WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (August 8, 2019) – As the temperatures cool down the fun heats up as Busch Gardens® Williamsburg’s Howl-O-Scream® returns as one of the best Halloween-themed events on the east coast.  A heightened scare factor will creep into Busch Gardens’ six ghastly haunted houses, six nightmarish Terror-tories™, hair-raising escape rooms and frightening shows.

The best way to visit Howl-O-Scream is with a Fall Fun Card.  For a limited-time consumers can get the rest of summer and all of Howl-O-Scream FREE.  A Fall Fun Card allows park guests to pay less than a day and play now through Oct. 27.  For more information, visit https://buschgardens.com/williamsburg/special-offers/.

Beginning Sept. 14, Howl-O-Scream will kick off its 21^st season with fresh new scares including two new escape rooms and the surprising return of one of the park’s most popular shows with a new twist.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to elevate the event’s scare factor,” said Peter Dunklee, vice president of entertainment for Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  “We try to balance the fun and the scares and we’ve accomplished just that with two new escape room experiences, additional  startles in our haunted houses and resurrecting a guest favorite show,” added Dunklee.

New scares coming in 2019

• Jack is Back (Show) – This year marks the return of Jack is Back, the popular street-style performance in the Ireland village starring Jack, a Howl-O-Scream icon who made his Howl-O-Scream return last year in The Vault XX.  Pumpkins, scarecrows and Jack himself pays park guests a visit in this disco dancing celebration.
• Jack’s Twisted Terror (Escape room) – Jack has escaped The Vault and is ready to challenge guests in an all-new escape room.   Ever wonder where Jack gets all of his frightening ideas for new Howl-O-Scream scares?  From you!  Once Jack gets his guests in the room, it’s a race against time to escape before the Nightmare Machine turns visitor’s deepest, darkest fears into reality.
• Grave Obsession (Escape room) – Walking through the door of this startling new Escape Room will put guest’s mettle to the ultimate test.  Each choice made will lead guests further and further into a terrible reality, with a shocking revelation that will cause even the most adventurous to tremble in fear.

• The Vault: Overtaken (Haunted house) – Jack has been released from the Vault to make room for new creature favorites from past Howl-O-Scream experiences like Igor, Freakenstein and the famous Fiends nurses who will now take over the haunts and instill new fears on those who dare to enter.  Also joining these new scares will be classic characters such as The Executioner from The Dark Tower; Dr. Rot; Meemaw from Cornered; Werewolf from Hunted; Georgie from Mr. Karver’s workshop; Giggles the Clown from Festa Dementia, plus many more favorites from the past.  These dearly departed characters are dying to frighten guests again.

The Coaster Creepers also will be making another appearance.  Lurking around the park’s world-class roller coasters, the creepers will shock unsuspecting riders as they board the coasters.  No one knows who may be is sitting near them until it’s too late.  Also, guests may get a surprise from a roaming hoard prowling the park.  The pathways are prime pickings for some unexpected terror.

After a long night of fright, guests can soothe their screams by stopping by one of the five themed bars – Chaos Cocktails, Last Call, Jack’s Nightcap, Restless Spirits and Control Bar – to sip some ghoulish concoctions.  Guests also can dance to pulse-pounding music as spun by diabolical DJs in two new party zones located in France and Italy.

Terror-tories™

• Sideshow Square™ (Festa Italia): Your jaw will drop on your way to the big top.  What was once only in your imagination is now a frightening reality full of haunts, curiosities and plenty of scare to make you shriek.  So step right up and brave this terror-tory if you dare.
• Ripper Row® (England): Things are looking a bit unsettling in England; a murderer is on the loose plucking unsuspecting victims from the city streets to satisfy his grizzly curiosity.  No one knows what Jack the Ripper looks like or who he will strike next.
• Vampire Point™ (Germany): Even vampires need a vacation once in a while and Vampire Point™ is the perfect destination for bloodsuckers.  Watch your step and your neck or you might end up the main course.
• Fool’s Court (France): A new king has taken over the throne at the Royal Palace and he’s a real Joker.  Chaos reigns supreme in the Fools’ Court™.  When the Motley Fools hit the streets, the joke will always be on you.
• Axe Alley (New France): The Norsemen came to invade, but what they got was their own Viking funeral.  For this was no ordinary raiding party, but an unleashing of power so grotesque that even those mighty Viking warriors fell prey to its devices.
• Garden of the Souls (Italy): A ghastly transformation has taken place in Italy Gardens. Welcome to Funeral Gardens, the setting for Garden of the Souls™.  Here guests can visit the graves of deceased, but this garden has a dark secret.

Haunted Houses

• 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 Circo Sinistro.  This haunted house is not of this world and not of this time – but beware, what you see, you soon will be.
• Lumberhack: The woods hold a terrifying secret.  More than 50 years ago, loggers perished in a horrible accident. Now the forgotten lumberjacks are waiting for unsuspecting campers to stumble into their den of the damned.
• Frostbite: The fire-breathing giant that once guarded the enchanted dark castle has met his chilling demise.  He once stalked the premises, providing the warm lifeblood for the stronghold, but now his bones are mere decoration in a macabre icy grave.  Frostbite now consumes all those trapped within.
• Demented Dimensions: Sterling Manor, a massive estate, is home to more than meets the eye and is sitting on unspeakable terror.  The energies of a dimensional vortex have opened portals to dreadful realms where unearthly creatures reside and humans are at the bottom of the food chain.
• Dystopia: In a futuristic post-apocalyptic world, a new world order has risen.  In this new system, you have a choice – join or be forgotten.  Welcome to Dystopia. Surrender to the utopia, and don’t worry – you won’t feel a thing.  Ever again.

Shows

• Monster Stomp on Ripper Row – This modern rock and rhythm spectacular features Jack the Ripper like you’ve never seen him before. The beat is back as electrifying percussion, dynamic dance, and sensational singing return to the stage in a pulse pounding revue that is darkly entertaining.  Monster Stomp opens Oct. 4.
• Night Beats: Revamped – They might be undead, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to live it up. Shine your shoes and sharpen your fangs, you’re cordially invited to the gathering of the century. So, pull up a tombstone as these creatures of the night sing, dance and party. You’ll be smitten … until you’re bitten.

Howl-O-Scream opens Sept. 14 and runs select days through Oct. 27.  Busch Gardens becomes a seriously scary place at 6 p.m. when Howl-O-Scream’s haunts come alive.  Guests should consider the park’s elevated scare factor when deciding whether Howl-O-Scream is appropriate for young children.

Howl-O-Scream information, including operating times, can be found at www.howloscream.com/va.