Denver's Haunted House History

[Haunted Denver]

Here's a topic we'd like to see everyone contribute to. Denver's Haunted House History. Throughout the years there have been so many haunted houses in Denver that have come and gone. Help us compile a history here, tell us what ones you remember and everything you remember about them, name? location? who put it on? etc.

We'll start.

Brutal Planet at I-70 and Brighton Blvd. near the Colliseum, not clear on the years it was here but I think it was two years at this location. Definitely one of the best most creative houses the Denver area has seen. Produced by Distortions Unlimited.

Your turn.

Peace,

Haunted Denver

[Luv2BScared]

The haunted house at the original Elitch Gardens....who could forget those super scary timbers that threatened to fall on your head and the water that just might drip on you....S C A R Y!!!!!

[Skelterbet]

Hello all,

Sorry I've been away for so long.

Anyway, I did not really start going to the Haunts until about two or three years ago, but I did enjoy the couple I went to back in the day.

The Haunt that sticks out in my memory from back then was at a mall on Wadsworth and Mississippi (Villa Italia?). The year I went there was a year or so after BeetleJuice came out, so the theme was BeetleJuice. The entrance was like walking into the lobby/waiting area from the movie and the first few rooms kept to that theme before they switched to the standard Freddy/Michael/Jason bits (the Freddy one was pretty good). They even had a section taken from the movie Aliens, complete with Ripley in the Loader fighting the Alien Queen (the Queen needed some work on her costume...). There was a Post-Apocalyptic area with mutants wandering around, taking interest in us non-mutants.

I think what made it so much fun was the group I went in with consisted of one of my friends, who wanted to show-off for his girlfriend, and a couple of people who I'd never met before (or since). My friend and his girlfriend were both screaming and running around the time Freddy showed up. The people that I had never met? The girl held on to my shoulders and was practically riding me through the whole Haunt screaming, and her boyfriend was holding on to her shoulders, riding her through the Haunt screaming. Me? I almost passed out from lack of oxygen because I could not stop laughing at my friends and the strangers.

This, of course, is exactly my feelings on going to Haunts today. If I can't go through with a group of "Screamers", then I'd almost rather not go (I say almost because there is sure to be a group of screamers somewhere in the inevitable Conga Line...and I LOVE the screamers).

[SChaser783]

One of my fondest memories was at Nightmare at Bandimere Speedway, it must have been about 1994. We went through probably 3 times, your ticket was good all night. They even had a 727 fuselage that you walked through with actors in seats and on the top. I think it only ran one season.

I also remember Labrynth down on 17th and Sheridan across from Sloan Lake. It was in tents and you supposedly took an elevator down under the lake where radioactive material had mutated some fish and people. Your guide was eaten by one of these creatures about halfway through. This may have gone 2 seasons around 1995.

Castle of Fear was on 80th and Pecos, it looked like it was an old K-Mart. I went there in 1999 which I believe was its final year. They had a haunted rock band entertaining the crowd and a medieval theme throughout.

I can't remember this one because I never went to it, but I always heard its commercials on the radio. It was a big local charity that put it on. If anyone remembers the name I know it was around a few years.

[Big Perm]

I don't know who did the one at Celebrity Sports Center (that place was the proverbial "bomb" back in the day for you young'uns). It scared the urine out of my body and down my leg, just a trickle mind you, in my pre-pubescent days (that was 21 years ago since a few of those would make comments about it being last year. Which you'd be right, just not for purposes of this situation).

It was back before the days of licensing rights, litigation and a sue happy society. Freddie in a swamp, Jason in a swamp, Aliens in a swamp... Good times. Even better times was Celebrity though; water so full of urine and counter-active chlorine that your eyes would sting from just getting into locker room. Once you jumped into that frigid pool ever little cut you had would sting bad enough to leak some tears. Ah, the good old days.

... I miss the barracuda...

[Luv2BScared]

OMG!! I forgot about the one at Celebrity...that was a LONG time ago...I used to play Centepede until my eyes blurred over there...hahaha

[Big Perm]

Not to bring this too far off topic but do you remember that shooting gallery in the corner? I loved that thing, it always reminded me of halloween, although now I can't remember why!

[Luv2BScared]

I do remember!! It had that haunted ghost town shooting gallery feel to it. And since it was in the corner it was away a bit from the noise and lights giving it that eerie glow.

[Big Perm]

Rock on Luv2B! I thought I was the only one that remembered that... fondly anyway. I knew there was a reason I liked you!

[mr-scary]

celebrity


hahahahahahaha

man I'm old. How fun was it to get there play a few arcade games, go bowl a game then go swimming, AFterwards head over to hooters a couple blocks down for dinner?

ahhh man I miss that place now.

[Big Perm]

Those were the days, of course for me it was sans Hooters for wings. At the time my father was borderline puritanical (borderline puritanical at the time, not my father at the time) so Hooters was out of the question.

Now that you bring that up I suppose it leads me in the direction as to why I am the way I am. And as far as the bowling goes, you had to get the guns built up because you could never find a ball under 14 oz.!

[Haunted Denver]

We've heard several stories about a haunted house that was located in an old slaughter house somewhere near downtown or by the Denver Colliseum area, anyone remember that one? No idea what it was called, or who did it.

Also, heard of one several years ago, behind Coors Field, anyone know about that one?

[Big Perm]

I know the slaughterhouse that you're asking about but I don't remember anything about it being a haunted house, maybe someone else can have some input on that.

What I can tell you about is the one "first" Asylum that ran out of the old Crystal Rose before Carnevil took up residence. I only remember it running for a season but I liked some of the aspect including your "medication" (tic-tacs) and the seat buzzers in the first room.

I also remember that Castle that Tye's talking about. I remember their gift shop and the palm reader that they had. The medival theme was sort of present (parts of it reminded me of some of the stuff that Primitive Fear does in their scenes. There was also the graveyard about a 3rd of the way through with personnel (I never did figure out if they were just there or if they were actors) on catwalks above you. The rock band must not've been there when I was but I think I went in the middle of the week. What was that around for? 1,2 years?

[Luv2BScared]

There was an old slaughterhouse off of 58th and Franklin that was a favorite spot to go get loaded on beer and run around and scare yourself in. Every weekend it was the place to be for a long time. Now the old sugarmill in Longmont is the new creepy place.

Perm,
there are just some things we never get over and remember fondly. I'm thinking that if it were still there and we went now we'd realize what a dump it was....but the memories....ahhh the memories!!

[Skelterbet]

Celebrity!

Wow - that place really was awesome when I was a kid.

I remember spending a whole day with my friends trying to jump from one big water slide to the other when they came bck into the building. We succeeded once, only to get thrown out. But that was an event we still talk about every now and then.

Good Times!

Who'd have thought we had this many old fogies on the boards...

[Luv2BScared]

Old fogies? Where? Heck, the older I get, the more juvenille I get!

[Hellraiser15]

Look i know this was recent and i know how many of you have shown your disgust for this haunt and it will give away my age but i have to list The Catacombs. without that haunt i wouldn't be here today,(and neither would asylum22 wheherever the F### he's been).

It started it all for me. It was the very first haunt i went to and as a kid it really made me realize how much i liked getting scared. After that year it was on to greener pastures of course with haunts like Frightmare and Spider mansion(not a very green pasture). Catacombs seemed like an eternity to me as i walked through it and every step made me want to take 10 more. I still remember being in shellshock walking into the bloddied bathroom. As the actress counted our seconds left to leave i remember myself pushing down a littler kid than me to get out.

I had never known before that that for 15 dollars you could transcend reality into a dark and demented world known as haunted houses. The catacombs sparked a world of interest in me that to this day come hallows eve still needs to be fullfilled. So now that time has passed; myself, and The catacombs have gone, grown up, and changed. But without the catacombs I wouldnt be the haunt fanatic/ octoberlounge power user(please change that) that i am today. so here it is, my ode to The Catacombs.

[Big Perm]

That's $15 with a can of food though...

[Hellraiser15]

I remember giving them my cambells...

[Luv2BScared]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hellraiser15 @ Aug 10 2008, 07:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4155)</div>
Look i know this was recent and i know how many of you have shown your disgust for this haunt and it will give away my age but i have to list The Catacombs. without that haunt i wouldn&#39;t be here today,(and neither would asylum22 wheherever the F### he&#39;s been).

It started it all for me. It was the very first haunt i went to and as a kid it really made me realize how much i liked getting scared. After that year it was on to greener pastures of course with haunts like Frightmare and Spider mansion(not a very green pasture). Catacombs seemed like an eternity to me as i walked through it and every step made me want to take 10 more. I still remember being in shellshock walking into the bloddied bathroom. As the actress counted our seconds left to leave i remember myself pushing down a littler kid than me to get out.

I had never known before that that for 15 dollars you could transcend reality into a dark and demented world known as haunted houses. The catacombs sparked a world of interest in me that to this day come hallows eve still needs to be fullfilled. So now that time has passed; myself, and The catacombs have gone, grown up, and changed. But without the catacombs I wouldnt be the haunt fanatic/ octoberlounge power user(please change that) that i am today. so here it is, my ode to The Catacombs.[/b]


Yeah to the Catacombs for leading you to us!!!!!!

[asylum22]

yeah i completely agree with hellraiser. The Catacombs was incredible for me and it really sticks out in my memory as an amazing haunt, in every way a haunt could be amazing.

[Luv2BScared]

Catacombs was pretty cool. Welcome back Asylum!! Lot&#39;s to read and catch up on!

[asylum22]

thanks. yeah im glad to be back after all that time. and im really getting excited for the new haunt season!!!

[HailSkatan]

Yeah, catacombs was really fun when I went through.
and of course good ol&#39; nightmare factory.

[Luv2BScared]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (asylum22 @ Aug 19 2008, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4203)</div>
thanks. yeah im glad to be back after all that time. and im really getting excited for the new haunt season!!![/b]


I am too. I get geared up around November 2nd every year and it lasts until the season opens!!

[HailSkatan]

Hahaha, sounds familiar.

[Luv2BScared]

Everyday is Halloween at my house. I&#39;m getting quite a twisted collection of things now. A lot of skulls have found their way into my hands lately. Teeth too. It&#39;s starting to look like a voodoo hut!

[HailSkatan]

Every year I always decorate my yard and do a simple yard haunt, the day after halloween, pretty much everything from outside moves into my room, so I&#39;m just completly festive year round.

[Rev. Noch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Big Perm @ Jul 28 2008, 08:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4115)</div>
Not to bring this too far off topic but do you remember that shooting gallery in the corner? I loved that thing, it always reminded me of halloween, although now I can&#39;t remember why![/b]


Dude I was a Celebrity Junky when I was a kid. Never got to go to the Haunt there though. I loved the shooting gallery, I got damn good at that thing. It probably reminded you of Halloween because of it&#39;s theme. It was like a haunted castle.

Did anyone ever "Shock the Machines" there? You could shock at the shooting gallery and the game with the trash cans with Sylvester in them that you threw the balls in. You could would get the cheap 1 point ring from the prize counter, then go to the gallery, rub your feet on the ground and then touch the ring to the coin return button, it would then spit out a ticket. On the Trashcan game, it shocking a bit more complicated but gave the red tickets instead of the blue ones. You had to touch the ticket dispensing slot instead of the coin return without touching anything else. When I was a kid I was too short to reach from the floor so I had to jump and touch it while in the air.

I was really sad when they tore that place down to build yet another damn hardware store.

[Luv2BScared]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HailSkatan @ Aug 20 2008, 08:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4278)</div>
Every year I always decorate my yard and do a simple yard haunt, the day after halloween, pretty much everything from outside moves into my room, so I&#39;m just completly festive year round.[/b]

I have my graveyard stuff that I put out and then I have my house stuff that&#39;s out all the time. It&#39;s a sickness I embrace. http://www.octoberlounge.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rev. Noch @ Aug 22 2008, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4294)</div>
Dude I was a Celebrity Junky when I was a kid. Never got to go to the Haunt there though. I loved the shooting gallery, I got damn good at that thing. It probably reminded you of Halloween because of it&#39;s theme. It was like a haunted castle.

Did anyone ever "Shock the Machines" there? You could shock at the shooting gallery and the game with the trash cans with Sylvester in them that you threw the balls in. You could would get the cheap 1 point ring from the prize counter, then go to the gallery, rub your feet on the ground and then touch the ring to the coin return button, it would then spit out a ticket. On the Trashcan game, it shocking a bit more complicated but gave the red tickets instead of the blue ones. You had to touch the ticket dispensing slot instead of the coin return without touching anything else. When I was a kid I was too short to reach from the floor so I had to jump and touch it while in the air.

I was really sad when they tore that place down to build yet another damn hardware store.[/b]

OMG!! We used to shock the machines all the time there!! I go up to Manitou Springs to play all the old school machines, it&#39;s a nice blast from the past, but no carpet to build up static on.....sigh.

[Rev. Noch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Luv2BScared @ Aug 24 2008, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4307)</div>
OMG!! We used to shock the machines all the time there!! I go up to Manitou Springs to play all the old school machines, it&#39;s a nice blast from the past, but no carpet to build up static on.....sigh.[/b]

That&#39;s fantastic that someone else remembers doing that too. I wonder how many prizes they gave away based on shocked machine tickets?

[redskittle007]

I dont know what this haunted house was called...actually I think it was called the Asylum...but not the same one that we have now...Anyways...I was like...10 or 11 or 12...something like that...and I remember like, the first time I saw a chainsaw I flipped out, and then we got in the haunt and it was literally like an asylum, and teh part I remember the most was they put like...5 of us in this pure white room, then turned off all the lights...and then you could here this maniac in teh corner and it was the most creepiest thing in the world...I dunno, I am only 19 now, so that wasnt that long ago...but still! I remember that alot http://www.octoberlounge.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Luv2BScared]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rev. Noch @ Aug 25 2008, 11:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4325)</div>
That&#39;s fantastic that someone else remembers doing that too. I wonder how many prizes they gave away based on shocked machine tickets?[/b]

I bet a lot! I know quite a few people that did that.

[Skelterbet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Luv2BScared @ Aug 20 2008, 08:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4271)</div>
Everyday is Halloween at my house. I&#39;m getting quite a twisted collection of things now. A lot of skulls have found their way into my hands lately. Teeth too. It&#39;s starting to look like a voodoo hut![/b]

That is awesome. I don&#39;t suppose you&#39;ll be doing a Home Haunt that we could visit?

[Luv2BScared]

I am contemplating it because I have an amazing space this year in which to do it. I now live in a 100 year old victorian that has a huge yard with lot&#39;s of trees and bushes. I will let you all know if I get the time to do that!!
Oh, and I&#39;m going today to pick up more bones, skulls and teeth!!

[Rev. Noch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Luv2BScared @ Sep 1 2008, 11:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=4373)</div>
I am contemplating it because I have an amazing space this year in which to do it. I now live in a 100 year old victorian that has a huge yard with lot&#39;s of trees and bushes. I will let you all know if I get the time to do that!!
Oh, and I&#39;m going today to pick up more bones, skulls and teeth!![/b]

That&#39;s hella cool. My parents live in an old victorian also. Since my neighborhood is full of old people so I get no TOT&#39;rs, I still do all of my H day stuff at my parents&#39;.

What kinds of things would you be planning?

I built a coffin last weekend during the Broncos game that will be animated with Pneumatics, lights and fog to make it look like a monster is trapped inside. I just bought some parts today to make a Flying crank ghost. There are a bunch of other stuff I have under my hat that I&#39;ll see how much time/money I have for.

[Luv2BScared]

I always have my graveyard up every year, and every year I expand on it. This year I have nearly 2 acres to play on that, like I said have TONS of trees and shrubs to hide in.

I am thinking a transylvania theme this year would suit me fine. Not the typical "Count Dracula" garbage...more the Nosferatu type stuff.