Howl-O-Scream returns to SeaWorld San Diego with new horrors for fifth year

Boo! Brace yourself. SeaWorld San Diego’s Howl-O-Scream, the city’s largest and most fear-inducing Halloween event, is back starting Sept. 12 and will haunt select nights through Nov. 1.

Now in its fifth year, the event brings back familiar frights with a fresh twist, along with brand-new scares developed entirely in-house by the SeaWorld team. The lineup includes reimagined haunted houses, sinister scare zones, chilling live entertainment, and immersive horror vignettes—all designed to push guests deeper into their nightmares.

Newly Reimagined Haunted Houses
Two of the event’s most popular haunted houses have been completely overhauled:

• Nightmare Experiment Sweet DreamzZz takes guests through a converted asylum, now run by a pharmaceutical company whose sleep aid trials lead to hallucinations, rage, and horrifying consequences for the next “test subjects.”
• Deathwater Bayou Awakening transforms a Mardi Gras celebration into a cursed swamp, where witches summon an ancient and hungry deity.

Other returning houses include Circus of the Damned, a neon-lit 3-D clown nightmare; Simon’s Slaughterhouse, set in a grisly meat factory; and Area 64: Alien Outbreak, where extraterrestrials run rampant inside a secretive government facility.

Scare Zones and New Outdoor Horrors
Eight scare zones keep the fear going beyond the haunted houses. New this year is Overgrowth, an overrun greenhouse where mutated plants hunt anyone who dares enter. Returning zones include Ripper Row, Deadly Toys, and Carnival of Chaos, each filled with creepy characters lurking in the fog.

Terrifying Vignettes With Twisted Stories
Back for 2025 are the Vile Vignettes, short horror stories brought to life throughout the park. New tales include Summon the Spirits, a séance gone wrong in Ripper Row, and Dolly Delightful, a porcelain doll with a deadly streak.

Monster Stomp Returns
The high-energy stage show Monster Stomp on Ripper Row returns after a popular run last year. Blending gothic rock, percussion, and dark visuals, the performance offers a chilling break from the scares outside.

Tickets and Details
Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event and intended for mature audiences. Tickets are now on sale, with a limited-time “Monster Sale” offering up to 65% off—prices start at $32.99 if purchased by Aug. 17. Tickets can be used on any event night.

For more information, visit seaworld.com/san-diego/events/howl-o-scream.