Imagine walking through a maze of fear, your heart pounding, your skin crawling, your faith in humanity dwindling. Now imagine choosing to have all of this happen to you voluntarily — it must be Halloween time.
We live in the greater Phoenix area, which isn’t particularly frightful on its own, but that doesn’t mean that those looking for a good scare can’t find it this weekend. There are a number of haunted houses all over the Valley and each has something unique to offer.
I went through Chambers of Fear, located in Surprise, and once was enough. The attraction boasts its No. 1 Top Haunt ranking from The Arizona Republic on their website — and they live up to it. I’m not the type of person who gets scared while watching a scary movie, but walking from room to room with people jumping out at me at every turn and following uncomfortably close behind me terrified me. It also set a great tone for the spooky holiday season.
If you want to enjoy Halloween to the fullest and take a chance on fear, visit a haunted house this weekend in between your themed costume parties.
Here are a few haunted attractions in the area to check out:
The Nest
Located at: Rawhide, 5700 W. North Loop Road in Chandler
The Nest provides more than just a haunted house. Visitors can engage in activities on Main Street with a “Monster Midway” that has everything from beer to activities for younger visitors. The haunted house also features 3D effects such as sound, video, illusions and the circus performers that spark fear in all — clowns. The attraction website also mentions darkness as “its weapon of choice.” Are you too afraid of the dark or do you think you can survive it?
13th Floor
Located at: 2814 W. Bell Road in Phoenix
The 13th Floor haunted house is all about taking visitors on a journey into the 13th floor. Their legend examines and questions why so many buildings omit the 13th floor and instead decide to label it as the 14th floor. This attraction invites people to “step inside, take a ride, and travel through the 13th floor … witness the oddities and strange occurrences … and discover why it continues to be one of the world’s greatest mysteries.” For one price, visitors will also be able to go through the Zombieland Haunted House.
AZ Field of Screams
Located at: 5726 N. 75th Ave. in Glendale
For those who want something different than a haunted house, Field of Screams might be your answer. This attraction forces visitors to walk through a dark cornfield instead of a building. Feel the cool night air as you walk around, but remember this when you hear a scream in the distance: “It’s not if they will get you … it’s when will they get you.”
Dark Scares
Located at: 1061 N. Dobson Road in Mesa
For one price, visitors get to take a trip through both House 666 on the Lane and Le Carnaval des Non Morts: Entertain the End. According to the attraction’s website, “many families have moved in and out of (House 666), but after countless strange accidents and mysterious disappearances, the house has since been abandoned.” Le Carnaval des Non Morts is a site where “soulless blood thirsty heathens” preyed on the weak. Supposedly, villagers destroyed the site but found nothing to suggest the site even existed when they returned in the morning. Now, hundreds of years later, Le Carnaval is back.
The Gauntlet at Golfland Fright Nights
Located at: 155 W. Hampton Ave. in Mesa
Not only can you experience the attraction voted Best Indoor Haunted House by the Phoenix New Times, but you can play a round of “Spooktacular Golf” when you visit Golfland. In The Gauntlet, participants have to “crawl and climb over objects and stairs” as they try to survive the house, according to the website.
With many options available to you this Halloween weekend, go out and get your spook on, ladies and gentlemen.
Reach the reporter at mmattox@asu.edu
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