It’s finally October. The month of fall, leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween. Haunted houses are a festive way to embrace the Halloween season. 13th Floor has been named one of Denver’s best haunted houses, but what goes on behind the scenes of this spooky site?

1. 13th floor is named after the superstition, a stigma surrounding the 13th floor of many buildings such as hotels. Many hotels and buildings do not include a named 13th floor. This superstition dates so far back it is not entirely certain where it comes from. Building owners do not add a 13th floor for fear of upsetting superstitious customers. The creators of 13th floor used this superstition to tie in the question of what could happen on the 13th floor. Creating interesting, frightening characters that could be found on the mysterious floor. This year’s three themes are Half Alive, Possession, and Trick or Treat.
2. The makeup and dressing room is a totally wonderful disaster. Walking into the dressing room, the smell of hairspray and makeup instantly hit your nose. Groups of actors, waiting in costume for their turn to fully be transformed into their monster of the night. Dedicated, focused makeup artists, creating something totally new. “We start to get creative and create different characters,”one of the makeup artists, Lili Aguilar, said. The room was too loud to hear anything but laughter and chatter and a sense of community is felt everywhere.
3. The actors for this haunt are incredibly dedicated. “I normally start working about a month before because you want to prepare for it. Year round you want to be sure that you take care of your body because it takes a toll on you, your voice and your body,” Sergio, a lot actor for 13th floor, said.
4. Attention to detail matters. A lot. The fog that clouds your vision and the constant sounds of eerie screams filling your ears complete the experience. It’s everything the actors do, the change in their voices, in the way they walk. The careful precision as the makeup artists contour and paint. The detail is perfect from the shivering you feel as you enter the elevator to begin Half Alive, to the colored contacts the actors wear to make them seem even further from being human. 13th floor is a detailed haunt, and it shows through every minute.
5. This haunted house, along with its sister haunt, City of the Dead and Asylum Haunted House, are known as some of Denver’s best for very good reasons. The amazing sets and actors that dedicate time to making this season spooky are talented and extravagant. Walking in, one immediately gets thrown into the horrors as lot actors roam around greeting you. Complete with lighting and movement, the realism and fun of these haunted houses are the perfect way to spend the Halloween season.