Exploring Haunted Houses at Busch Gardens
đź“Ť 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612
Each year Busch Gardens puts on a spooky Halloween event called Howl-O-Scream, full of haunted houses and scare zones. This year, Chris and I decided to check it out. I’ve been to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights a couple of times before, so I was familiar with these kinds of events, but I wanted to try something new, and honestly, we weren’t disappointed!
From the moment we arrived, we were met with chainsaw-wielding horror actors in terrifying masks, smoke machines firing off everywhere, and a loud soundtrack booming all around the park, changing with each different scare zone. The whole place was bathed in eerie red lights that lit up the paths winding between the haunted houses. There were five haunted houses and five scare zones in total.
The haunted houses were all indoors, walk-through style, usually based on a spooky story. There were plenty of jump scares, loads of themed decor, mist swirling around, and actors fully in character. The scare zones, on the other hand, are bigger outdoor spaces with immersive themes. The actors would sometimes follow you or engage in ways that suited their characters. Like in Ragnar’s Wrath, everything was Viking-themed, with actors whispering Norse phrases and occasionally shouting things like “Ragnar comes for all!”
My favourite scare zone was Sawgrass Slaughter: Legend of the Skunk Ape. The swampy, mist-filled environment perfectly captured that eerie wilderness vibe, and I even caught a glimpse of the elusive Skunk Ape itself!
As for the haunted houses, Stranglewood Estate was my top pick. The story behind it is pretty chilling. Madame Stranglewood, who once owned the grand estate, would lure her servants into a hidden room in the basement. There, she tortured and killed them, trapping their spirits in eternal torment. Once she met her own untimely demise she remained in the manor, haunting it forever.
It genuinely felt like wandering through a real haunted mansion, with floating candles and pictures that I swear moved when I wasn’t looking. There were plenty of ghostly apparitions too. Thank goodness it was only make-believe, otherwise I doubt I'd be able to sleep afterwards.
We took a break from all the scares to try something different but still on theme, a blood bag cocktail. No actual blood, of course! It was a mix of apple vodka, blackberry brandy, fruit juice, and mint. We also tried a really clever blood-filled syringe, which was just berry jello with Milagro tequila.
Since we went on the first Thursday of the event, we didn’t have to queue for anything, which was the absolute best.
Overall, it was such a great night and I’m really glad we decided to go.
From the moment we arrived, we were met with chainsaw-wielding horror actors in terrifying masks, smoke machines firing off everywhere, and a loud soundtrack booming all around the park, changing with each different scare zone. The whole place was bathed in eerie red lights that lit up the paths winding between the haunted houses. There were five haunted houses and five scare zones in total.
The haunted houses were all indoors, walk-through style, usually based on a spooky story. There were plenty of jump scares, loads of themed decor, mist swirling around, and actors fully in character. The scare zones, on the other hand, are bigger outdoor spaces with immersive themes. The actors would sometimes follow you or engage in ways that suited their characters. Like in Ragnar’s Wrath, everything was Viking-themed, with actors whispering Norse phrases and occasionally shouting things like “Ragnar comes for all!”
My favourite scare zone was Sawgrass Slaughter: Legend of the Skunk Ape. The swampy, mist-filled environment perfectly captured that eerie wilderness vibe, and I even caught a glimpse of the elusive Skunk Ape itself!
As for the haunted houses, Stranglewood Estate was my top pick. The story behind it is pretty chilling. Madame Stranglewood, who once owned the grand estate, would lure her servants into a hidden room in the basement. There, she tortured and killed them, trapping their spirits in eternal torment. Once she met her own untimely demise she remained in the manor, haunting it forever.
It genuinely felt like wandering through a real haunted mansion, with floating candles and pictures that I swear moved when I wasn’t looking. There were plenty of ghostly apparitions too. Thank goodness it was only make-believe, otherwise I doubt I'd be able to sleep afterwards.
We took a break from all the scares to try something different but still on theme, a blood bag cocktail. No actual blood, of course! It was a mix of apple vodka, blackberry brandy, fruit juice, and mint. We also tried a really clever blood-filled syringe, which was just berry jello with Milagro tequila.
Since we went on the first Thursday of the event, we didn’t have to queue for anything, which was the absolute best.
Overall, it was such a great night and I’m really glad we decided to go.