Halloween is always an awesome excuse to party – but what if you want to do something different this year? Sometimes there just aren’t Halloween shows happening, or the same old theme parties are a little tired.
This year, try out a haunted house or another themed attraction to really set the mood. After all, Halloween only happens once a year, so there’s no excuse not to get fully in the swing of things. Here are five different haunted destinations you can check out this year to truly revel in the festivities.
1. Denver Virtual Reality Haunted House
One of the most interesting and innovative ideas for haunted entertainment is the virtual haunted house taking place at Spruce, a barber and clothing shop in Denver. The retail space will be cleared out for this event, and with a pair of goggles on, attendees will be sent through the space to retrieve a key. However, they will have to do so with all kinds of spooky challenges popping up in their virtual reality.
“Halloween is our favorite holiday,” Taylor Romero, one of the owners, stated in the press release for the event. “We’ve known since we opened Spruce that we wanted to use the space and really blow it out this year for Halloween – do something completely different that would combine our tech focus with how much we love the holiday.”
All haunted visits will be taking place on Halloween after 12 p.m., and best of all, the virtual haunted house is free! To book your trip through the haunted house, you can visit the website or text (303) 622-3310.
2. Papa Legba’s Voodoo Bash
If partying hard with cool spooky attractions and live music is more your scene, then you may want to check out Papa Legba’s Voodoo Bash instead. The party will be taking place on October 30 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at the Denver Mart. If you want to see a snake charmer in action, get your fortune told, dress up and also dance the night away to local entertainment, this is the spot for you. There will also be an open bar and some burlesque dancers to provide quality entertainment.
“We want people to understand that this is a visual, interactive playground,” explained Amelia, one of the founders of the event, in an interview with 303. “We also have some giveaways; we are giving a way a snowboard, a $1000 prize, a stay in a condo, etc. No matter who you are or what you like to do, there is going to be something for everyone. It is basically kind of a one-stop shop for everything you could want to do.”
To get more info about the event, you can follow this link to check out pricing and get tickets in advance
3. 13th Floor
If you are looking for some good old-fashioned haunted house fun, then look no further than the premier fright experience that is 13th Floor. The haunted house will be available until November 9 and admission is $25.99. Fangoria has called this the scariest haunted house in the U.S. and this year there are even more new attractions to get guests excited about allowing themselves to be scared.
“I think deep down, primal fears are really at the heart of things, the fight or flight syndrome, and when people are startled that kind of kicks in and makes people uneasy, want to leave,” explained Chris Stafford, one of the brains behind the haunted house. “That is probably their primal or innate kind of fear. Your old classics are some of the best as far as scaring people goes – clowns, spiders, snakes – its low hanging fruit as far as haunted house producers go, but we try to take those fears and kind of twist them up and modernize them and make them more relevant today.”
13th Floor is located at 4120 Brighton Blvd in Denver. For more information on tickets and admission, you can call (303) 355-3327.
4. The Asylum
Another awesome option for some local terror is 13th Floor’s sister haunted house, The Asylum. This spooky attraction was recently included in HauntedHouse.com’s list of the 13 best haunted houses in the US and it has a bunch of great things to make your hair stand on end. This one is themed around an 1800s asylum, and this year, the patients have taken over and the doctors are held captive.
“I always think that the most exciting features about any haunted houses are the actors – we can build really elaborate sets that can immerse you in an environment, but if we don’t have the actors who play the roles, it really does not hit the mark,” stated Stafford regarding what makes this haunted destination stand out. “You can have a beauty of a haunted house but without the actors it doesn’t feel alive. Suspension of disbelief is a big deal, and that is why actors are key.”
The Asylum can be found at 6100 E 39th Ave. in Denver and reached for more info at (303) 355-3327.
5. A Halloween Boo-lesque Show
If you are looking for another option like the Voodoo Bash, then you might want to check out this awesome burlesque bash, put on by Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. The show is happening on the 29th and 31st, so you’ll be able to make it to both this and the Voodoo party if this kind of thing is your style. In addition to exciting, sexy burlesque, there will be live comedy, interactive participation with the host, great costumes, musicians, jugglers and aerial artists. Make it out to the club for one of these nights in order to get scared, stimulated and all-around entertained!
All photos courtesy of 13th Floor and The Asylum