A terrifying collection of zombies, vampires, witches, clowns, aliens, mad scientists and a whole lot of Jack the Ripper will descend on SeaWorld this Halloween season for 25 nights of horror.
Howl-O-Scream returns to SeaWorld San Diego on select nights from Sept. 12 through Nov. 1 with five haunted houses, eight scare zones, six live shows and eight themed bars.
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The Howl-O-Scream 2025 lineup includes two reimagined haunted houses, two new mini shows, a new scare zone and four new themed bars.
Let’s take a closer look at everything that’s on tap for Howl-O-Scream 2025.
Simon’s Slaughterhouse haunted house during Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)
Haunted Houses
Death Water Bayou: Awakening: New Orleans Mardi Gras takes a dark turn when revelers are bewitched and dragged into a cursed Mississippi bayou where witches summon an ancient, ravenous deity that brings the swamp to life. (Reimagined for Howl-O-Scream 2025)
Nightmare Experiment: Sweet Dreamzzz: Check into a sleep clinic where a mysterious pharmaceutical company is testing sleep aids with horrifying side effects that trigger hallucinations and uncontrollable rage among the patients. (Reimagined for Howl-O-Scream 2025)
Circus of the Damned: An evil ringmaster tries to restore his cursed carnival with a new cast of clowns. You’ll need 3D glasses to see the distorted and surreal special effects and escape the big top before you’re forced to join the crew.
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Area 64: Alien Outbreak: Visitors sneak through a hole in the fence of a secret military installation in search of evidence of extraterrestrial life. If you manage to slip past the deadly security, you’ll run into mad scientists, sinister experiments and terrifying aliens that can’t be contained.
Simon’s Slaughterhouse: Step inside a meat processing plant that has been taken over by Simon the Butcher and his murderous crew. The bloody corridors are filled with screeching buzzsaws, slashing knives and earlier victims hanging on meat hooks.
The Deadly Toys scare zone during Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)
Scare Zones
Overgrowth: A disturbed botanist’s mutant plant experiments feed on visitors in an overrun greenhouse. (New for Howl-O-Scream 2025)
Terrors of the Deep: Deadly sea beasts terrorize the fishermen along the docks.
Ripper Row: Jack the Ripper roams the streets in search of his next victim.
Red Moon Revelry: Bloodthirsty vampires celebrate a blood moon deep in the woods.
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All Hallows Harvest: Cursed scarecrows harvest souls at an abandoned farm.
Deadly Toys: Watch out for creepy dolls hell-bent on murder.
Graveyard: Undead zombies roam through a haunted cemetery.
Carnival of Chaos: Deranged carnies and sideshow clowns haunt the midway.
Howl-O-Scream returns to SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)
Live Shows
Opening Scare-emony: Each evening kicks off with a reimagined show hosted by a master of ceremonies who summons his creatures of the night.
Monster Stomp: Jack the Ripper hosts a live musical show set in Victorian-era London with singing, dancing, drummers and a rock n’ roll soundtrack in the Nautilus Amphitheater.
Simon’s Slaughterhouse haunted house during Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)
Vile Vignettes
SeaWorld’s Vile Vignettes are staged scenes with a central character and a haunted backstory that are a cross between a scare zone and a mini show. A few of the vignettes are tied to scare zones.
Dolly Delightful: An eerily perfect porcelain doll with a fierce temper breaks free from her box and tries to dismember anyone who gets too close. (New for Howl-O-Scream 2025)
Summon the Spirits: A paranormal investigator conducts a seance on Ripper Row in hopes of contacting the spirits of Jack the Ripper’s victims to learn the killer’s true identity. (New for Howl-O-Scream 2025)
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Misfortune: Enter a fortune teller’s tent to hear ominous predictions of your future.
Dark Magic: Watch a dark magic show by a sadistic magician who works for the Carnival of Chaos.
Cocktail Bars
The Big Top Drinks, Cracked Cauldron, Bloodthirsty and Laboratory themed bars returning to Howl-O-Scream will be joined by the new Toy Box, Coffin 1380, Fright House and Inferno bars located throughout the park.
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)
Rides in the Dark
SeaWorld runs the Emperor, Arctic Rescue and Electric Eel roller coasters in the dark during Howl-O-Scream.