2021 Howl-O-Scream Features 3 New Heart-Stopping Haunted Houses

TAMPA, FL — That screaming you hear as you enter Busch Gardens Tampa isn't only coming from the thrill seekers as the Tigris roller coaster drops 150 feet at 62 mph.

There's also plenty of screaming taking place in the five haunted houses and eight haunted zones that make up the theme park's annual Halloween extravaganza, Howl-O-Scream.

Busch Gardens Tampa kicked off 28 killer nights of frights Friday when it premiered the third-best Halloween event in the nation, according to USA Today's 10 Best Reader Choice.

Described as the scariest Howl-O-Scream to date, this year's event features three all-new haunted houses and three new scare zones.

Park guests will encounter zombies, deranged clowns, werewolves and ghoulish hordes lurking in the darkness as they explore the eight scare zones and five haunted houses.

Additionally, the theme park is offering some "killer" entertainment this Halloween season with the return of "Fiends!" to the Festival Field in which the deranged doctor takes his motley crew on a wild vacation to Las Vegas, and "The Rolling Bones," which will perform epic rock anthems at Dragon Fire Grill.

New this year is:

Witch of the Woods in which an ominous legend with an inescapable curse summons visitors into a dark forest. With each step deeper into the woods, the prospect of survival quickly fades as demonic disciples hunt wandering intruders through their abandoned village. Human sacrifices are chased to the witch’s altar, where dark fates are sealed with more than spells.

The Forgotten draws victims into a hidden world beyond the rubble and rocks of an unsuspecting quarry, where dark secrets lurk in the shadows. Just beyond a hidden gutter entrance, the legend of the human uprising is revealed as a swarm of starving vampires plot their imminent revenge.

Cell Block Zombies welcomes visitors to Purgatory Penitentiary, where afterlife sentences are served with a vengeance. Incarceration is just the beginning, as maniacal guards shuffle fresh meat down dark and lawless paths for processing. Surviving the prison yard leads to maximum security and confinement that is anything but solitary. There are only two options for inmates here: breakout alive or be devoured in detention.

Recurring nightmare encounters include:

Death Water Bayou: Blood Moon in which the voodoo chants have died off, replaced by blood-curdling howls. Dark magic has manifested into darker curses, as ravenous werewolves claw their way through the bayou on the hunt for human flesh. Beneath the midnight sky, the moonlight reveals glowing eyes, bloodstained teeth and an inescapable fate for all who enter the swamp.

The Residence, a suburban home that paints a pretty picture on its eerily quiet street but open the front door and discover the domestic demons that lie beneath.

Additionally, Busch Gardens' mad scientists have introduced three new scare zones:

Voodoo: Driven out of the bayou by ravenous werewolves, the witch doctors now practice their dark magic on innocent visitors as they pursue their twisted revenge through ancient curses.

Skeleton City: Rising from their watery grave, shipwrecked pirates seek to plunder the world of the living, taking all lost souls as their bounty.

In the Shadows: Eerie legends and horrifying myths passed down through centuries of ghost stories have gathered in the woods, turning wary skeptics into doomed believers.

Visitors can choose their poison and refuel at the Blood Bar where sinister creatures serve up bewitching brews including:

• Swamp Water — Milagro tequila, Flor de Caña rum, Beefeater gin, Monin granny apple
• Witch’s Brew — Tito’s vodka, Blue Curacao, grenadine, cranberry juice
• The Bite Jell-O Syringe Shot — Milagro tequila and berry Jell-O
• Plus a selection of beer, hard seltzers and spirits.

The Shop of Horrors features the latest Howl-O-Scream fashions including shirts, hats, ghoulish sweatshirts and haunting gifts.

Additionally, visitors can test their luck at DarkHeart’s Games of Skill, located in Pantopia, featuring plethora of classic and new-age carnival games.

Howl-O-Scream runs each Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Thursday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to midnight through Oct. 31.

Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore and blood. No costumes are allowed.

Tickets are priced separately from entrance to the theme park and start at $41.99. Click here for tickets.