Denver Haunted Houses | 2010 Haunted House Season

There is a lot of excitement centered around the upcoming 2010 Haunted House Season in Denver.  Here at HauntedRatings.com we have been receiving several emails about new haunted houses that are planning to open up their doors this coming season.  We have also gotten updates from several different Haunts that you enjoyed last year.   The 13th Door Haunted House, Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch, The Haunted Mansion, The 25th Hour Haunted House, The Butcher Haunted House and the City of the Dead Haunt are among the many that will be returning for 2010.

New this year to HauntedRatings.com we will be adding a new feature called HOME HAUNTS.  A Home Haunt is one that is usually set up in a garage, back yard, driveway and in some cases, a Home Haunt can utilize the entire home.  They can run for 1 or 2 days up to several weekends.   There usually isn’t a charge to see them, but donations are appreciated.  A person who runs a Home Haunt spends hours and hours putting it together and does it for several different reasons.  Some do it for a specific charity while others do it for a neighborhood activity, but all of them do it because of their love for Halloween.  Several of Denver’s Home Haunters have gone onto run some of the best Pro Haunts in Denver.

So, while the rest of the country is depressed, Haunters in Denver are feverishly building and painting walls, constructing props and figuring out the best way to scare anyone who is brave enough to enter their establishment.

We will begin updating listings for HauntedRatings.com in mid August.  If you have a haunt that you would like to have listed, you can send me the information at hauntmaster@hauntedratings.com or call me at (720)261-0570.  I will have a form online that you can fill out or you can just send me the information and I will take care of it for you.  Remember the listings are FREE! Feel free to contact me with any questions.  I just love to talk Halloween!!

Denver Haunted Houses l 15th Annual Halloween & Attractions Show

The 15th Annual Halloween and Attractions Show will be held March 25-28 at America’s Center in St. Louis, MO.

For the last 15 years, TransWorld’s Annual Halloween & Attractions Show has gathered the largest collection of industry leading vendors and a huge selection of products to give our buyers the greatest opportunity to see all of the best products and creations, all under one roof.

The Annual Halloween & Attractions Show continues its tradition of creating a unique business environment designed to allow buyers to meet face-to-face with exhibitors. Our exhibitors bring all the newest products and classic designs, providing buyers with a one-stop shopping experience. With thousands of products in hundreds of categories, buyers will find everything they need to stock their businesses and make their time at the show a success. Products at the Annual Halloween & Attractions Show include:

Props, Animatronics, Games and Crowd Pleasers, Concession Supplies, Tickets and Crowd Control, Masks and Costumes, Lighting and Special Effects, Make-Up and Prosthetics, Fabric Paint and Décor, Gift and Novelty items, Haunted House Design and Installation, Sound/Visual Electronics and Effects, Mobile Haunted Houses, Educational and Instructional Videos, Spooky Music and SFX, Wristbands, Visitor Automated Tracking Systems, Haunt-Oriented Graphic and Web Design, and much more!

Networking events, award ceremonies, local haunted house tours, industry relevant seminars and an expanded Dark Zone make this the best Halloween & Attractions Show yet! Don’t miss out!

For more information check out the website at http://www.haashow.com.

Denver Haunted Houses l Haunted House Season 2009 RIP

The Denver Haunted House season officially came to a close on November 1 when all of the Haunts in Denver closed their doors for the last time. What a season this has been. We started out with beautiful Fall weather, that turned to snow which only lasted for a day. The weather turned really nice again and then in the last week we had over 2 feet of the white stuff fall, closing down some haunts for two days and ending the season for others. Finally on the Friday, the weather turned warmer and by the weekend we were back to Fall weather.

This season also saw many new haunted houses come to life in the Denver Metro Area. Some of the haunts that received a lot of buzz from haunt goers were CITY OF THE DEAD in Henderson at the Mile High Marketplace, THE 25TH HOUR at C-470 and University Blvd and TWISTED FAIRY TALES at the Westminster Mall.

CITY OF THE DEAD had incredible scenery, alley ways, wrecked cars, lots of zombies and everything a zombie fan would love.  This haunt offered something unique and different for the Denver haunted house goer. The attention to detail, the various shops  in the City and the actors who really got into their characters made this haunt a ‘must see’ for many haunted house ethusiasts. 

THE 25TH HOUR started out with an effect not seen in any other Denver Haunt.  If you remember the scene with Indiana Jones and his Father when they were tied back to back on two chairs in front of a huge fireplace and then the fireplace turns to reveal a room behind it…well, that is what this effect did.  It was smooth, quick and totally unexpected.  This haunted house used several effects new to the Denver area.  The actors were scary and they seemed to blend into the walls.  You just never knew where you would see one next.  Another one on the list of ‘must sees’.

TWISTED FAIRY TALES was put together in about 2 to 3 weeks, but you would never guess it from the haunt itself.  Filled with detail, twists and turns and scares to be found around each corner.  Interesting and fun at the same time.  The sets were great and I can’t wait to see how this haunt changes and grows for next year.

Denver has about 20 different haunted attractions, corn mazes and even more halloween events to choose from.  With so many venues trying to get your hard earned dollars, it’s nice to know you have so many choices.  HauntedRatings.com  will continue to be there to give you the most complete up-to-date information available for your Halloween needs.

Enjoy the Holidays and check back with us throughout the year as we get ready for Halloween 2010!

Haunted House Hauntrepreneur on CNN

Local Hauntrepreneur Interviewed For National Story

The big snow storm in Denver put a damper on many of the area’s haunted houses, but KathE Walker remains upbeat about the prospect for scares this weekend. KathE was interviewed about running haunted houses in Denver and had quite a few interesting comments about what it is like scaring people for a living.

The news story includes video and photos of many of the different characters that can be seen at the haunted houses that KathE’s family runs.

As a bit of an update to the story, The 13th Door and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch are now scheduled to be open for business (due to demand) through November 1st from 7pm-10pm. It’s kind of a scare-extension.

You can see the entire article and video at cnn.com

This news is brought to you by the same people that build the best Denver haunted houses.
How about taking a look at a couple of our Denver haunted house videos? 13th Door Haunted House and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch

Haunted Houses & Snow

Haunts That Just Won’t Close

The big storm has really done a number on most of the haunted houses the last couple of days, but there are some that just won’t close. Tonight you can get your scared on at The 13th Door and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch (I-225 & Parker Rd.). They will be open from 7pm until 10pm tonight. The 25th Hour and The Butcher haunted houses will be dark tonight, but reopen for business on Friday and Saturday.

Also, because of the incredible demand and the inclement weather this year, The 13th Door and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch will be staying open one extra night. You’ll be able to get in one last scare on Sunday, November 1st from 7pm until 10pm.

For more details about all the Denver haunted houses, make sure you visit the links below.

This news is brought to you by the same people that build the best Denver haunted houses.
How about taking a look at a couple of our Denver haunted house videos? 13th Door Haunted House and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN

Win a DVD copy of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN
Available today on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download

So what does this have to do with haunted houses, you ask? Well the story is about modern science creating a race of killer robots that eventually destroy humanity in a multi-planet horror show. Or we could say that it taps the same pleasure center in your brain that a good zombie flick does. In any event, people (us) love a free movie – that’s reason enough.

Set just after the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan follows multiple versions of the Cylon models One and Six who have infiltrated the remaining humans, both on the planets, and those who have escaped into space. From there, the events of the series are shown from a Cylon perspective, and their underlying plan is revealed.

This highly-anticipated film was directed by Edward James Olmos and stars Olmos, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, Grace Park, Michael Hogan, Aaron Douglas, Callum Keith Rennie, Kate Vernon, Rick Worthy, Lymari Nadal, Matthew Bennett, Rekha Sharma, Tricia Helfer, Alisen Down, and Tiffany Lyndall-Knight. It is available today on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download.

If you would like to win a DVD copy of this new chapter in the BG saga, play our quiz/contest.

Website: battlestargalacticadvd.com

This quiz/contest is brought to you by the same people that love Denver haunted houses.
How about taking a look at a couple of our Denver haunted house videos? 13th Door Haunted House and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch

The Fourth Kind

Screening Tuesday, November 3rd @ 9pm
Denver CO – Pickup tickets tonight

In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document…until now.

Structured unlike any film before it, The Fourth Kind is a provocative thriller set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where—mysteriously since the 1960s—a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Despite multiple FBI investigations of the region, the truth has never been discovered.

Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented.

Using never-before-seen archival footage that is integrated into the film, The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film.

This film is rated PG-13.

You can pickup tickets at two of our haunted houses tonight. Visit The 13th Door (I-225 & Parker Rd.) or The 25th Hour (C-470 & University Blvd.) Tickets will be available, while supplies last. Both haunted houses open from 7pm – 10pm tonight.

Website: http://www.thefourthkind.net/

How about taking a look at a couple of Denver haunted house videos? 13th Door Haunted House and Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch

Denver Haunted Houses l 4th Annual Zombie Crawl – October 24

Are you ready for the 4th Anual Zombie Crawl?  As the Denver Haunted Houses gear up for the last two weeks of the 2009 Haunted House season, it seems only appropriate to have a Zombie Crawl part of the festivaties.  Announcing…

The 4th ANNUAL DENVER ZOMBIE CRAWL 5:00pm SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH, 2009

*** WE WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO BEAT THE WORLD RECORD, OVER 4000 ZOMBIES! ***

This year Zombies will be meeting at Skyline Park at 16th and Arapahoe St. The route will make a big loop down the 16th St Mall and regroup at Skyline for a costume contest and concert!

*NOTE: This is not a pub crawl. There is no drinking during the crawl, only slow moving zombies in search of brains. This is a family friendly event!

Tentative Schedule
3:00pm Zombie Makeup 101
4:00pm Costume Contest (ages 12 and under)
5:30pm Thriller dance!
5:30pm Meet and prep for crawl
6:00pm ZOMBIE CRAWL (down 16th st.)
7:30pm Costume Contest (13+)
8:30pm The Widow’s Bane (live music!)

3pm-6pm DJ set from Marc the Postman

Costume contest prizes include:
-Gift Certificates
-Cash

The Zombie Crawl is completely free! We do however ask that you bring non-perishable food items which Food Bank of the Rockies will be collecting Here are a few types of canned and dry goods that make nice donations: Tuna, ham, beef stew, chili, baked beans, fruit, vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, soup and pasta.
Non-glass containers are preferred. Pickled Brains are optional.

If you have always wanted to be part of a Zombie Crawl, than this is your chance.  Dig up those old tattered cloths, brush some dirt in your hair and brains…zombies just love them!  For more information about the Zombie Crawl go to http://eatheartbrains.com.

When you have finished with the Crawl you can drag yourself over to some of the haunted houses that will be opened until midnight on Saturday.  For a complete listing go to HauntedRatings.com.  Happy Haunting!

Denver Haunted Houses l When Less Is More

Less is More

MAKING YOUR HALLOWEEN CREATION STAND OUT
– Tips for Halloween Costuming from a veteran Haunted House builder –

As the Denver Haunted Houses race towards Halloween, we asked Stephen Walker what does it take to create the perfect costume to get the best scare. “One of the biggest mistakes, when creating a Halloween character, is trying to do too much. The scariest moods are realized in the minds of those you are trying to impress. People aren’t really scared at our haunted houses by our high-tech lighting and multi-thousand dollar sound systems,” says veteran haunted house builder, Stephen Walker, “it’s usually some teenage actor in a tattered robe and a little makeup that gets our biggest scares.” Stephen Walker, the creator of Denver’s 25th Hour haunted house continues, “It’s about getting inside the imagination of the individual and making it personal that provides the big payoff scares.”

Stephen further described the kinds of materials that should be in a shopping basket when someone wants to hit the local Halloween store. He’s not a big fan of the expensive latex masks that can be seen hanging on the walls of most stores. His advice is for would-be haunters to invest in a simple wig, some well-used clothing and a little makeup. He also adds that in his opinion you should stay away from the expensive costumes and get one’s fingers into a little greasepaint. Steve says the problem with most masks is that they limit one’s range of vision and make it impossible to express facial features. He emphasizes that by simply accentuating the natural lines, wrinkles and imperfections that everyone has, a much more convincing and scary creature can be created. A flesh and blood – living face not only delivers the scares, but is capable of a wide range of emotions and movement that no mask can hope to duplicate. “With just some cotton balls, a little black makeup, fake hair and spirit gum – one can create some really wicked whiskers and harry moles,” Stephen chuckled. He reluctantly added that some cheap blood would help, but stressed that too much blood can ruin things and turn a good makeup job into a really big mess.

If you think you might be interested in being an actor at the 25th Hour Haunted House, you can fill out an application by stopping by the haunt ast C-470 and University Blvd. (next to the Players Bench). Applications are now being accepted weekdays from 10:00 to 6:00 at that location.

About The 25th Hour and Stephen Walker
The 25th Hour haunted house is located in Highlands Ranch Colorado and is produced by Effectech. Effectech has been producing and building haunted houses in Denver for over 17 years. In 2009 the company is building four haunted houses in the Denver Metro Area: The 13th Door, The Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch, The 25th Hour and The Butcher Haunted House. Stephen Walker is the manager of The 25th Hour haunted house.

Denver Haunted Houses l Will The Real #1 Rated Haunted House Please Stand Up!

Trying to decide what haunt to go to drove him MAD!

With the Denver haunted house season fast approaching, it seems especially important to understand where haunted house ratings come from. After all, if you are counting on these ratings to determine which Denver haunted houses you would like to visit, it is probably a good idea to find out what the ratings are all about.

In the newspaper, on the Internet or on the radio, you will see and hear all sorts of claims from different haunted houses about being the scariest, the best, the longest. It seems like every ad in the newspaper is advertising one or more haunted house as the best haunted house in Denver. On the radio, every station will advertise the #1 rated haunted house or the scariest haunted house in Denver and very seldom will they be the same haunted house. So how can they all be rated the ‘best’ or ‘#1″?

It’s easy. Since there are no regulations on ratings, anyone can present their own opinion and advertise that they are the ‘best’, ‘scariest’, ‘rated #1″, haunted house in Denver. That is what it really boils down to…an ‘opinions’ game. Think about it, who, in their right mind, would spend money advertising that their haunted house is the ‘lamest’ or ‘rated #6′?

Everyone has an opinion about what makes a great Haunted House. Just ask your friends. Some of them will tell you that they like lots of special effects, while another will tell you they like a haunted house with a story line, still others will say that they are only scared if the haunted house has a chain saw at the end. Opinions! Everyone has them and for the most part they are happy to share them with you.

So how does this help you find out which haunted house is going to be the best fit for your scare needs? There are two directories on the Internet that give you complete listing details of all the Haunted Houses in Denver. One of them is HauntedRatings.com and the other is Scared.com.

HauntedRatings.com gives you detailed information for all of the Denver Haunted Houses, including dates and times they are open, admission prices, a synopsis of what the haunted house is all about and directions on how to get there. Several Haunted Houses offer discounted tickets and this is the best place to find out that information as well. Scared.com also lists all of the haunted houses in the Denver Metro Area.   Now all you have to do is figure out which haunted house experience would suit your needs best. Armed with this knowledge you can now feel confident that the Haunted Houses you have chosen to visit will offer you the best scare for your buck.

So, get passed all the hype and go to the Denver Haunted House that sounds the most interesting to you. Of course, that’s just my opinion.