stone Theatre in Ireland, featuring the Creature of the Black Lagoon and more. That joins returning favorites Monster Stomp on Ripper Row, Phantoms of the Festhaus and Skeletones.
Meanwhile Busch Gardens also says its Lost Mines, Death Water Bayou KILLarney DInEr haunted houses have also been revamped for 2024.
You can learn more about this year’s festivities, including special deals and other info at Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream page.
