Howl-O-Scream San Diego Unleashes New Terrors with Two Revamped Houses and More
The separately ticketed Halloween event returns with reimagined houses, a new scare zone, and a killer ticket deal.
SeaWorld San Diego has unleashed the details for the fifth year of its terrifying Halloween haunt, Howl-O-Scream, announcing a sinister slate of new and reimagined experiences designed to leave guests breathless.
What’s Screaming:
- The bone-chilling event returns to SeaWorld San Diego on select nights from September 12 through November 1, 2025.
- Two fan-favorite houses have been completely revamped: Nightmare Experiment Sweet DreamzZz plunges guests into a sleep study gone wrong, while Deathwater Bayou Awakening summons an ancient evil in a cursed swamp.
- A brand-new scare zone, Overgrowth, traps guests in a greenhouse of mutant, carnivorous plants.
- Two new live-action horror stories will unfold with Summon the Spirits, a séance that contacts something sinister, and Dolly Delightful, a porcelain doll with a penchant for dismemberment.
- Three houses—Circus of the Damned, Simon’s Slaughterhouse, and Area 64: Alien Outbreak—are back with new twists. Popular scare zones like Ripper Row and Deadly Toys also return.
- The electrifying gothic rock spectacle, Monster Stomp on Ripper Row, makes its triumphant return after a sold-out run last year.
- For a limited time, guests can save up to 65% on tickets, with prices as low as $32.99. The sale ends on August 17.
A Fifth Year of Fear
- For its fifth anniversary, Howl-O-Scream is digging deeper into the nightmares it creates.
- The complete reimagining of Nightmare Experiment Sweet DreamzZz and Deathwater Bayou Awakening promises fresh terror for even returning victims.
- In Sweet DreamzZz, a shady pharmaceutical company’s sleep aid test has turned an asylum into a chaotic den of hallucinations and rage.
- Meanwhile, Deathwater Bayou Awakening drags guests from a dark Mardi Gras celebration into a cursed swamp where witches are summoning a deity with a ravenous appetite.
- These join the returning lineup of Circus of the Damned, a 3-D neon clown nightmare; Simon’s Slaughterhouse, a gruesome trip through a meat factory; and Area 64: Alien Outbreak, a quarantined facility where extraterrestrial secrets have been unleashed.
Terror Takes Root and Spreads
- The horror spills out from the houses and into the park with eight immersive scare zones.
- The highlight for 2025 is the all-new Overgrowth, a nightmarish botanical garden where mutant plants hunt for their next meal in a tangled, inescapable forest.
- The event is also doubling down on its unique street performances with two new Vile Vignettes.
- In Summon the Spirits, watch as a paranormal investigation in Ripper Row goes horribly wrong, while Dolly Delightful showcases an eerie porcelain doll who has finally broken free from her box and is ready to play… violently.
- And for those seeking a break from the scares, the high-energy percussion and vocals of Monster Stomp on Ripper Row provide a thrilling and theatrical spectacle.
About the Howl-O-Scream Legacy
- The event first began its reign of terror in the year 2000 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida (which was then a SeaWorld sister park under the same ownership).
- It was created as a direct competitor to Universal Orlando's popular Halloween Horror Nights.
- Unlike its rival, which heavily relies on intellectual properties (IPs) from horror movies and TV shows, Howl-O-Scream has built its reputation on creating purely original concepts, characters, and mythologies.
- The press release proudly states that the San Diego version is "developed and crafted entirely in-house," a tradition that defines the brand.
- Over the years, various Howl-O-Scream events have introduced iconic original characters, known as "icons," such as Dr. Freakenstein, and the treacherous Trickster.
- The event's success in Tampa led to its expansion to other parks in the portfolio, including Busch Gardens Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Antonio, and most recently SeaWorld Orlando and San Diego.
- While each park's event is unique, they all share the core DNA of original, in-your-face scares, immersive scare zones, and high-energy entertainment, making it a distinct and beloved staple of the Halloween season for haunt enthusiasts nationwide.
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