At exactly 7 p.m. on Friday evening, a sinister voice maliciously chuckled, announcing SeaWorld San Antonio’s transformation into Howl-O-Scream, “the biggest and scariest Halloween event in Texas.”
As the sun set, guests in costumes explored the park’s eight “terror-tories,” each one containing a different theme, including spooky-themed bars inside each zone, plus haunted houses and live performances.
Howl-O-Scream is just one of the many opportunities to get spooked this season. From Anabelle, zombies and ghost tours to kid-friendly haunted houses and trick-or-treating, here’s where to get your Halloween thrills in San Antonio.
SeaWorld San Antonio
Howl-O-Scream attendees can visit haunted houses like Zombie Horde, Bunny Bradley’s Ice Cream Shoppe, Milton Creek Manor and Atlantis: Cursed Chasm.
If you go
Where: 10500 SeaWorld Dr.
When: Halloween Spooktacular is open 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Hours vary on Sundays for select dates. Ends Oct. 31.
Howl-O-Scream is open 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 27.
Price: $51.99 general admission tickets include all haunted houses and Halloween experiences. “No boo” necklaces start at $15 and protect you from lurking creatures.
It’s not just the jump scares and screams that get you — interactive wind bursts, shaky floors and dedicated characters create psychological fear, like in the Dis-Assembly Line haunted house, where “the doctor” waits to receive his guests at the end. Characters trapped in machines and prisoner cells wearing hospital gowns warn guests along the way they’ll end up like them.
At the new Till Death Do Us Party, characters never stop dancing to ’80s-themed music at the eternal reception with a live band celebrating the newlyDEADS. Guests 21 and up can go to the giant wedding cake at the Sliced bar for a drink.
Porcelain dolls emerge from their hiding places to disturbingly stare or smile at guests at Colleen’s Dollhouse, and ghosts in Victorian dresses venture through moss, muck and foggy swamps at The Swamp at Blackwater Bayou. In the air, it feels as if something has gone wrong.
While Howl-O-Scream may be too intense for children under 13, on Friday two girls did backflips for creepy clown characters and stuck out their tongues to scare the characters back.
For a more light-hearted experience, anyone can attend the Halloween Spooktacular for trick-or-treating, kid-friendly shows, and walk through the pumpkin maze, where YouTube sensation Spookley the Square Pumpkin lives.
A new Día De Los Muertos Exhibit honors the dead all day long and lights up colorful alebrijes at night. Along the pathway, traditional Mexican folk music plays over the speakers.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Six Flags Fiesta Texas’ Fright Fest features new haunted houses with characters from Stranger Things and The Conjuring Universe, like Anabelle and The Nun.
If you go
Where: 17000 IH-10 West
When: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Haunted houses open at 6 p.m.
Kids Boo Fest 2024 is open noon to 5 p.m. Children younger than 15 must be accompanied by someone over 21 past 5 p.m. on Fright Fest nights.
Ends Nov. 3.
Price: General admission tickets start at $50 each and do not grant access to haunted houses. Haunted house passes start at $35.
For more information on bundles and season passes, visit the Six Flags Fiesta Texas website.
The haunted houses include The Conjuring Universe, Stranger Things, Twisted: Theatre of Torment, Slaughterhouse 6 Extreme – The Butchering, Trapped and The House of Houngan – Curse of the Rougarou.
Seven zones throughout the park create more chilling experiences, like the Steampunkins overrun with henchmen and creatures who will do anything to scare you, or the Wicked Hollow, a terrifying nightmare come to life filled with twisted tales, tortured souls and frightening secrets. There’s always room for one more among forgotten tombstones and graves at the Hell Valley Cemetery.
Haunted houses aren’t recommended for kids under 13 years old, according to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
The Kids Boo Fest 2024 is more suitable for family fun. Check out Spooky Town Trick or Treat Trail, House of Curiosities and shows like the new “Heebie Jeebies to do the Monster Mash” and “Haunted Hollywood.”
Six Flags Fiesta Texas’ Oktoberfest Food Festival is also open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27.
If you go
Where: 5223 David Edwards Dr.
When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Park will close for a private event Oct. 20, and will open Monday, Oct. 14.
Price: $16 each for children under 13, $24 each for anyone 14 to 61, or $16 each for seniors. Children under 2 get free admission. Military discount tickets for adults are $18 each.
Morgan’s Wonderland
For a more wholesome celebration, families with children of all abilities can head to Morgan’s Wonderland through Oct. 31 for the More Delightful Than Frightful Halloween Bash.
Show up in family-friendly Halloween costumes and enjoy the 25-acre theme park and all its attractions, including trick-or-treating, a pumpkin patch, cookie decorating stations and costume contests along the way.
If you go
Where: Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours depart from 204 Alamo Plaza.
Bad World Ghost Tours departure locations vary. Check the tour company’s website for details.
When: Bad World Ghost tours are available Sunday to Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours are available nightly.
Price: Bad World Ghost Tour and Sisters Grimm Ghost Tour tickets start at $25 for walking tours ($20 for kids 12 and under).
San Antonio ghost tours
Halloween is the perfect time to explore the haunted stories of San Antonio, the oldest Spanish settlement in Texas, with ghost tours.
Bad World Ghost Tours take you through the ancient Alamo grounds and the River Walk to some of its oldest and most haunted buildings, or the Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, considered the most haunted location in San Antonio and one of the top 10 most haunted places in South Texas.
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours offers haunted history ghost walks starting at $25 each, or a two-and-a-half-hour journey through terrifying stories on the Ghost Bus Tour, starting at $45 each.
San Antonio Botanical Garden
If you go
Where: 555 Funston Pl.
When: Happy Frights starts at 5 p.m., Haunting Nights starts at 8 p.m. Doors close for Happy Frights at 7:25 p.m., at 9:25 p.m. for Haunting Nights.
Ends Nov. 2.
Price: Tickets start at $21 for adults and $20 for kids
The San Antonio Botanical Garden offers two outdoor Halloween events to choose from: Happy Frights offers a 60-to-90-minute Halloween experience for the family, including photos with a tall jack-o-lantern, eight trick-or-treat stations across the gardens, dancing bridge trolls, a neon light maze, hay pyramid and a Día De Los Muertos celebration.
The Haunting Nights starts when the sun goes down, scarecrows come to life and pirates, witches and swamp creatures wander while guests enjoy live entertainment and fall-themed food and drinks. Recommended for guests 13 and up.
San Antonio Zoo
If you go
Where: 3903 N. St Mary’s St.
When: Sunday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat takes place Sunday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Ends Oct. 31.
Price: Tickets start at $37.99 and $33.99 each for children ages 3 to 11
If you want to experience animal encounters and family fun, the San Antonio Zoo hosts themed weekends at its Zoo Boo!, included with general admission. Starting at 5 p.m. on Saturdays, creatures like giant bugs, butterflies and beetles come alive and move around the zoo.
Trick-or-treat your way through and visit themed realms across zoo grounds, like Scarecrow Station, Creepy Crawlers and Día De Los Muertos.
