Busch Gardens entered the Halloween sweepstakes a few years ago with a fairly modest (at least when compared to Universal or Knott's) event--"Howl-o-Scream." This year, they've cranked it up a bit with four mazes (three more than last year) and more "scare zones." I checked out opening night in Williamsburg on September 27, and it's a big improvement over last year.

I don't want to give away any surprises for anyone who might want to check it out, but here's some basic information.

1) Three mazes for teenagers and adults: "Sea Dog Cemetery" (the best one, I think), "Curse of Pompei" (the most elaborate of the three), and "Distorted Dimension" (involving 3-D and everybody's favorite killer clowns)

2) One maze for little kids (mostly pumpkins and candy)

3) "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" train ride (the only disappointing attraction)

4) The usual stage shows ("Fiends in the Festhaus" is probably the best one), if you're into that stuff

5) Three "scare zones": "Piratical Purgatory," "Bone Zone," and "Festa Dementia" (guess which one features the psychotic clowns)

It isn't exactly "Knott's Scary Farm," but it's worth a look if you happen to be in Williamsburg.