We returned after two years to The Howl Scream Park at Mead Open Farm in Leighton Buzzard, and once again it’s delivering a thrilling mix of frights and atmosphere, now with the addition of the gangster-infused “Shriek Easy” to its lineup of seven labyrinths. Here, we encountered undead US high schoolers, Little Red Riding Hood gone wrong, and hotel guests who never checked out, amongst other otherworldly characters. The roaming performers, live music, and the Circus of Screams show add to the immersive festival feel. As the sister attraction to Tulleys Shocktoberfest, The Howl continues to slice out its own identity as one of the UK’s most enjoyable and well-executed scream parks, making its 2025 season one that haunt enthusiasts will not want to miss.
The cast across The Howl’s mazes in 2025 brought an impressive level of get-up-and-go and interactivity that made many of the mazes stand out. In “Shriek Easy”, gangsters were ubiquitous, delivering constant engagement, while the lounge singer in the queue gave guests the code to enter the speakeasy and later appeared onstage, working hard to maintain character. Interactive moments like the playing cards, which determined which door you would go through, and the storyline between actors in the lounge added complexity and fun. And in the line itself, a pianist and singer serenaded waiting guests – although we would have thought more period-specific ballads appropriate rather than the contemporary numbers performed. “Red” featured an interactive company, with werewolves leaping out from the marsh and even from above, keeping us on edge every step of the way. “Howl Valley High” impressed with a variety of students and zombies who asked questions about school life and reacted differently in each scene. “Noxious Alley” combined neon-painted actors with acrobats on scaffolding and performers scaring from above, offering memorable lines such as “I wanna lick your elbow” or “I wanna steal your eyes.” “Full Moon Manor” had a cast of various residents, most talking and interacting with guests through playful comments, adding personality and character to the maze (although there was some tsking here that can become too much).
A few mazes could enjoy more cast and sustained contact. “The Shed” felt underpopulated, with too many moments of tsking and not enough actors to keep the tension elevated. In “Squealers Yard”, while the actress at the start gave a strong welcoming interaction about being carved up, there weren’t enough performers deeper in the maze, leaving parts of it feeling bare. Adding more performers or pacing interactions more evenly throughout these mazes would elevate them to the standard set by the sturdier, more interactive mazes like “Shriek Easy”, “Red”, and “Noxious Alley”.
The costume and makeup work across The Howl’s 2025 mazes were generally stirring, with several standout looks that added to the absorption. In “Shriek Easy”, the gangsters’ outfits were sharp and period-appropriate, with some sporting undead makeup for that little bit more creep. “Red” shone with its werewolves, whose masks and costumes were astonishing and each hair picked out in detail, while the Red Riding Hood cloaks met expectations and were appropriate to the theme. “Howl Valley High” featured an active cast dressed in school sweaters and cheerleader uniforms, with undead makeup that was modest but effective. “Noxious Alley” went all out with neon-painted performers, neon contacts, and personalised neon character names smeared on actors’ arms, which was really quite outstanding. Even in “Full Moon Manor”, the cast had bloody faces that added to the dreadfulness, giving us plenty of creepy moments despite the simpler get-ups.
But some areas could use more detail and intricacy. While “Full Moon Manor” relied on bloody looks, the costumes themselves were not complicated, which sometimes made the characters feel less immersive. “Howl Valley High” had effective makeup but it was quite unassuming and could have benefited from more features or effects to elevate the undead appearance. In “Shriek Easy”, a few gangsters lacked the same level of makeup consistency seen in other actors. Improving costume diversity and adding more elaborate makeup in these mazes would help match the high standards set by “Red” and “Noxious Alley”, making the visual experience even stronger for guests.
We had absolutely no issues in the run-up to our visit to The Howl, nor in our experience of the site itself. The Howl Scream Park is a very professional event, with lit signage upon entering, throughout the car park, and within the park itself. We also had no issues finding out information about the park in advance, with the website very comprehensive and easy to manage. All of the roaming actors and staff we came across during our evening were pleasant and helpful, especially the security and attendants upon arrival. There were also absolutely no safety concerns in any of the mazes, and at no point did we have any issues with access or navigation during the evening.
The pre-haunt atmospheres of all the mazes at The Howl are relatively simple, usually with just a simple themed sign outside the marquee for the queue. However, their newest maze, “Shriek Easy”, has clearly raised the bar for the park, with themed signage on the outside of the marquee leading to a fully themed area inside. There were street signs and flickering gas lamps, all reminiscent of old time Prohibition era USA, as well as a piano entertainer and singer who kept the queue occupied. We were a bit confused why the songs being performed were quite modern and not much in keeping with the theme, but the performers were dressed to suit the time period so it overall added a nice touch. There was also a queue actor completely in theme, speaking with an American accent and glammed up, preparing us for the 1920s speakeasy that awaited us.
Batching was a bit hit and miss at the park. While a seemingly long pause was instituted in between groups, the larger group sizes meant that we often ended up running into others in the maze, sometimes even queuing within the attractions themselves, particularly in “Noxious Alley”. Some mazes were much more successful in their batching, with particularly intimate experiences in “Red” and “Howl Valley High”.
Most of the storylines in all the mazes were quite easy to understand and believable, and while mazes like “The Shed” or “Squealer’s Yard” are more generic, other mazes like “Noxious Alley,” “Red” and especially “Howl Valley High” and “Shriek Easy” are unique with some out of the box thinking and set design. There’s also an obvious attempt from the park to create more immersive environments every year, and we applaud this ambition!
The Howl’s 2025 lineup once again demonstrated a high level of resourcefulness and practical skill in its use of special effects, particularly in terms of scenic specifics. “Shriek Easy” was a clear standout, with us entering through a clothing shop into a speakeasy and going down into still rooms filled with fluorescent death and glowing bathtub gin. The finale was particularly remarkable, as an actress fired a tommy gun that triggered bursts of light and shot holes in the surrounding walls, creating a very cinematic effect. The maze concluded with a functioning bar area where we could order real cocktails (or the canned variety). “Red” offered strong environmental involvement, including the swamp scene that forces you through a thigh-high birth canal complete with woodland soundscape filled with creepy-crawlies and cicadas. The inclusion of a secret animatronic that activated on cue by the words of an actor added an unexpected shock. “Noxious Alley” impressed with its neon-painted scaffolding, spinning tunnel, birth canal, car set pieces that tooted, and pounding industrial rock music, all contributing to its frenzied nature. “Full Moon Manor” provided some of the most intricate scenic details of the night, including working baths complete with gushing water, a steamy sauna room with torrid heat and vapor effects, and a lift that simulated movement with screens displaying floor changes. “The Shed” contained creative motorized and sensory elements such as air cannons, a rolling barrel animatronic, and small tractor set pieces, while “Squealers Yard” had a visceral sensory mix of smoke, aroma, and flamboyant rock and metal tunes, together with a roasting body animatronic (of course!), hanging shreds, and detailed transitions through caravans, a horsebox, and even a freezer area.
Some mazes could do with some cultivating or better balancing their effects. In “The Shed”, while the air cannons and barrel animatronic were entertaining, the impact was limited by pacing and space, with the strong mechanical moments outshining weaker scenic segments. “Squealers Yard’s” sensory mix was effective but unpredictable, with the scent element underdefined and the rock soundtrack overpowering dialogue. Despite these small discrepancies, the scream park demonstrated some of its strongest scenic and SFX work to date, with several mazes (particularly “Shriek Easy”, “Red”, and “Full Moon Manor”) achieving a near-theatrical level of design.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 6.68
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9.32
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 7.29
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 6.71
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 6.36
Some mazes on site were scarier than others, but all actors in the mazes came at it with such intensity that scares were definitely had for all in each and everyone one of the attractions. Unfortunately, some of the mazes have taken up the tsking sounds of their sister attraction at Tulleys, a mannerism we don’t find especially frightening when overused, and sadly the cast in “The Shed” and “Full Moon Manor” relied upon. But, “The Shed” made up for the simple vocalisations with how physical the actors were, with the cast attacking from all sides, even when we were trying to get through the birth canal. This level of physicality ramped up even more in the other mazes on site, with actors jumping on and swinging from set pieces, grabbing from above and coming from out of nowhere. We hope that in future years ‘The Howl’ can start to pivot away from these vocalisations. Their cast are too talented and the physicality is off the charts, so some work on other things to do and say vocally would really highlight how scary these performers can be.
Of particular note were the cast in “Noxious Alley” who were acrobatic, scaring at us from above and saying unique and disconcerting things. These comments put us on edge, creating a sense of unease and lack of safety. Finally, we must mention “Red” – we’ve been through this maze several years in a row but this time the intensity was at its peak. The werewolves jumped at us from out of nowhere, some in front and some up from above, again cornering us when trying to wade through one of the special effect birth canals. These cast did an excellent job at scaring everyone in the maze, and the animatronics were so well-timed and purposeful here that even these startled us!
At £37 a ticket with 36 minutes of walkthrough scare time, a ratio of under one pound per minute of scares is standard, and with all the extra entertainment on the site good value for money, even if the ticket price does seem to be a bit high. Although the entertainment on offer is less than their bigger sister attraction Tulleys Shocktober Fest, there is still live music, DJs, roaming actors and of course their Circus of Screams twisted circus show. There are seven distinct scare mazes, with a new one being added this year, and it’s clear that every time The Howl adds a maze they get better and better, so we’re excited to see how “Shriek Easy” finds its feet even more so next year, and to also see how the park continues to grow. There are so many unique worlds created within these haunts, with “Noxious Alley” and “Howl Valley High” particularly fun and chaotic, leaving this scream park a must-visit each Halloween!
Stanbridge Road, Billington, Leighton Buzzard LU7 9JH