SeaWorld San Diego Hides Speakeasy Bars Inside Its Howl-O-Scream Haunted Houses
The nighttime Halloween event challenges guests to hunt for passwords on Instagram to unlock secret bars tucked behind the scares in six haunted mazes.
SeaWorld San Diego is making guests hunt for their drinks this Halloween season, hiding speakeasy bars inside the haunted mazes of its Howl-O-Scream event. The nighttime affair runs on select nights through October 31, and this year's twist sends thirsty park-goers chasing down passwords on Instagram just to find the hidden watering holes tucked behind the scares.
Each night, the event posts speakeasy passwords in its Instagram stories. Guests can also grab drinks at themed bars scattered throughout the event without needing to crack any codes, but the speakeasies inside the mazes add a layer of interactive treasure hunting to the usual Halloween horror.
The event opens at 6 p.m. on select nights, with scares kicking off at 7 p.m. SeaWorld is pouring cocktails, beer and spirits at six themed bars and five speakeasies this year, part of a lineup that also includes six haunted houses, scare zones, live entertainment and rides.
Behind the Scares
Alexander Krikes serves as the evil genius behind SeaWorld's six haunted houses, which include an alien laboratory and a slaughterhouse. SeaWorld hires more than 150 people each season to scare guests, dressing up as characters and hiding to jump out as visitors walk past.
It takes one week of training and three to five months to set up the houses. This year marks the first time SeaWorld secured a licensing deal to make a movie-themed house, recreating I Know What You Did Last Summer from 1997.
After entering the 1990s nostalgia and horror house, guests push their way through curtains, feeling like something will jump out at any moment. As they get deeper in, a blast of air hits them and timed lighting makes the killer fisherman's shadow briefly appear.
Krikes calls it essentially a false positive, making guests think the killer is there when he's not quite there yet. Then visitors head deeper, moving through movie scenes like the car crash, crab boil, department store and fishing boat.
Performers use buttons and foot pedals to trigger steam blasts, flickering lights, red strobes and audio cues before jumping out with the fisherman's hook. An especially terrifying room is filled with mannequins with plastic bags over their heads, but some of them are real people waiting to come alive.
In another room, guests look at an animatronic seagull and then the killer attacks from the other side when they're least expecting it. Krikes says the design uses a lot of misdirection to direct focus to one area, then push visitors towards another one based on the scares.
The last scare comes right at the end, when another air blast hits guests, the fisherman grabs at them through a curtain, and the words I still know flash in strobe lights.
New Scare Zones and Vignettes
This year's haunt adds new scare zones named Overgrowth, Terrors of the Deep and Ripper Row. Overgrowth is described as a nightmarish walk through an overrun greenhouse.
The event also features what are called Vile Vignettes, mini-staged scenes designed to terrify and interact with unsuspecting visitors as they wander the park after dark. The 2026 lineup reportedly totals six haunted houses, eight scare zones, five vile vignettes and two live shows.
Beyond the scares and secret bars, the after-dark event gives visitors nighttime access to the Arctic Rescue, Electric Eel and Emperor rides. More announcements are still expected on entertainment, themed food and bars, and additional hidden speakeasies.
Food, Drinks and Ticketing
Hungry guests can fuel up on smoked turkey legs, patty melts, Tostilocos, churros and caramel apples. The speakeasy hunt has become part of the game itself, with fans encouraged to follow the event's Instagram stories for code words before heading to the park.
Howl-O-Scream is separately ticketed from regular park admission. Annual Passes and Fun Cards are not valid for entry. A single-night ticket provides one admission to SeaWorld San Diego from 6 p.m. until closing on the selected date, with tickets starting at $45.99 plus parking.
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