SeaWorld is known to entertain their guests with roller coaster rides, sea animal interactions, and exhilarating shows, but on the weekends from Sept. 16 to Oct. 31, crazy clowns, bloody butchers, and delirious dolls lurk in the shadows throughout the night.

“Howl-O-Scream is your traditional, scary, in-your-face Halloween event,” said Geoff Wright, manager of creative operations. “Our goal is for guests to have fun by scaring them.”

The park has six scare zones, two “scareas,” five haunted houses, and a stadium performance for a range of entertainment. Scare zones host costumed actors that wander around, ready to pounce on their unsuspecting victims.

For guests that do not want to be jump-scared, there are light-up lanyards that say “no-boo” for sale so scare actors know not to jump at them. Many guests wear them, especially children, and all of the scare actors acknowledge the lanyards and do their best to still provide an entertaining night.

At the “scareas,” guests can dance to music mixed by DJs and watch various shows performed throughout the night. The “Carnival of Chaos” scarea shows “Mudd the Magnificent” wrangle out of a straightjacket in under a minute and the “Vampire Underground” scarea includes flash mobs to make guests feel like they are in a nightclub. 

Themed alcohol is available for purchase for those over 21 at the pop-up bars at the scareas.

Howl-O-Scream introduced two new haunted houses this year along with the three that are returning. The haunted houses have guests go through a maze to find their freedom. Scare actors jump out at every turn and bend, so screams can constantly be heard. Thankfully, if a guest needs to exit early, there are doors that lead outside before the main exit where employees help guide them out.

In the two new houses, “Circus of the Damned” and “Area 64: Alien Outbreak,” there are speakeasy bars that can only be accessed with a secret password that changes every weekend. 

David Lawson, a bartender at the Circus of the Damned speakeasy said that guests sometimes  seek shelter in the bar so they don’t have to face the jumpscares that await them.

“The syringe shots and blood bags are definitely the fan favorites,” Lawson said.

“Darkness Falls,” a dance and percussion performance, will have guests questioning good and evil. This show is for mature audiences and is strongly recommended for those 18 years or older due to exotic dancing. 

For guests with younger children, SeaWorld also offers a family-friendly, trick-or-treating event that goes on during the day instead of at night called “Spooktacular.” 

Geoff Wright also noted that if any college students are looking for a fun and interesting job, SeaWorld is always hiring for scare actors this Howl-O-Scream!