Roaming Hordes, Demon Dolls Create Howl-O-Scream Scares

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents who don’t mind enduring a nightmare or two might want to jot down a few upcoming nights in their calendars. It’s almost time for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Howl-O-Scream to make its debut.

This year’s event features seven haunted houses – two of which are brand new. It also follows an “Evil Encore” theme, complete with a backstory creepy enough to keep the skittish awake at night.

Busch Gardens explains:

Mr. Karver put his heart and soul into his dolls. After the authorities came to close him down, Karver locked himself in his “Hall Of Dolls” and burned it to the ground. Now, the dummies are back and they insist the show must go on. It’s the encore no one asked for, and it’s about to bring down the house, forever. It’s the Evil Encore everyone is dying to see.

Evil Encore at Howl-O-Scream runs for 21 nights this fall. The two new haunted houses are:

• Motel Hell, where guests who enter “will find themselves face-to-face with their worst nightmares and inescapable fate.”
• The Black Spot. This house of horrors is where infamous pirate Saw Tooth Silas sends victims marked for death. “The trick lies within the dimly lit corners of the mysterious hideaway, holding the secret to escape … or demise," a statement from Busch Gardens said.

Howl-O-Scream visitors not brave enough to enter the haunted houses will find no corner of the park is technically “safe.” The park promises roaming hordes are “infesting Howl-O-Scream at an unstoppable rate.”

Evil Encore makes its debut during the annual Freaky Preview set for Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24. The separate ticketed event's normal run is set for select nights between Sept. 29 and Oct. 30. Hours run from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Four-pack ticket deals start at $35.99 a person, plus tax. Reduced-price advanced tickets are also available online along with specials for Busch Gardens Pass Members. For more details on ticketing, visit Busch Gardens online.

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens