The winds of the north are howling once again—officially this time. After briefly appearing on the Busch Gardens Tampa website last week and quickly disappearing, the park has now confirmed Ragnar’s Wrath as the second scare zone for Howl-O-Scream Tampa 2025.
Running select nights from September 5 through November 2, this year’s event continues to ramp up its sinister slate of haunted houses, terrifying scare zones, live shows, and nighttime coaster thrills. And now, with the long-feared return of Niflheim, guests will once again be pulled into a frozen nightmare of Norse legend and undead vengeance.
Scare Zone Announcement: Ragnar’s Wrath
RETURNING FAVORITE
The myths said it was just a story. But Niflheim—the icy Norse realm of the dead—was never a tale meant for children.
You’ll enter through the skeletal remains of a burned Viking longhouse, where silence and scorched earth set the tone. Draugr, the cursed undead warriors of Norse lore, drift among the ruins in fused armor and decaying flesh, whispering in forgotten tongues. Their village lies frozen in time—rotting ships, glowing runes, and the leaning remains of Odin’s forsaken temple. Beneath the surface of still waters, something watches. And it remembers.
This is not just a scare zone—it’s a haunted realm steeped in atmosphere, death, and despair. Niflheim never lets go.
The scare zone first surfaced unexpectedly on the park’s website on July 15, before being quickly removed. Speculation ran wild, with many wondering if it had been replaced or scrapped altogether. But now, Busch Gardens has confirmed what haunt fans hoped: Ragnar’s Wrath is back, and it’s more chilling than ever.
Current 2025 Howl-O-Scream Tampa Lineup
Haunted Houses:
- Stranglewood Estate (Returning)
A haunted manor ruled by the malevolent Madame Stranglewood. - Shadows of Wonderland (New)
A twisted, corrupted version of Wonderland ruled by a vengeful Queen of Hearts. - D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear (Returning)
A grotesque carnival of chaos led by the sinister ringmaster, D.H. Baggum.
Scare Zones:
- Sawgrass Slaughter: Legend of the Skunk Ape (Returning)
A swamp-soaked terror trail through the Everglades, where Florida’s most infamous cryptid lurks. -
Ragnar’s Wrath (Returning)
An eerie Norse underworld where the dead roam and the gods have abandoned their people.
What to Expect at Howl-O-Scream 2025
This year’s Howl-O-Scream Tampa is shaping up to be a full-on horror takeover, bringing guests:
- Terrifying haunted houses with original stories and cinematic-quality sets.
- Immersive scare zones filled with creatures, folklore, and unsettling environments.
- Roaming hordes of monsters with no boundaries or warnings.
- Dark live shows that blend music, horror, and twisted humor.
- Nighttime coaster thrills on Iron Gwazi, Cheetah Hunt, and more, all under the moonlight.
The return of Ragnar’s Wrath brings with it one of the event’s most atmospheric and haunting zones—a perfect contrast to the chaotic scares of the circus and the primal terror of the Skunk Ape.
Howl-O-Scream Tampa runs select nights from September 5 through November 2, 2025.
Niflheim remembers. Will you survive its wrath?
