Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream Halloween Celebrations 2022

At Busch Gardens in 2022, they are celebrating Howl-O-Scream for 29 select nights (1 more than last year) on the following dates:

• September 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30
• October 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

For the first time in 2022, there are two Howl-O-Scream events and two Spooktacular events in Florida. Last year Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream was joined by its sister park, SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream with their own version and this year Busch Gardens introduces its first day time family friendly Spooktacular event to compliment the long running SeaWorld Spooktacular.

As well as tickets to the Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream event you can also buy a two park ticket and enjoy one Howl-O-Scream night at Busch Gardens and another at SeaWorld Orlando.

If you are looking for a family friendly alternative, then there is SeaWorld’s Spooktacular, the first Busch Gardens Spooktacular and LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat which are are all included in the standard admission or Magic Kingdom’s Disney’s Not So Scary Halloween Party which is a separately ticketed event.

Howl-O-Scream dates for 2022

This is a separately ticketed event and the event starts at 7:00 p.m. and closes at 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 12:00 pm. on Thursdays and Sundays. This also gives you a chance to ride the roller coasters like Tigris, Iron Gwazi, SheiKra and Cheetah Hunt in the dark.

Day guests have to vacate the park by 6 p.m. On Howl-O-Scream nights though the event does not start until 7:00 p.m. Howl-O-Scream ticket holders can enter after 5 p.m.

Day guests who also have a ticket for Howl-O-Scream can enter the Howl-O-Scream area through designated locations. Bear in mind that you are not allowed to enter Howl-O-Scream in a costume, particularly if you have attended Busch Gardens’s Spooktacular the same day.

Note that once Howl-O-Scream starts you cannot leave the park and then re-enter it.

Howl-O-Scream Rides

Some of Busch Gardens other attractions remain open during Howl-O-Scream including:

• SheiKra
• Cheetah Hunt
• Kumba
• Montu
• Cobra’s Curse
• Tigris
• Iron Gwazi
• Scorpion
• Sand Serpent

This is a great opportunity to ride some of Busch Gardens amazing roller coasters at night with shorter wait queues.

You may even find you are joined on one of the rides by one of the scare actors!

Crash Test Clowns returns to the Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars attraction where you can ride the dodgem bumper cars with zombie clowns.

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream Shows

This year there are four live action shows; three returning favourites including Dr. Freakensteins’s Fiends Show and a new show called “50/50: Choose Your Fate” makes its first appearance.

Fiends Show

First reintroduced in 2014 is the adult humoured dance party show called Fiends featuring Dr. Freakenstein and his naughty nurses which in prior years was performed at the Stanleyville Theater.

For 2020 it became an outdoor show at the Festival Field Stage near to Iron Gwazi and it has remained there since then. In 2022 it runs at 9:30 and 11:00 p.m.

There is a special Fiends VIP Seating upgrade that gives you the best seats in the house and includes a complimentary drink at the exclusive Fiends VIP show bar.

The Rolling Bones

There is a skeleton rock cover band called “The Rolling Bones” that performs at the Dragon Fire Grill near the Scorpion roller coaster.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Cirque X-Scream

Cirque X-Scream appears each event night at 7:30 p.m. at the Stanleyville Theater featuring aerial acrobats and trampoline tricks.

50/50: Choose Your Fate

The new 50/50: Choose Your Fate show runs at 7:30 p.m., 8:15 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 10:45 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

It is located near to Iron Gwazi and it is a game show where the host gets to choose your fate so make sure you win!

Howl-O-Scream Houses and Scare Zones

For 2022 there are again five houses of which one is brand new (Busch Gardens “lands” in brackets) and others have been re-themed:

• NEW Stranglewood Estate (in Egypt) — enter a once lively home, now filled with darkness and evil
• Death Water Bayou: Blood Moon: The Final Phase (in Nairobi) — watch out for werewolves on the hunt for human flesh during the blood moon
• The Residence: Home for the Holidays (in Pantopia) — discover the domestic demons in the Clark families suburban home
• The Forgotten (in Tigris) — enter an underground vampire realm where you are stalked by a swarm of starving vampires
• Witch of the Woods (in Bird Gardens) — do you dare to explore the abandoned village deep in the dark woods

A total of seven scare zones are also planned plus an unmarked hidden zone:

• NEW Beyond the Veil — fairies and orcs in a dark forest
• The Junkyard — beware as you navigate a scrap yard
• In The Shadows — ghost stories in the woods
• Skeleton Crew — shipwrecked pirates
• The Shortcut — corpses rise from the graves in this cemetery
• Voodoo — witchdoctors and dark magic
• NEW Ravens Mill — scary scarecrows in the corn fields

As you walk around Howl-O-Scream, do not be surprised to be chased by roaming hordes of scare actors masquerading as zombies, deranged clowns and werewolves.

You can buy a No Boo Necklace to advise the scare actors not to frighten you but you cannot wear it in the houses or on the rides.

You can also buy an Interactive Skull Lanyard that interacts at different locations throughout the park with custom lights and fog effects.

Howl-O-Scream Food & Drink

As well as the special food and drink locations during Howl-O-Scream, several of the regular quick-service restaurants remain open including Chick-Fil-A.

There are a number of full-service liquor bars and beer tents throughout the park serving a range of alcoholic beverages including special signature potions like “Karver’s Creation” and “Evil Encore” and syringe jello shots.

The bars include:

• Day of the Dead Bar
• Apocalypse Bar
• Twisted Tails
• Stranglewood Bar

The “Blood Bar” returns, located by “The Forgotten” haunted house. Here you can buy drink in authentic looking blood bags.

You can also buy halloween themed merchandise at places like the suitably blood spattered “Mandy’s Meat Market: We’re a cut above the rest”.

Howl-O-Scream Front Line Fear

There are two “Front Line Fear” passes that give you single-use front-of-line access to five houses.

The Extreme Front of Line Fear Pass also gives you single-use front-of-line access a number of thrill rides; namely Falcon’s Fury, Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra, Montu, Kumba, Cobra’s Curse, Tigris & Iron Gwazi.

Prices of Front Line Fear passes vary by date with Saturdays typically being the most expensive.

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream Special Ticket Offers and Deals

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay often run special discounted prices for people who purchase their Howl-O-Scream tickets early (May/June time).

Right now they are several special Monster Sale deals:

• Save up to 55% on a one day ticket — offer expires soon
• Save 20% on an unlimited admission ticket — offer expires soon
• Save 45% on a Night & Day ticket — offer expires soon
• Save 35% on a two park admission ticket — offer expires soon
• Save over 30% on a two park unlimited admission ticket — offer expires soon
• Save over 60% on single night large group tickets — offer expires soon

Note savings are based on general admission prices.

Expired Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream Offers and Deals

Below are listed recently expired deals:

• Save over 65% on 1 or 2 single night tickets – offer ended May 13, 2022
• Save 40% on an unlimited admission ticket — offer ended
• Save over 50% on a two park admission ticket — offer ended
• Save 40% on a two park unlimited admission ticket — offer ended
• Save up to 70% on single night large group tickets — offer ended
• Save on group tickets for 4 or more — offer ended 23 October 2022

Howl-O-Scream 2022 Ticket Prices

Single night ticket prices start from $29.99 but prices go up after the introductory period. All prices are plus tax.

This is a separately ticketed event and Fun Card and Annual Pass holders also have to buy a ticket though discounts of around 10% are usually available.

If you are with a group of friends, Busch Gardens has in the past offered a group 4-Pack ticket where you could buy four or more tickets at a reduced price but that option is no longer available.

However larger groups of 15 or more can still get discounts.

When one day is not enough, then there used to be a Wicked Weekend ticket. This was excellent value as it gave you one weekend (four consecutive days, Thursday through Sunday) of unlimited daytime admission plus Howl-O-Scream event admission over that same period when open (two or three days depending upon dates). This ticket is no longer available.

Passport Members can get special discounts.

Standard single night tickets are only valid on the date chosen at time of purchase.

Note that Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream events and SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream events take place on the same nights mostly.

Howl-O-Scream VIP Guided Tours

For the ultimate experience, Busch Gardens used to offer a choice of VIP guided tours (but it appears the standard VIP Guided Tour is no longer available since 2021):

• VIP Guided Tour — includes the Howl-O-Scream admission ticket with a three hour exclusive group tour with a Howl-O-Scream Insider guide, front-of-line access to select houses, private complimentary beverage stations with beer, soda and water and complimentary photo
• Ultimate VIP Guided Tour — all the benefits of the VIP Guided Tour package with a seven hour exclusive personalised group tour, unlimited front-of-line access to haunted houses and thrill rides, private complimentary beverage locations including beer, wine, water and soft drinks, complimentary photo and reserved seating at the Fiends show and complimentary preferred parking (if available)

Both VIP Tours include admission tickets to the Howl-O-Scream event.

For those of a more nervous disposition, you can take a Behind the Scenes Tour which gives you a daytime lights on tour of one of the houses.