It’s that time of the year again, or as the teens call it, “spooky season.” While some might think they’re too old for the traditional trick-or-treating, they turn to haunted houses.

The most popular among Sarasota teens are Howl-O-Scream in Tampa and Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando. Many will debate on which one is better, especially considering the price and which attraction gets you the scariest experience for the best money.

This year, Howl-O-Scream is celebrating “20 Years of Fear,” and tickets are $39.99 for a single night with six haunted houses and nine scare zones. Students also can ride all of Busch Garden’s “thrill rides,” such as Cheetah Hunt and Montu.

Their competition is the very well-known Halloween Horror Nights, which typically surrounds you with the theme of popular horror movies. This year, they have 10 haunted houses and five scare zones, and visitors can ride their classic rides, like Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket and Revenge of the Mummy for a single-night ticket of $67.99.

While Tampa is only about an hour away, many students will venture to Orlando instead.

“I went to Halloween Horror Nights last year, and I think most people go there because of their whole movie theme, especially Stranger Things. Me and my sister loved it, and now they have an “Us-themed” house which I think is going to draw people since it was a huge hit,”said Nona Dean ’20.

However, some students think that Halloween Horror Nights is a bit too expensive, considering the distance.

“I think that Howl-O-Scream is the best deal, because they have more scare factors, and their rides are better. In Orlando, it’s a lot further and more expensive because you’re more likely to stay at a hotel. So, I would rather go to HowlO-Scream and still get scared while paying a lot less,” said Nicole Jolly ’20.

Despite their competition, each attraction becomes extremely popular each year as they both offer unique thrills for a decent price and are guaranteed to entertain students and families all around.