October 25, 2016
Ellie Colpitts
Halloween is quickly creeping around the corner, and so are the actors at various haunted houses around Colorado Springs.
The Scribe reviewed two of the most popular haunted houses that take place in town each year.
Hellscream Haunted House
Price: $22
Scream factor: 4/5
Location: 3021 N Hancock Ave
Even though I have a high scare tolerance, I can say that this house had the highest scare factor in comparison to other haunted houses I’ve been to in the past.
The atmosphere of Hellscream was my favorite; the friendly actors in a wide variety of costumes greeted you immediately.
The actors did a spectacular job of popping out right as you passed and followed you at a distance that was perfectly creepy.
Going through this house felt more personal because the actors timed their scare tactics so you wouldn’t run into other groups or stay in one place for too long.
My favorite part was the frightening, themed rooms that keep it from being boring and redundant. From surgical rooms to circus arenas to children’s bedrooms, it was always interesting.
I was happy that the floors weren’t cluttered so I didn’t have to worry about tripping over something in the dark and hurting myself.
When I went on a Thursday night, there was barely a line. Although slightly overpriced, you were in the house for 30 minutes, and easily lost track of where you were.
I kept thinking we had to have gone through the whole haunted house, but then we ascended a flight of stairs and entered yet another section.
The house’s assortment of mechanical creatures and gruesome props also made for a great haunted house.
Ghoul’s Gulch Haunted House
Price: $15
Scream factor: 2/5
Location: 3910 Palmer Park Blvd
As anticipated, the quality of haunt decreased with house price. I was thoroughly unimpressed with Ghoul’s Gulch based on the atmosphere, location, actors and that it only lasted 10 minutes.
I found the site’s location odd; the house was located in an abandoned shopping center off Academy Boulevard with no distinguishing features outside. The entrance was unconventional with the line awkwardly winding around the small room, which made it difficult to find the exit.
Ghoul’s Gulch had two haunted houses, which included a 3D experience. I chose the house without the 3D effects, and regretted my decision because the line length was nearly triple that of the other house.
After waiting in line for an unreasonable amount of time, I entered a large, dark room that lacked excitement. The house had a generic spooky soundtrack playing that I heard repeatedly before I finally got to enter.
I disliked how close the actors got to me; they were so close that I could smell them. The experience was uncomfortable, but not frightening.
Ghoul’s had a fair amount of props, but not nearly to the extent of Hellscream’s props that added to the action of the house. One difference in props was a bridge at Ghoul’s that moved as you were right in the middle.
This is a decent idea, but there was no warning so I fell to the side and bruised my hand.
I didn’t like the uneven flooring and had to catch myself from falling multiple times. One of the actors hit me in the face with a prop, which was greatly unappreciated.
The issue with the house was that you could see the actors peeking around the corner to see when you were coming. Once they did pop out, they tried to have spooky conversations with you and wouldn’t let you pass.
The scare factor was almost nonexistent once I noticed this.
But the best aspect of my experience wasn’t the house; a giant albino snake was brought around while waiting endlessly in line. You didn’t have to pay to pet or have him slither up your arm.