Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg officially opened today, Friday, September 23, 2011. This event promises to put the scream back in Howl-O-Scream. The 13th annual event features fan favorites from years past as well as new haunted houses, scare zones and scary shows centered on the theme The Dark Side of the Gardens.

With your Busch Gardens tickets, you'll be able to explore all of the wickedly delightful Halloween fun at Howl-O-Scream.  The featured Haunted Houses include “13: Your Numbers Up,” a terrifying maze in the dark tower eliciting your deepest fears and phobias; “Catacombs,” a cemetery filled with haunted remains; “Fear Fair,” a haunted carnival featuring the strange, macabre and bizarre; “Bitten,” a haunted house plagues by vampires; and “10,” a house of which details have not yet been released.

Scare Zones include “Widow Makers,” where you venture into the woods and find a wicked web of terror; “Grin and Scare It,” a sinister circus featuring ghastly tricks and terrible traps; “Unleashed,” a werewolf themed scare zone where you are the hunted; “11” and “12” are additional scare zones that have yet to come to life.

Howl-O-Scream shows are bigger and better for the 2011 season. “Monster Stomp Revamped” is a high-powered rockstravaganza featuring vampires, witches, skeletons and beasts dying to have a good time; “Jack is Back” is a dancing party complete with carved creatures and scarecrows honoring Jack-O-Lantern; details have yet to be released on the show “13.”

Howl-O-Scream continues every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night now through October 30. After 6pm, the event is not suitable for young children as it can be very frightening. During the day, however, Busch Gardens’ younger guests are treated to Halloween fun during the day with their favorite characters at Sesame Street Forest of Fun.