From the second you step out of the metal detectors and retrieve your searched bag, haunting images and sounds envelope you in the 13th Floor Haunted House’s horrorful charm. A pumpkin/skeleton/scarecrow hybrid sculpture, sporadic bursts of fog machines, loud halloween-type music – these are the opening sights and sounds that welcome you into the world of Denver’s most loved

haunted house attraction. What else would you expect? 

13th Floor Haunted House, though located in Denver’s Elyria-Swanse

a neighborhood, could be more fittingly described as being located in the middle of nowhere. Aptly located, the large warehouse that houses the haunt is surrounded by empty spaces of construction graveyards and parking lots. 13th Floor has a way of scaring you before you even get in the door, where the clowns and creatures roaming around the premises looking for unassuming house-goers start to sneak up behind you. 

This haunted house has claimed the top spot of Denver’s spooky scene for a number of years now. Along with their separate campus located in Henderson’s Mile High Flea Market with City of the Dead Asylum, both locations host multiple haunts with their own unique personalities.

For their 2019 season, 13th Floor features an all new lineup of these dreadfully wonderful identities. The main haunt treats and terrifies house guests to a three-part themed attraction consisting of a lab experiment gone wrong, clowns and a Stranger Things-inspired finale. 

“Even though I’m terrified of clowns it [the attraction] is honestly my favorite,” said 13th Floor’s customer experience manager Skylar Green. “You’ll see once you go in there it is unlike any other clown theme attraction you’ve ever seen before. It’s awesome.” 

Green stood corrected in her assessment; the haunt did not disappoint in perfectly timed jump scares and artistic originality. As attendees progress through the house, they experience a rickety elevator, hall of mirrors, smoky lagoon and tilted rooms with moving floors. However, one of the most outstanding features was in the fully animated room of the house that created a tumbling illusion of being in a washing machine even though you remain on a straight bridge.

When asked what the most unique part of the house was, Green also mentioned this aspect of the house, stating, “The animatronics. It’s an element that a lot of other haunted attractions don’t have in Denver. What the 13th floor is more about it diving into those deepest darkest fears. Not necessarily always just jump scares but what your nightmares are made of.” 

13th Floor, though only open to the public for a short season, has a team working year-round that forever live in the niche industry of horror at the corporate level and on scene working on building sets and costumes. During the season, the house employs 165 people and receive “anywhere from two to 5,000 people” in a night, according to Green. 

The attraction also features the new Sensory Overload haunt, in which guests enter into a maze of complete darkness and must find their way out. Also on 13th Floor’s campus are the Shriekeasy bar, mini escape rooms and Class Axe, an attraction in which you can try your hand at axe-throwing.  

Denver is lucky to host 13th Floor every Halloween season with their unique attractions and attention to every little frightening detail. For a fresh dose of adrenaline, this haunted house will leave you screaming and running all the way back to the parking lot. 

DU students: Use code STUDENTCO19 for $2 Off Admission to 13th Floor Denver and City of the Dead Asylum