Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego: The City's Biggest Halloween Haunt Returns, September 11–October 31

Overview

When the sun goes down at SeaWorld this fall, the park turns into something else entirely. Howl-O-Scream returns to SeaWorld San Diego for its sixth year, running select nights from Friday, September 11 through Saturday, October 31. It's the city's biggest Halloween nighttime event, and this is its largest lineup yet: six haunted houses, plus scare zones, live performances, themed bars, and hidden speakeasies scattered across a park you get to roam in the dark.

This is the grown-up Halloween option — intense, immersive, and built for a mature audience, not the trick-or-treat crowd. It's a separately ticketed nighttime event, so it stands apart from a regular day at SeaWorld.

What You Actually Need to Know

• Event: Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego (6th year)
• Dates: Select nights, September 11 – October 31, 2026 — primarily Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, plus added Thursdays in October (~25 nights) [CONFIRM full calendar on the official site]
• Hours: Event begins at 7:00 PM; event-ticket holders can enter the park starting at 6:00 PM, through close
• Where: SeaWorld San Diego — 500 Sea World Dr, San Diego, CA 92109, on Mission Bay near Mission Beach
• Price: From $33.99 during the Sinister Sale (up to 65% off, for a limited time); single-night and unlimited-night tickets available. Parking, taxes, and fees are separate.
• Important: Separately ticketed — not included with daytime admission, Annual Passes, or Fun Cards
• Tickets: SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream tickets →

Six Haunted Houses

The haunted houses are the main event, and 2026 brings the biggest slate in the event's history — two all-new builds and four returning favorites:

• Area 64: MOTHERSHIP (all-new) — a prequel to the fan-favorite Area 64: Alien Outbreak, set 30 years before the original
• A second all-new house — [CONFIRM: SeaWorld held the reveal for a later announcement; confirm the name and theme before publishing]
• Circus of the Damned 3D (returning)
• Simon's Slaughterhouse (returning)
• Deathwater Bayou: Awakening (returning)
• Nightmare Experiment: Sweet DreamzZz (returning)

Beyond the Houses

The houses anchor the night, but the scares don't stop between them. Expect open-air scare zones where monsters stalk the walkways, live performances, and a party atmosphere that runs late. On the lighter side, the event leans into its bar program — themed bars and hidden speakeasies tucked around the park — and many of SeaWorld's rides stay open after dark, which is a genuinely different way to experience them. More scare zones, shows, and food-and-drink details are typically announced closer to opening.

Is It Right for Your Group?

Howl-O-Scream is designed as an adult event with intense, mature content — SeaWorld recommends it for adults and brave teens 13 and up. There's no hard age cutoff (guests under 18 are admitted), but it's not built for young kids, and the theming won't feel appropriate for them.

If you've got little ones who still want the Halloween fun, SeaWorld runs a separate daytime Halloween Spooktacular with trick-or-treating, costumes, and family shows — that's the one for the under-13 crowd. Think of Howl-O-Scream as the after-dark counterpart: get a sitter, and go get scared.

Good to Know

• No costumes — guests in costume aren't admitted to the event
• Two ticket types — a single-night ticket, or an unlimited-nights ticket if you plan to come back; the Sinister Sale pricing works on any event night
• Buy early — the deepest discounts are the limited-time sale, and prices climb as dates fill in
• Budget for extras — parking, taxes, and fees aren't included in the ticket price
• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable — pick your night with that in mind
• Rideshare — it's a late night with themed bars on site, so plan your ride home

However you brave it, Howl-O-Scream is the definitive San Diego haunt — the biggest, latest-running, and most elaborate Halloween night in the city. For more of what's happening this fall, browse our full event calendar.