The haunting season gets off to an early start
The smoke had scarcely cleared from
the Labor Day barbecues when the season’ first Top of Utah haunted house
creaked open its dark doors. Castle of Chaos kicked off a new year of frights on
Sept. 6, just four short days after the classic end-of-summer Labor Day weekend
and a walloping 55 days before Halloween.
"It’s The best opening we’ve had in years; the season is starting
off on a good pace,” says Sean Murray. Murray who lives in Layton is general
manager of the Riverdale attraction and one of the owners of the three-location
Castle of Chaos chain. Mid-September heralded the opening of the Haunted Hollow
in West Warren, and the debut of other Top of Utah scare factories will follow.
Gone are the days when haunted houses
primarily revolved around Oct. 31. It’s more of a season-its fall. Halloween
isn’t a day; it’s year-round when you’re talking to a haunter. Castle of Chaos,
for example, also opens for a “Spring Scream” on a couple of weekends in April
and a holiday-oriented haunted house in December, because people sort of love
it.“The Haunted Hollow opened one week earlier this year, kicking off on Friday. Sept. 13. For those in the ghoul business, that’s an inspired date that just begs to be observed. Kind of like our holiday. Only the hard-core thrill seekers show up at his haunted house during September: October is usually when it gets real busy. A weekend night in September may draw 400-to 500 visitors, for example, but a week end night in October will pack in a crowd of 1,5000.You won’t hit big number until the second week of October for the most part, it doesn’t do too much good to open too early”
And although Haunted Hollow has experimented with keeping the frights going past Halloween the effort wasn’t too successful. People just…move on o Thanksgiving and Christmas. As it is now, once folks start seeing Halloween decorations pop up in stores in early fall they start to think, “Oh I want to go to a haunted house.”
Whether you relish your terrors early or late in the season, here’s a look at what you’ll find at the 2013 incarnations of the Castle of chaos and the Haunted Hollow. We aren’t talking wallpaper or wainscoting for makeover in this castle."
Think electrocutions, brain surgery, dungeons and asylums, all of which are additions to the Castle of Chaos in Riverdale, which has revamped about one-third of its rooms. The top of Utah haunts third season also features falling walls and dropping cages that can “imprison” unsuspecting visitors. We just do everything we can to scare you from every way we can. The Castle of Chaos located at 1134 W Riverdale Road in the old Macy’s department store building contains three separate attractions: a 3-D glow-in the-dark maze, The Screamatarium and the 7 Deadly Sins Haunted House.
The sins remain the same in the haunted house but some interpretations have been changed. We made things a little darker in the sense that it’s a little more gruesome. Choosing how scared you want to get is another unique feature. For the second year folks can opt for a more intense experience called “Hand on Horror.” By signing a waiver and paying an extra fee guests give haunters permission to grab or touch them or even pick them up. We can separate you from your group or put you in a coffin if we want to.
The hands-on approach makes things more fun because you’re interacting with the house’s characters. On the flip side the chickens among us can choose a new “Monster Be “Gone” upgrade which is actually a downgrade of the overall fright factor. It’s similar to giving you a magic wand so if a monster gets too close you wave it and he’s gone.
Hours: 7:30 p.m. midnight Fridays and Saturdays, through Oct 26.
Admission: $20-25 depending on selected fear level.
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
