WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — After taking 2020 off due to the coronavirus pandemic, Williamsburg's spookiest event of the season returns to Busch Gardens!
Howl-O-Scream is back on select dates from September 10 through October 31.
Fear awaits in the theme park’s collection of elaborate haunted houses, immersive themed scare zones, and darkly entertaining live shows.
Last year, Busch Gardens canceled Howl-O-Scream due to COVID-19 restrictions and instead held a limited-capacity "Halloween Harvest" event. Fortunately for 2021, Howl-O-Scream is back to thrill parkgoers, featuring four all-new sinister shows, three new haunted houses, two new Terror-tories, and much more.
Howl-O-Scream 2021 attractions include:
Haunted Houses
- NEW! Witch of the Woods: Legend tells of the old Witch of the Woods, who descended upon the ancient village and wreaked havoc. Nobody alive has seen her, but if you’re brave enough to travel the woods at night, it’s said that you can hear her chanting and crying out to the skies. Those who give in to her control become her disciples, and those who don’t…inevitably meet the same fate. But this is only a story, right?
- NEW! KILLarney Diner: What say, Daddy-O? Word around town is that something landed in the forest right behind our favorite sock hop. Will you make it through your meal before becoming the flavor of tomorrow’s blue plate special?
- NEW! Nevermore: An unearthly plague ravages the land. You cry out for help, and the nobility turns a deaf ear. You perish in the streets, and the nobility turns a blind eye. You are reborn, and the nobility is silent forevermore. Welcome to the gothic nightmare of Prospero, last heir to the House of Usher – inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Circo Sinistro: No one knows when or where the tents will rise, but all who see them are drawn to find out what lies inside. This haunted house is not of this world and not of this time. Beware! What you see, you soon will be.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Dystopia: In the wastelands, help is given to those who seek out the new utopia. The final bastion of hope lies with the new society who has scavenged together the last remnants of technology and power. Not all who seek shall find, but all who find shall join… or perish.
Terror-tories (Scare Zones)
- NEW! Hexed Hollow (Rhinefeld village): This village, and all who travel through it, are cursed by an ancient magic. Dark magics flow freely in the Hollow, and nothing is ever going to be the same.
- NEW! Meat Market (New France village): Fresh meat! The denizens of this devious dwelling are serving up a delectable delicatessen and gorging on human hors d’oeuvres.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Ripper Row® (England village): Don’t wander the streets of Whitechapel after dark – you never know who you might run into. Murder, mayhem, and mistaken identities abound in the back alleys of this English town.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Garden of the Souls (Italy Gardens): A ghastly transformation has taken place in the Gardens, where the graves of the deceased carry a dark secret, and grieving spirits wander freely.
Sinister Shows
- NEW! Phantoms of the Festhaus: This isn’t your typical singing contest. Join the living audience as your favorite ghouls take on spooky hits, and the winner is put to vote. The more spirited the audience is, the more exciting the competition is.
- NEW! Skeletones: These lively musicians and singers leave nothing but bones on Il Teatro di San Marco, located in San Marco, Italy. Take a break from the scares with this spooky ensemble.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Jack is Back: The popular disco dance celebration returns to Ireland village with pumpkins, scarecrows and Howl-O-Scream’s leading character, Jack.
- RETURNING FAVORITE! Monster Stomp on Ripper Row: This modern rock and rhythm spectacular features Jack the Ripper like you’ve never seen him before. Electrifying percussion, dynamic dance and sensational singing return to Globe Theatre stage in a pulse-pounding revue. Monster Stomp on Ripper Row opens Oct 1.
Party Zones
- France: A Queen’s duty is never done – even after death. Revel with the bourgeoisie like it’s 1793!
- Festa Italia: The circus is in town and you have a front-row seat to this Ringmaster’s melodic machinations. Party with the clowns ‘til the moon goes down!
Other Experiences
- Coasters at Night: See Busch Gardens’ iconic coaster loops and drops in a whole new light after dark. Dare to drop 205 ft. on Griffon into total darkness?
- BOOze Bars: Stop by one of the themed BOOze bars located throughout the park for liquid courage to tackle your greatest fears. Become the mastermind behind the scares at the interactive Control Bar, where guests can initiate scares in different villages and houses with the push of a button.
- Roaming Hack Pack: These roaming monsters have one objective— to remind the most confident and unsuspecting guests that there is no place to hide at Howl-O-Scream. You may hear the roar of their chainsaws coming, or you might not…
The first night of Howl-O-Scream begins at 6 p.m. Friday, September 10. The park opens to guests at 2 p.m.
More information and where to buy tickets and Fun Cards is available on Busch Gardens' website.