Howl-O-Scream is an annual Halloween

Halloween

Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 event which takes place at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa

Tâmpa

Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

.

The event takes place during select nights in October (typically on the weekends). The event places focus on haunted houses, "Scare Zones," and shows that pertain to a specific theme. The haunted houses are enclosed areas with specific storylines and highly themed decor. Typically, they lead guests through a somewhat claustrophobic maze with various features designed to startle, confuse, or disquiet those who enter using a combination of strobe lights, fog machines, and other instruments of this sort. Scare zones are similar to haunted houses; however, they are outdoor areas set in the main paths. Scare Zones also feature a specific theme and contain objects used in haunted houses: typically people dressed up as creatures pertaining to the theme, fog machines, strobe lights, and also decor (boxes, broken street lights, and similar accoutrement) pertaining to the theme. The shows are similar in structure to the standard stage shows shown at Busch Gardens; however, they have a Halloween setting, and feature dark humor and grotesque scenery.

1999: Spooky Safari

Howl-O-Scream was not the first Halloween event at Busch Gardens. One year prior to Howl-O-Scream's debut (in 2000), the park featured a family-friendly Halloween attraction called Spooky Safari. It had such attractions as a pumpkin patch, hayrides, and face-painting for the children.

2000

The year 2000 saw the debut of Howl-O-Scream. The event replaced a smaller event called "Spooky Safari," expanding an event oriented primarily toward younger children into one that offered Halloween-themed attractions, shows, and events for younger children, teens, and adults.

Haunted Houses

• Labyrinth of Lost Souls (Employee Parking Lot) - A prison-like maze was home to trapped spirits who preyed on the living guests.
• Dark Caverns (Curiosity Caverns) - This haunted house featured nocturnal animals, including bats and other creepy creatures of the night, combined with special effects and a surprise twist that blurred the lines between nightmare and reality
• Haunted Jungle Trail (Myombe Reserve) - This attraction featured tribal outdoor walkthrough, including encounters with the evil Dr. Livingsdoom.
• Evening Serengeti Safari Tours (Serengeti Safari Tours) - This creepy and entertaining safari
  Safari
  A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
  
   ride was designed for all ages.

Shows

• Butch Patrick (Marrakesh Theater) - Featured was a live appearance from Butch Patrick
  Butch Patrick
  Butch Patrick is a former American child actor. He is widely known for his role on the TV show The Munsters where he played Eddie Munster, the son of Herman and Lily Munster...
  
   of the TV series The Munsters
  The Munsters
  The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
  
  .
• The Amazing Kreskin: The World's Foremost Mentalist (Das Festhaus) - This attraction was a mind-reading show starring "The Amazing Kreskin
  Kreskin
  The Amazing Kreskin , born George Joseph Kresge, is a mentalist who became popular on North American television in the 1970s...
  
  ".
• 1961 Cadillac Hearse (Hospitality House Stage) - The featured attraction on the Hospitality House stage was the 1961 Cadillac hearse from TV's Dr. Paul Bearer's Creature Feature
  Creature Feature
  The Creature Feature is an animal gag cartoon strip which appeared weekly in the Sunday Times supplement, Funday Times, for over 15 years, and is currently syndicated throughout the world, including Germany and the Middle East...
  
   shows.

Scare Zones

• Creatures of the Night (parkwide) - A monster-themed scare zone including encounters with Werewolves, Vampires and Mummies.
• Monster Free Zone (Land of the Dragons) - A safe child area with Face Painting, Arts and Crafts and Hay Rides.
• Woocies (Land of the Dragons) - Special effects make-up activities for children.

2001: Horror Has a Home (This Time, Terror Takes Control!)

In 2001, Howl-O-Scream added new haunted mazes, "scare zones," and shows; the new features repositioned the event toward an older teen and younger adult demographic, though the park's "Land of the Dragons" children's area still offered fare for younger children.

Haunted Houses

• Escape from Insanity (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - This attraction depicted the Sunny Meadows Asylum, where staff took pride in their innovative approach to rehabilitation.
• Screaming Reality (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - A journey inside the television, with everybody's favorite reality TV shows portrayed horrifically.
• Night Stalkers in 3-D (Nairobi Pavilion) - An alternate realm in a 3-D setting.
• Creeper's Crypt (Curiosity Caverns) - A dark and solemn crypt.
• The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (Tut's Tomb) - A vividly Egyptian Haunted House set in King Tut's Tomb.

Scare Zones

This year scare zones were not listed on the park map, a 'feature that would make a resurgence in later years with a description of zones simply being listed after houses in the key.

• Jungle of Doom (Myombe Reserve) - A jungle-themed scare zone replacing the outdoor Haunted House from the prior year.
• Inferno Express (Nairobi Train Station) - Based on an evil train yard.
• Grisly Gardens (Congo) - The gardens came alive to take revenge for being long-forgotten.

Shows

• RIP TV (Das Festhaus) - The Evil Gor E. Decay brought together a load of blood and gore along with freakish performers, all being broadcast live on RIP TV.
• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - In this show, Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.

Controversies

The original slogan, "This time, terror takes control!" was changed to "Horror Has a Home" early in the publicity campaign mostly due to the September 11 Attacks. The character icon of Pernicia Gloom was originally deemed too sexual for the event, and was given a slight change in costume design for approval.

2002: Face Your Fear

In 2002, Howl-O-Scream replaced most, if not all, of the previous year's activities, but kept the same overall concept and demographic target.

Haunted Houses

• Escape From Insanity (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - The staff at the Sunny Meadows Asylum prepared to welcome guests into their grisly accommodations.
• Bloody Bayou (Bird Gardens- Old Koala House) - The Bayou Clan, an evil group of filmmakers, put guests in more graphic versions of classic horror movie related scares.
• Tortured (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Set at the Halloween party of the season, guests were "trapped" inside the building, heightening the effect of various party-related scares.
• Ripper Row (Congo-Old Queue for "Monstrous Mamba) - This attraction purported to retrace the steps of Jack the Ripper
  Jack the Ripper
  "Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
  
  .
• The Mortuary (Employee Parking Lot) - The Mortuary centered on the fear of being buried alive, with appropriate attention paid to funeral-home theming.
• Demented Dimensions (Akbar's Adventure Tours) - This attraction featured prominent 3-D elements centered around an archaeological expedition that uncovered a terrifying past.

Scare Zones

• Grisly Gardens (Congo) - Evil roots took over these once peaceful gardens. The statues in it came alive to spread terror and horror.
• Cursed (Timbuktu) - An evil queen and her henchmen waited to curse anyone who wandered through their private grounds.
• Agony Express (Nairobi Train Station) - This train yard presented guests with two choices: to board the train and get killed by the passengers on it or to not board the train and get killed by the freaks at the train station.
• X-Ecutioners (Bird Gardens) - Crossing their path might have been the last mistake some ever made.

Shows

• RIP TV 2 (Das Festhaus) - This show reprised RIP-TV, as Evil Gor E. brought together a load of blood and gore along with freakish performers, all being broadcast live on RIP TV 2.
• Fiends (Stanleyville Theatre) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.

Event icon

Death Spirit- A walking zombie with African voodoo roots and the power to bring deceased spirits back to life as animals.

2003: Fear Has a New Face

The park further refined their formula for 2003. Many of the Haunted Houses from the previous year returned, with a focus on furthering their themes.

Haunted Houses

• Escape From Insanity: Residents' Revenge (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - The residents at the Sunny Meadows Asylum took over. The inmates are now OUTmates: out for blood.
• Darkheart's Fear Fair (Bird Gardens- Old Koala House) - At this fair, the demented Darkheart and his clowns threatened to thrill, chill, and painfully kill. Darkheart's Fear Fair featured two separate forks in the path, which made four separate experiences possible. It was also set outdoors.
• The Mortuary (Employee Parking Lot) - This attraction returned from the previous year.
• Ripper Row (Congo-Old Queue for "Monstrous Mamba) - This attraction purported to retrace the steps of Jack the Ripper.
• Demented Dimensions (Akbar's Adventure Tours) - This attraction featured prominent 3-D elements centered around an archaeological expedition that uncovered a terrifying past.
• Tortured (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Set at the Halloween party of the season, guests were "trapped" inside the building, heightening the effect of various party-related scares.

Scare Zones

• Grisly Gardens (Congo) - Evil roots took over these once peaceful gardens. The statues in it came alive to spread terror and horror.
• Cursed (Timbuktu) - An evil queen and her henchmen waited to curse anyone who wanders through their private grounds.
• Agony Express (Nairobi Train Station) - This train yard presented guests with two choices: to board the train and get killed by the passengers on it or to not board the train and get killed by the freaks at the train station.
• Whiplash (Bridge to Stanleyville) - One never knew when these quick demons would strike.
• Speed Demons (Stanleyville) - Speed was also a theme in this scare zone, with fast-moving demons threatening guests.

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theatre) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• Eternal Reward (Desert Grill) - The audience took part in this show, while the monsters who ran it decided whether to give them tricks or treats.
• Theatre De La Morte: Guillotine Show (Plaza in front of Crown Colony Restaurant) - Sub-leased from John Bundy Productions. This 15 minute dramatization featured several classic magical illusions and pyrotechnics to chants of "Kill the Witch!" The show was previously used at a 6 Flags for 13 years. After this year the area where the stage was set was converted to a DJ booth.

2004: No Escape. No Mercy. Nowhere Else

Howl-O-Scream returned to the theme park again in 2004. Although multiple storms from the 2004 atlantic hurricane season

2004 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...

 delayed the event, it was still able to run by early October.

Haunted Houses

• Escape From Insanity: Lockdown (Crown Coloney Skyride Station) - Order returned, after a fashion, to the Sunny Meadows Asylum in the form of the Department of Asylum Detainment.
• Darkheart's Fear Fair (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - At this fair, the demented Darkheart and his clowns threatened to thrill, chill, and painfully kill.
• Till Death Do Us Part (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - After a wedding day gone bad, a honeymoon suite was still haunted by the ghosts of the bride, the groom, and the slain wedding guests.
• Corporate Nightmare (Tut's Tomb) - After 5 o'clock, the evil that filled this demented office starts working overtime.
• The Mortuary (Employee Parking Lot) - A house returning from previous events.
• Chaos! (Akbar's Adventure Tours) - In this chaotic 3-D world, portraits came alive and blocked guests' path, thinking the guests should take their place.

Scare Zones

• Garden Of The Cursed (Congo) - The evil queen and her henchmen from "Cursed" set up their new terror in the "Grisly Gardens" for anyone who strolled past them.
• Beware! (Bird Gardens) - The fairy tale freaks hiding in these trees threatened to prevent guests from living "happily ever after."
• Agony Express (Nairobi Train Station) - This train yard presented guests with two choices: to board the train and get killed by the passengers on it or to not board the train and get killed by the freaks at the train station.
• Sliderz (Timbuktu) - In this scare zone, guests had to "stay on their toes if they wanted to live."

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• Depraved Reality (Desert Grill) - Some famous faces appeared on Depraved TV to be punished for ruining television. This show changed each night.

Weather Impact

In late summer, Hurricane Jeanne caused a possible EF1 tornado touchdown on the original building for the Corporate Nightmare haunted house, destroying it. The hurricane itself also caused moderate damage to the props in the Garden of the Cursed and Agony Express scare zones. Corporate Nightmare was then moved to Tut's Tomb on the second night of the event, and the props in the two scare zones were rebuilt.

Haunted Houses

• After Hours: Dead Of Night (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - In Club Muse, whoever entered would not exit, thanks to a horde of insane monster artists, who try their best to imitate life with an evil mantra to guide the way: music + pain = art
• Freaked! (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - The evil Mistress Macabre took over Darkheart's fear fair, creating even more grisly clowns and freaks to kill guests.
• Deathly Departed (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Just when everyone thought that the honeymoon suite was free of the wedding ghosts, the bride returned to seek revenge for the soul of her would-be husband.
• The Hunted (Nairobi Pavilion) - This hunting lodge was burned down to cover a killer's tracks. As such, nobody would hear the screams when guests became the prey. [This involved a new tactic referred to as the 'victim' scare. Where a member of cast was dressed in plain clothes and snatched 'violently' from the crowd.]
• The Mortuary: The Mourning After (Employee Parking Lot) - This revision centered on the idea that before departing the Earth, guests had to relive the mourning after their dying day.
• The 3rd Dementia (Akbar's Adventure Tours) - Visions of 3-D color and light twisted together a horrible hallucination that deceived eyes and tormented minds.

Scare Zones

• Bone Grinders (Bridge to Stanleyville) - These evil skeletons were eager to strip guests' flesh and add their bones to their grisly collection.
• Restless Death (Stanleyville) - The forgotten residents of this graveyard rose to torment anyone foolish enough to roam through the night.
• Wicked Woods (Bird Gardens) - The fairy tale creatures from "Beware!" moved to the haunted Wicked Woods, continuing to make sure that nobody lives happily ever after.
• Widows Walk (Timbuktu) - The ghosts of these would-be wives still paced their Widows Walk waiting for sailors who were long ago killed by the sea.
• Root Of All Evil (Nairobi Train Station) - Adults infested with immature evil hid in an old playground, waiting to kill anyone walking past it.

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• Haunt Me Baby One More Time (Desert Grill) - Rock and Roll's most famous dead singers returned to the stage for one last performance.

Event icon

An evil jack-in-the-box in a child's bedroom.
Oddly, this character was a feature of Darkheart's Fear Fair the year before. But did not actually appear in Freaked or the rest of the park as a character this year.

Controversies

Ironically, a small fire caught in the front of new house The Hunted (a storied burned out hunting lodge) about half way through the run. It was evacuated and closed while the set was checked and aired out; no injuries were reported and the house reopened within a matter of hours. The fire was traced to a guest's cigarette, put out carelessly on a burned couch in the opening hallway of the house. Security in the lines was increased to avoid further incidents.

Haunted Houses

• Freaked! (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - The evil Mistress Macabre took over Darkheart's fear fair, creating even more grisly clowns and freaks to kill you.
• After Hours: Club Muse (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - After Club Muse was thought to be free of its wickedness, it once again became overrun with angry monsters and ghouls.
• Deathly Departed (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Just when everyone thought that the honeymoon suite was free of the wedding ghosts, the bride returned to seek revenge for the soul of her would-be husband.
• The 3rd Dementia (Akbar's Adventure Tours) - Visions of 3-D color and light twisted together a horrible hallucination that deceived eyes and tormented minds.
• Trapped In The Walls (Timbuktu Building) - The gruesome death of an innocent family made newspaper headlines when it happened. Dark demons that murdered the family still lurked in the walls of their old house.
• The Hunted (Nairobi Pavilion) - This hunting lodge was burned down to cover a killer's tracks. As such, nobody would hear the screams when guests became the prey.

Scare Zones

• Bone Grinders (Bridge to Stanleyville) - These evil skeletons were eager to strip guests' flesh and add their bones to their grisly collection.
• Pharaoh's Revenge (Timbuktu) - Unwilling victims were mummified alive as the evil Pharaoh Osiris gave his workers the order to take the victims on their journey to the Egyptian underworld.
• Restless Death (Congo) - The forgotten residents of this Graveyard rose to torment anyone foolish enough to roam through the night.
• Zombie Junction (Nairobi) - A horde of flesh-eating zombies preyed upon anyone that came through Corncob Junction.
• Wicked Woods (Bird Gardens) - The fairy tale creatures from "Beware!" moved to the haunted Wicked Woods, continuing to make sure that no one lived "happily ever after."

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theatere) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• Control-Alt-Deceased (Desert Grill) - When a computer nerd framed pop culture's most famous faces for a murder, he found himself stuck starring in his own show.
• The Awakening (Sultan's Tent) - Themed around the awakening of zombies from the grave. This show was not listed on the park map or official website.

Event icon

There was no event icon for this year. Instead, there was a victim lying on the ground, dead, covered in blood and holding a cell phone with a grisly text message on it.

Haunted Houses

• Catch Your Breath (Gwazi Event Yard) - An evil motorcycle gang chose a different way to murder 13 victims each year. 2007 became of suffocation. They already suffocated 12 of their victims, and they chose a guest as number 13. This haunted house took place in an old, decrepit gas station.
• Trapped In The Walls (Timbuktu Building) - The gruesome death of an innocent family made newspaper headlines when it happened. Dark demons that murdered the family still lurked in the walls of their old house. The original flow of the house was flipped this year and guests entered in the former exit and exited through the original entrance.
• The Hunted (Nairobi Pavilion) - This hunting lodge was burned down to cover a killer's tracks. As such, nobody would hear the screams when guests became the prey.
• Radiation Alert 3-D (Former Akbar's Adventure Tours) - At a nuclear power plant, a terrible accident caused a huge leakage in the pipes that held the radioactive waste, changing the civilians and staff into strange and hostile creatures. Guests were trapped inside the building, and had to use "protective goggles" to prevent further exposure.
• Taste Of Blood (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Once revered as undead royalty, vampires were forced to hide in the subways and sewers to avoid the light. Guests who travel into this abandoned subway system had to escape hungry vampires attempting to feed.
• After Hours: Club Muse (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - Club Muse returned once again to make brand new artwork out of its unsuspecting patrons.

Scare Zones

• Zombie Junction (Nairobi) - A horde of flesh eating zombies preyed upon anyone coming through Corncob Junction.
• Eternal Midnight (Stanleyville) - Evil spirits still roamed this haunted hill, waiting for an unsuspecting person to take their place.
• Masters And Monsters (Stanleyville) - Tribal masters pitted huge, killer monsters against each other in fights to the death.
• Pharaoh's Revenge (Timbuktu) - Unwilling victims were mummified alive as the evil Pharaoh Osiris gave his workers the order to take the victims on a final journey to the Egyptian underworld.
• Wicked Woods (Bird Gardens) - The fairy tale creatures from "Beware!" moved to the haunted Wicked Woods, continuing to make sure that no one lived "happily ever after."

Mini zones

These much smaller free-roaming zones were not listed on park maps or the official website and primarily involved performers intermingling with guests. They would later inspire the "Roaming Hordes" parkwide scare zone in 2008 and 2009.

• Death Jockey (Front Gate)
• Street Creeps (Morocco)
• Fountain Camou (Morocco)
• Stalk-Arounds (Timbuktu)
• Bird Garden Camou (Bird Gardens)

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - Dr. Freakenstein and his mischievous nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• Freak Show 2007 (Marrakesh Theater) - Live freakish performers came together in an all new show hosted by the evil Professor Black.
• Sweet Dreams (Desert Grill) - The Master and Mistress of nightmares fought for control of the body of an unsuspecting sleeping person, creating a show filled with music, dancing, special effects and a few surprises.

Event icon

The Death Jockey, an evil DJ who killed his victims with burning lights and earsplitting music; his exploits were chronicled in comic book form on http://www.deathjockey.com, the website for 2007's event.

2008: Raven Twins: Bad Twin. Worse Twin. (Not All Nightmares Happen When You Sleep)

Howl-O-Scream 2008 was notable for being the first event since 2001 to have multiple event icons. This action would later follow suit in 2009.

History

Preparation for the 2008 year event began in late 2007. In December 2007, the website page for the 2007 event was replaced by a small page showing the Howl-O-Scream logo in front of red symbols and reading "If you think the Death Jockey had his audience captivated, Wait until next year!". This page remained on the website until June 13, 2008, when a new page was released wishing readers a "Happy Friday the 13th" and detailing in a short summary how the event would become scarier and grislier then previously. It also included a calendar displaying the year's dates for the event. In mid-July 2008, the site was updated again, this time having the events synopsis shortened slightly, and including an option to buy tickets and a link for scare actor auditions, along with usual Privacy Policy and Terms of Use links which appear at the bottom of most Busch Entertainment websites. In August 2008, the website was given a link showing Howl-O-Scream ticket options. The site was completely updated on August 30, including complete listings of the event's attractions, though it is intended for ages over 18.

Haunted Houses

• After Hours: Last Call (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - It was last call at Club Muse,and as the curtains close, and the lights fade onto you, the monsters will turn your V.I.P. night into R.I.P. night
• Trapped in the Walls (Timbuktu Building) - Years ago, a family was grisly murdered by demons in their old house. Now, these demons have been trapped within the walls of the haunted house, preying on unsuspecting visitors who enter.
• Eat Your Heart Out (Gwazi Event Yard) - Each October, the evil biker gang The Messengers have already killed 12 people... lets hope that 13 is'nt your unlucky number
• Taste of Blood (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Vampires hide in the subways to avoid the daylight. However, as nighttime falls, the bloodthirsty fiends entered onto the streets to seduce fresh blood.
• Death Row: Vengeance (Nairobi Pavilion) - The inmates at Grey Echo Penitentiary vowed before their executions that they would return to take revenge on those who would not bother to save them. Now, the evil inmates have returned to make good on their dying promise.
• Reconstruction: The Doctor is In (Former Akbar's Adventure Tours) - Dr. Edgar Von Angst is a mad style surgeon who takes his patients apart before putting them back together with flesh, bone and steel in gruesome and twisted ways(nip-tuk was never like this).

Shows

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - Dr. Freakenstein and his naughty nurses prepared to bring Frankenstein's Monster to life.
• One Wild Night (Desert Grill) - A young couple who broke into a wax museum to steal Halloween costumes were captured by the ghosts "Trick and "Treat", who took them through "one wild night".
• Killer Klownz (Marrakesh Theater) - A group of evil, murderous clowns entered into the audience during this show to force park guests to become unfortunate victims.

Scare Zones

• Wicked Woods (Bird Gardens) - Hideous fairy tale creatures continued to make sure no-one lived happily ever after.
• Eternal Midnight (Stanleyville) - Angry spirits and ghostly mourners stalked guests in order to take their place, as the clock tower chimed midnight forever.
• Zombie Junction (Nairobi) - A horde of flesh eating zombies preyed on anyone who wandered into Corncob Junction.
• Roaming Hordes (Parkwide) - Clowns, Zombies, Sliders and Chainsaw Wielding Maniacs attack victims from every other area of the park, making it impossible to avoid scare-actors at Howl-O-Scream.

Event icon

The Raven Twins, two female twins who were born conjoined connected by the face, but separated themselves with a piece of broken glass when they were called "freaks" by the man they both loved. They then became twisted serial killers who murder anyone unlucky enough to see their disfigured faces and refuse to see their inner beauty.

2009: The House of Vayne (Evil Never Goes Out Of Fashion)

This Fall, Howl-O-Scream celebrates its 10th anniversary and features the fictional House of Vayne, a fashion show run by vampires, as the main theme.

History

The website went live on May 25 with a video of a starlet walking onto a stage followed by darkness and screams. Dates and tickets are now available. It was updated in early June, 2009 with a video detailing the costumes of the mysterious House of Vayne's fashion designer. It has been said that this year, Howl-O-Scream will have 7 haunted houses, two of them brand new. On August 20 the entire website was updated and everything was revealed.

Haunted Houses

• Nightshade Toy Factory (Crown Colony Skyride Station) - Possessed toys come to life from the abandoned Nightshade toy factory and terrorize the adults that have forgotten them.
• Delta Epsilon Delta: Pledge Week (Orchid Canyon Building) - A mysterious sorority on this college campus is harboring a dark secret.
• Trapped in the Walls (Timbuktu Building) - Years ago, a family was grisly murdered by demons in their old house. Now, the demons are still trapped within the walls of the haunted house, preying on unsuspecting visitors who enter.
• 13 (Gwazi Event Yard) - Each October, The Messengers come out of hiding to seek out 13 unlucky victims. This year, they are both suffocating and feasting on their victims, and have already killed 12 lives. However, they are waiting for unsuspecting visitors to become number 13.
• Taste of Blood (Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars) - Vampires hide out in the subways by daytime to avoid the sunlight. But, when nighttime comes, the bloodthirsty fiends come to the streets to suck fresh blood. Vampire King Vlad takes a break from ruling and leaves his place in the house to the lovely Ms. Vayne.
• Death Row: Vengeance (Nairobi Pavilion) - The inmates at Grey Echo Penitentiary vowed before their executions that they would one day return to take revenge on those who would not bother to save them. Now, the evil inmates have returned as zombies and ghosts to make good on their dying promise.
• Reconstruction: The Doctor is In (Former Akbar's Adventure Tours) - Dr. Edgar Von Angst is a mad, Dr. Frankenstein-style surgeon who takes his patients apart before putting them back together with flesh, bone and steel in gruesome and twisted ways.

Scare Zones

• Unearthed (Stanleyville) - Archeologists have unleashed the curse of Egyptian pharaoh Anmenhotep, causing the ruler and his servants to come back as mummies and terroize those who enter their tomb.
• Banshees (Morocco) - Unsuspecting guests are preyed upon by Banshee
  Banshee
  The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
  
  s, creatures who wail just before someone is about to die.
• El Carnaval Del Muerto (Nairobi) - Townsfolk In the small town of Decada De Sustos have an annual celebration of death, during which time they become crazed enough to kill unsuspecting guests who enter the town.
• Werewolves (Bird Gardens) - Guests enter a darkened lair home to a clan of Werewolves, who are getting hungry for their next meal.
• Roaming Hordes (Parkwide) - Clowns, Zombies, Sliders and Chainsaw Wielding Maniacs attack victims from every other area of the park, making it impossible to avoid scare-actors at Howl-O-Scream.

Shows and Entertainment

• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater) - Dr. Freakenstein and his naughty nurses are ready to bring Frankenstein's monster to life in a monster ball full of music, and dancing and a few surprises.
• Full Moon Cabaret: The Magic of Jason Byrne (Desert Grill) - The Academy of Magical Arts’ “Stage Magician of the Year” Jason Byrne
  Jason Byrne
  Jason Byrne may refer to:*Jason Byrne *Jason Byrne *Jason Byrne Irish footballer...
  
   performs a new magic show at the Desert Grill during Howl-O-Scream.
• Club Envy (Marrakesh Theater) - A new adults only
  Adults Only
  Adults Only is the first album recorded by Ray Dorset, also known as Mungo Jerry, with his German blues band. Some of the songs are blues standards that have been in his set for several years, others are new recordings of numbers from the Mungo back catalogue, including "I Just Can't Say Goodbye",...
  
   nightclub featuring dancing, a happy hour bar and exclusive front of the line access to haunted houses. This attraction is at an added cost and costs 10 dollars per patron.
• Howl-O-Scream Shop of Horrors (Former Bud Light Shop) - A Halloween
  Halloween
  Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
  
   themed gift shop
  Gift shop
  A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
  
   which sells Ms. Vayne's jewelry and special edition "10 Years of Fear" t-shirts, and features a photo opportunity with the D.E.D girls (appearing in the haunted house "Delta Epsilon Delta: Pledge Week").

Rides

• Gwazi
• Montu
  Montu (roller coaster)
  Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by the company after the success of Kumba. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest...
  
  
• Sheikra
  SheiKra
  SheiKra is a Bolliger and Mabillard diving machine roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It is situated in the Stanleyville section of the park. SheiKra was the first dive machine roller coaster in North America. It is tied with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia as the second tallest roller...
  
  
• Stanley Falls Flume
• Kumba
  Kumba (roller coaster)
  Kumba is a Bolliger & Mabillard sit down roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, in Tampa, Florida. Built in 1993, it stands tall and has a top speed of 60 mph. Kumba is one of the first in a line of multi-inversion coasters built by B&M, and featured B&M's first ever diving loop...
  
  
• Sand Serpent
• The Sandstorm
• Phoenix
• Scorpion
  Scorpion (roller coaster)
  Scorpion is a steel looping roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, United States. It opened in 1980 as a part of the newly added Timbuktu section that gave the park a complete circuit, linking the Congo section to the Nairobi section of the park. Scorpion, to this day,...
  
  

Event Icon

Ms. Vayne, the evil vampire fashion designer who operates the House of Vayne, where her vampire models attack and kill photographers.

Minor Icons:
Anya,
Erik, and
Elsa, Vayne's models

History

A teaser website went live on June 4. The website has a rock concert theme.On July 28, The "HOS" insider twitter account released pictures of a torture chamber themed back stage teaser shots, one of the captions were "Revenge is "ELECTRIFRYING"". On July 29, The website had another big update.
On August 19 the entire website was up with all the info for the event.

Two of the haunted houses for this year, MyX: Revenge Rocks and Alone, are brand new, while the remaining six houses are sequels to the prior years renditions.

Houses

• MyX: Revenge Rocks (Gwazi Event Yard) - This haunted house follows the back-story of the event icon Sylvie and her MyX Band.
• Alone (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - Alexander Daedalus uses Minotaur Storage to house his vast collection of items. But now, Daedalus obsession has led to stockpiling people. This haunted house is at an added cost and gives the buyer the option to experience it by themselves or with no more than three other group members. If a guest walks through the house alone and without the aid of any kind, they will receive a free T-shirt. At any time they can chicken out by saying the safe-word: "Goldfish." Many chose to do so. No refunds for cowards.
• Nightshade Toy Factory: Son of Nightshade (Morocco/Nairobi Building) - The son of Nightshade and his minions go out for revenge on the Nightshade Toy Factory and his twisted, toy-making father.
• Delta Epsilon Delta: Extreme Rush (Orchid Canyon Building) - Sylvie is being inducted as an honorary DED girl and former icons the Raven Twins can be found deep inside the halls of this returning house.
• Trapped in the Walls: Ghost Chasers (Timbuktu Building) - A paranormal research team has set up shop to investigate the demons trapped in the walls of a home that cannot let go of its history.
• Taste of Blood: A Different Vein (UBanga Banga Bumper Cars) - The exit and entrance switch sides this year, but the flow of the house remains the same. Vlad reclaims his position in the house.
• Death Row: Vengeance No Escape (Nairobi Pavilion) - The inmates at Grey Echo Penitentiary vowed before their executions that they would one day return to take revenge on those who would not bother to save them. Now, the evil inmates have returned to make good on their dying promise.
• Deconstruction: The Doctor is Out of Control (Former Akbar's Adventure Tours) - In this sequel to "Reconstruction", Dr. Edgar Von Agnst has fallen deeper into insanity and is putting together even more horrible creations.

Scare Zones

• Road-Trip (Jungala) - A group of teens on a road-trip to see MyX perform get lost and end up with engine trouble, just in time to be attacked by last year's Werewolf crew.
• Crazed Love (Timbuktu) - Loosely based on Stephen King's "Carrie". Had short vingettes tied under this same theme.The song "So Happy Together" is played through this scare zone. Examples of the scares include a chainsaw wielding cheerleader crashing prom, a groom who has gone almost insane trying to find Slyvie of MyX, and a woman dragging along her boyfriend on a leash.

• Xtreme Fanatics (Front Entrance) - Fans of MyX show their devotion with extreme body modification and endless listening to MyX songs.

• Light of Doom (Nairobi) - The Banshees return to haunt famous monuments and creepy set pieces. Features heavy lighting and fog effects.
• Spiders & Snakes (North Bird Gardens) - Self-ex-planetary.
• Zombies and Clowns (South Bird Gardens)(Changed from roaming to zone after Freaky Preview weekend)

Shows

• MyX Live(Gwazi Plaza)
• Fiends (Stanleyville Theater)
• Blood Relations (Desert Grill)

Entertainment

• Club X (Marrakesh Theater)
• Howl-O-Scream Shop of Horrors (Former Bud Light Shop)

Theme

MyX is a rock band headed by Sylvie, who discovered her boyfriend with another woman. She now lures young men at her concert backstage, seduces them, and then uses her guitar strings to amputate their index finger, which she collects in a small vial; dozens of fingers hang from her room.

Haunted Houses

Zombie Mortuary (Timbuktu Warehouse) - One of the three new houses this year, Zombie Mortuary is set in a funeral home, and the dead are arising. Walk into the maze of scenes that immerse visitors into a too-real funeral home scene, and then taken into the back rooms, showing many other scenes, including a crematory scene.

Nevermore (Orchid Canyon Building) - Another new house in 2011, it's a twisting house bringing you into the works of the deranged author, Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...

. This house provides the opportunity to wind your way through some of his most famous works, such as The Tell Tale Heart, The Black Cat

The Black Cat (short story)

"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"...

, and The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum

"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...

.

Vampire Casino (Gwazi Event Yard) - The final new house for 2011. Enter Rivivara, a casino for the undead. Upon first sight, a brightly lit casino, with flickering lights an festive music welcome you, but as you continue through the winding maze, it steadily gets darker, and you find yourself intruding in on an Elvis-style wedding, and eventually finding yourself at the all-they-can-eat buffet.

Alone (Bird Gardens Pavilion) - Alexander Daedalus uses Minotaur Storage to house his vast collection of items. But now, Daedalus obsession has led to stockpiling people. This haunted house is at an added cost and gives the buyer the option to experience it by themselves or with no more than three other group members. At any time they can chicken out by saying the safe-word. Many chose to do so. No refunds for cowards.

Nightshade Toy Factory (Morroco/Nairobi Building) - Abandoned toys come back to life in this twisted factory. Their mission is to terrorize the adults that have long abandoned them.

Death Row Vengeance: Fear The Dead (Nairobi Pavilion) - The inmates at Grey Echo Penitentiary vowed before their executions that they would one day return to take revenge on those who would not bother to save them. Now, the evil inmates have returned to make good on their dying promise.

Deconstruction: The Doctor is Out of Control (Former Akbar's Adventure Tours) - This house has changed very little from the 2010 house, inside you'll find Dr. Edgar Von Agnst. He's fallen deeper into insanity and is putting together even more horrible creations. You'll start with just a few changes, but who knows what you'll eventually become.

Other Attractions

No Scare Zones- The lack of scare-zones made the locations of scareactors uncertain, and the majority of guests found it to be quite a success. Roaming Zombie hordes, twenty total, walked all over the park as they pleased, making everywhere in the park a scare zone. The idea was that guests wouldn't safe anywhere.

Zombie hordes: Cheerleader, Clowns, Homeless, Junkyard Dogs, Construction, Doctors and Nurses, Radioactive, Sliderz, Hillbilly, Street Creeps, Family, Mummy, Motorcycle/chainsaw gang, and more.

There was also a "Containment Horde" that contained one of each horde that was captured and in a chain gang.

Club Virus- A nightclub in the park, and one of the only places where there weren't zombie hordes scaring. The club switched to an 18+ club for the 2011 season.

Howl-O-Scream Shop of Horrors- The shop to buy everything you could imagine from Howl-O-Scream. The entire shop was decorated in the Dark Side of the Gardens theme, and there was a corner of the shop called 'Sylvies Closet' featuring leftover items from last year.

Haunted House Locations

The following list contains the facilities used by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to house haunted houses for Howl-O-Scream. They range from Warehouses, existing queue lines, or temporary buildings.

Name	Description	Houses Hosted
Employee Parking Lot	A large parking lot for BGA team members is located in a backstage area behind the Marrakesh Theater and part of the Bird Gardens land. During the Fall, team members were required to park elsewhere as the space was used for Howl-O-Scream. The space, however, has not been used for Howl-O-Scream since 2005.	Labyrinth of Lost Souls (2000), The Mortuary (2002), The Mortuary (2003), The Mortuary (2004), The Mortuary: The Mourning After (2005)
Bird Gardens Pavilion	The open area in the Bird Gardens land houses an animal exhibit featuring flamingos. In the past, large tents were constructed just for Howl-O-Scream, allowing compatible space for haunted mazes.	Screaming Reality (2001), Bloody Bayou (2002), Darkheart's Fear Fair (2003), Darkheart's Fear Fair (2004), Freaked! (2005), Freaked! (2006), Alone (2010), Alone (2011)
Nairobi Pavilion	A long, rectangle shaped pavilion is located next to Jambo Junction in the Nairobi area. For Howl-O-Scream, the Pavilion is converted into a haunted house. In 2004, the pavilion was damaged by a tornado, and had to be rebuilt while its would-be haunted house, Corporate Nightmare, was moved to Tut's Tomb.	Nightstalker in 3-D (2000), Ripper Row (2002), Ripper Row (2003), The Hunted (2005), The Hunted (2006), The Hunted (2007), Death Row Vengeance (2008), Death Row Vengeance (2009), Death Row Vengeance: No Escape (2010), Death Row Vengeance: Fear the Dead (2011)
Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars	The Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars attraction is located in the Congo area of the theme park. During the event. the vehicles used in the attraction are temporarily removed for haunted mazes. The space, however, has not been used for Howl-O-Scream since 2010.	Tortured (2002), Tortured (2003), Till' Death Do Us Part (2004), Deathly Departed (2005), Deathly Departed (2006), Taste of Blood (2007), Taste of Blood (2008), Taste of Blood (2009), Taste of Blood: A Different Vein (2010)
Timbuktu Warehouse	A storage space building located between the Timbuktu 4-D Theater and Sand Serpent attractions. It became a spot for haunted mazes starting in 2006.	Trapped in the Walls (2006), Trapped in the Walls (2007), Trapped in the Walls (2008), Trapped in the Walls (2009), Trapped in the Walls: GhostChasers (2010), Zombie Mortuary (2011)
Akbar's Adventure Tours	Akbar's Adventure Tours was a simulator ride at the Egypt area of the park. In 2002, the attraction was shut down and only operated seasonally due to its manufacturer going out of business, allowing for Howl-O-Scream mazes to take place throughout its unused queue areas. In 2007, the attraction was dismantled when it became impossible to continue running it; however, haunted mazes still continue to call the building home during the event.	Demented Dimensions (2002), Demented Dimensions (2003), Chaos! (2004), The 3rd Dementia (2005), The 3rd Dementia (2006), Radiation Alert 3-D (2007), Reconstruction: The Doctor is In (2008), Reconstruction: The Doctor is In (2009), Deconstruction: The Doctor is Out of Control (2010), Deconstruction: The Doctor is Out of Control (2011)
Tut's Tomb	An attraction located in the Egypt area of the park. Its first haunted house, in 2001, was portrayed to be an evil version of the Tut's Tomb attraction itself. In 2004, "Corporate Nightmare" was relocated to Tut's Tomb after a tornado damaged its former location at the Nairobi Pavilion. The space, however, has not been used for Howl-O-Scream since 2004.	Curse of King Tut's Tomb (2001), Corporate Nightmare (2004)
Myombe Reserve	An animal exhibit located in the Crown Colony area with an emphasis on protecting Gorilla habitats. An outdoor haunted house was constructed on the attraction's pathways in 2000. For the following year, 2001, the outdoor maze was replaced by a smaller scare zone which did not cover as much of the attraction.	Haunted Jungle Trail (2000)
Serengeti Safari Tours	An added cost sightseeing tour located on the Edge of Africa. In 2000, it was "horrified" as part of the first official Howl-O-Scream event.	Evening Serengeti Safari Tours (2000)
Curiosity Caverns	This cave-themed animal attraction is located in the Nairobi area of the park. It was horrified at Howl-O-Scream 2000, and once again served as a haunted house location in 2001.	Dark Caverns (2000), Creeper's Crypt (2001)
Orchid Canyon Building	The Orchid canyon Building was used for the park's former Tile exhibit museum. Starting in 2009, it was used to house haunted mazes for Howl-O-Scream.	Delta Epsilon Delta: Pledge Week (2009), Delta Epsilon Delta: Extreme Rush (2010), Nevermore (2011)
Crown Colony Skyride Station	The CC Skyride station serves as the main entrance to the SkyRide from the southern area of the theme park. Haunted Houses which take place in the station have an entrance at the former Veldt Monorail entrance of the station. The queue then weaves around to an employees only area underneath the station where the maze begins. The space, however, has not been used for Howl-O-Scream since 2009.	Escape From Insanity (2001), Escape From Insanity (2002), Escape From Insanity: Resident's Revenge (2003), Escape From Insanity: Lockdown (2004), After Hours: Dead of Night (2005), After Hours: Club Muse (2006), After Hours: Club Muse (2007), After Hours: Last Call (2008), Nightshade Toy Factory (2009)
Gwazi Event Yard	A large open yard located next to Gwazi is used specially for the park's annual events, such as Viva la Musica and Summer Nights. During Howl-O-Scream, haunted houses are built on the yard	Catch Your Breath (2007), Eat Your Heart Out (2008), 13 (2009), MyX: Revenge Rocks (2010), Ultimate Gamble: Vampire Casino (2011)
Morroco/Nairobi Building	A new indoor location was built behind Zagora restaurant, next to the Gwazi roller coaster, to serve as a site for Haunted mazes.	Nightshade Toy Factory: Son of Nightshade (2010), Nightshade Toy Factory (2011)

See also

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Howl-O-Scream
  Howl-O-Scream
  Howl-O-Scream is an annual Halloween event at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and SeaWorld San Antonio. For more information pertaining to specific parks that participate, click on the links below....
  
  
• Howl-O-Scream (Williamsburg)
• Howl-O-Scream (San Antonio)
  Howl-O-Scream (San Antonio)
  Howl-O-Scream is an annual Halloween event that takes place at SeaWorld San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. This year's event features the character Jack the Pumpkin King as the main icon, who is also featured at the event in Busch Gardens Europe....
  
  
• Halloween Horror Nights
  Halloween Horror Nights
  Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween event that occurs at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios remains operational during the day and transitions to Halloween Horror Nights at night...
  
   (Orlando) (a Universal Studios
  Universal Studios
  Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
  
  equivalent)

External links

• Official Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream site
• Haunted Attraction Magazine Article