Reviews, rankings, and videos for all haunted houses at Howl-O-Scream 2024 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
It’s time for our annual ranking of all five haunted houses at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Howl-O-Scream 2024!
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Howl-O-Scream is back for 2024
We were invited by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to attend a special VIP night and go through all five haunted houses at this year’s Howl-O-Scream, celebrating its 25th year in 2024. This is our ranking of all the best and worst haunted houses at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay!
Howl-O-Scream differs from other major theme park haunts in several ways, but in particular, along with at least one all-new house each year, the event reuses entire houses several years in a row. Howl-O-Scream also reimagines old houses, keeping the same basic layout but overlaying new elements and new story. As such, Howl-O-Scream 2024 is an eclectic collection of new houses, old houses, and new takes on old houses.
This list reflects our individual experience and preferences based on just one night of the event, so your rankings might differ based on which scares you encounter, your familiarity with the houses from years past, and your personal preferences.
We’re including spoiler-free notes about each house as well as which years you may have previously seen them!
Dive into our rankings to see which houses thrilled us the most and find out where your favorite ended up! You can find our videos of each haunted house below or on our Attractions Magazine YouTube channel at YouTube.com/AttractionsMagazine. (Note: Guests are ordinarily not allowed to film or photograph inside haunted houses.)
Honorable scare zone mention: ‘Ravens Mill: The Blood Harvest‘
This reimagined scare zone is almost a mini house in and of itself. The zone’s length, amount of scare actors, and décor was quite a pleasant surprise and worth going out of your way to visit.
#5: ‘The Forgotten: Uprising’
2021, 2022, 2023 (reimagined to “Uprising”), 2024
Official Howl-O-Scream description
A blood-soaked year has passed since the hunters first confronted the slumbering vampire army. Victory remains elusive, despair hangs heavy in the air, yet hope flickers in their weary eyes. With gritted teeth and trembling hands, they prepare for the final stand.
Review
Last year’s reimagining of “The Forgotten” — doing away with the sexy vampires and focusing now on the vampire hunters attacking the vampire lair — has caused this house to really lose its bite. (Pun intended.) The hedonistic vampires lurking in their lavish dungeons beneath the sewers added a new twist to the classic vampire trope.
Now though, the interesting set pieces which once told a sexy, sordid story are just places for basic-looking humans holding stakes to jump out and say boo. The connection of the story to the environment is gone and, with it, my excitement for this house. Hoping we can put a stake through the heart of this house and see something new here next year.
#4: ‘Stranglewood Estate‘
2022, 2023, 2024
Official Howl-O-Scream description
Once a hub of lavish parties, Stranglewood Estate now echoes with the whispers of its dark past. Madame Stranglewood, a beloved socialite with a hidden penchant for cruelty, ruled this town with an iron fist. She lured unsuspecting servants into a secret room in the basement, where she ended their lives, trapping their souls in eternal torment.
Review
“Stranglewood Estate” has always kind of felt to me like walking through Disney’s Haunted Mansion if you turned up the jump scares. The vibe of “scary old rich person’s house” was never particularly interesting or new, but having seen this same house for the last three years, I think most repeat guests are ready for something different.
“Stranglewood Estate” is prime for a reimagining and I could see something like paranormal investigators or a ghostly dinner party adding new life (or death) to this old standby. Of note, as far as something different at the event goes, this house does have an interesting option for guests to crawl through a small section if they wish, though I declined this year due to an injury.
#3: ‘D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear‘
2023, 2024
Official Howl-O-Scream description
Step right up, step right up, to the most horrifying spectacle ever witnessed! D.H. Baggum’s collection of grotesque creatures will chill you to the bone. Beware, for the midway is a hunting ground. D.H. stalks the unsuspecting, snatching them away for a sinister purpose.
Check out our Scream-Cam walkthrough of this house from last year’s event!
Review
“D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear” was last year’s new house and is still a very solid offering from Howl-O-Scream. The circus theme offers a lot of opportunity to twist classic big-top tropes and provide interesting and varied scares. Without spoiling too much, this house does contain one of my favorite all-time scares with a very clever use of a mirror. (Or maybe I should say, lack of a mirror.) “D.H. Baggum’s” is visually interesting throughout and uses its circus theme very creatively. And no matter what anyone says to you inside the house, don’t try the ice cream!
#2: ‘Witch of the Woods: Rise of the Coven‘
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 (reimagined)
Official Howl-O-Scream description
A malevolent force has awakened in the woods. The Witch of the Woods, Seraphina, fueled by vengeance and dark magic, has finally summoned her coven: Brand, the Fire Bringer, and Kael, the Storm Caller. Together, they have twisted the once-serene forest into a grotesque reflection of their power, leaving behind a trail of poisoned air, stagnant water, and withered life.
Review
As this year’s newly reimagined house, “Witch of the Woods: Rise of the Coven” has stepped up its game. Admittedly starting out a little slow, about half way through this house picks up the pace, scenic design, and scares and doesn’t stop till the end. This house takes place both outside and inside so I recommend waiting till after dark to check it out. Definitely make sure this house is on your list because you won’t be disappointed.
#1: ‘Shadows of Wonderland‘
2024
Official Howl-O-Scream description
Step back into Wonderland, but not as you remember it. This warped dreamscape has come from years of torment under the Queen of Hearts’ reign of terror. Once-playful characters have become bitter shadows, their anger fueled by Alice’s abandonment. Now, you must confront this distorted reality and face a vengeful Queen who wants Alice and you gone.
Check out our Scream-Cam walkthrough of this house!
Review
“Shadows of Wonderland” is the only all-new haunted house of Howl-O-Scream 2024, and it does not disappoint. We’ve seen horror takes on the classic “Alice in Wonderland” stories before, but the design and immersion here really make this house standout. Fans of the original stories, or at least those familiar, will notice all sorts of references and Easter eggs (twisted into being terrifying of course, but familiar none the less). The bright and cartoony atmosphere of Wonderland along with the incredibly varied characters really puts this house above the rest this year and I’m excited to revisit it again for years to come.
Plan your visit to Howl-O-Scream 2024 at Busch Gardens
Howl-O-Scream 25 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay runs select nights through Nov. 2, 2024. Ticket options range from single nights, unlimited access, and guided tours, as well as multiple-park deals with SeaWorld Orlando’s Howl-O-Scream and more.
Note: This event may be too intense for some, and is not recommended for children under the age of 13.
After you have had a chance to go through the houses, or watch all our videos, let us know below which are your favorites.
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