Haunted houses
- Web: www.scared.com, www.haunteddenver.com
Like horror movies, today’s haunted
houses come in two basic breeds:
over-the-top scary in a Hollywood
special-effects sort of way and less
horrific gothic fun “redeemed”by
quasi-history. More popular are the
former, which, in an age of computerized
effects and virtual reality, have
increasingly pushed the fright envelope.
Horror fans who prefer a gradual
build-up in their heart rate might opt
for southeast Denver’s 13th Door,
where “each door is scarier than the
one before.”Like many such “houses,”
often constructed in malls and other
retail environments, the 13th Door has
a back story — in this case, a gala
1912 costume party that culminated
in fire, locked doors and a chainsawwielding
maniac.
Send in the clowns at the CarnEvil
Haunted House and 3-D Freak Show
in Southwest Plaza offers a good
scare, where visitors dodge “deadly
marionettes,”“freaks of nature”and
“clowns of doom.” “Everyone loves a
clown,”the Web site says, “…just not
these clowns.”
For those with young children
who think Bozo is already scary
enough, there are a number of
purposefully nonfrightening
options, including the 4-H
Haunted Hay Rides at Plum Creek
Stables in Littleton and the familyfriendly
Elitch Gardens FrightFest.
The major alternative to prefabricated
“houses”are various tours of
“real”haunted locales. Colorado
Haunted History takes patrons on a
90-minute walk through Morrison
with tales of the Hatchet Lady of Red
Rocks and tours of the “haunted”Cliff
house. As buffs dig farther, they’ll discover
the Haunted Mines of Colorado
Springs, Capitol Hill’s walking
tours and jaunts through historic
Littleton’s old neighborhoods.
Last and most infamously is
Arvada’s Hell House, a controversial
fright that has spawned similar
Christian-themed haunts in cities
across the country — not to mention
a documentary and an off-Broadway
play. Hell House has turned the haunted
house concept on its ear with controversial
rooms depicting abortion,
homosexuality, suicide and drug use.
The attraction has become a novelty,
especially among those who do not
share the views of the Abundant Life
Christian Center.
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