In a state where the Haunted House season begins in September and virtually every city has an operating scare house, it can be difficult to decide which location will provide the most worthwhile horror.
Your typical experience begins with a walkthrough, riddled with cobwebs, wandering dim hallways, wary of darkened corners and the expected crazed actors screaming at every turn. But what if you had the opportunity to choose exactly how you experienced the haunting of the season? What would you change?
Castle of Chaos has taken the liberty of changing the experience for you this year — enter the Four Levels of Fear, four varieties of horror, each worse than the next, offering a completely unique, bone-chilling experience. Beginners and the faint of heart can rely on Level 1: “Monster Be Gone” to save them from any and all scares throughout the entire walk. Level 2’s “General Admission” provides your basic scares, nothing more than jumping out from hidden corners and roaring chainsaws. L evel 3: “Hands-on Horror” changes up the game and allows the actors to touch your hair, breathe awfully close to your neck and haunt you more effectively. Level 4: “X-Scream Hands-on Horror” gives the actors consent to grab you, drag you away and terrify you in a way you’ve never been scared before.
“Level 4 adds a level of intensity that is just crazy,” said James Bernard, the owner of Castle of Chaos. “It’s a completely unique experience.”
Upwards of 60 actors work each night. They arrive in the evening and head to the make-up room to be “ghoulified.” Each has their own character to play and a location within the Castle of Chaos to haunt. Actors participate on a volunteer basis and contribute to the creation of the set and concepts throughout the year, dedicating precious time to creating a better haunting than the previous season.
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” an actor at the Taylorsville location, acts in different productions throughout the year but enjoys haunting the most.
“I used to think the greatest compliment as an actor was applause,” he said. “I’ve learned that it’s actually the screams of a 200-pound grown man begging you to stop torturing him.”
After hearing so much about the 4th level from the actors and the owner himself, I couldn’t not give Level 4 a try. And after experiencing the hands-on horror at the Castle of Chaos, I’ll never be able to enjoy another haunted house in the same way. At any haunted house you are already vulnerable, considering you’ve just paid someone to terrify you, but here, you get your money’s worth. Anticipating the worst, I signed the waiver, promising not to touch the actors back, and entered the Castle. Already jumpy, I clutched my friend’s jacket for security and pushed him ahead of me. We were separated within minutes. After being picked up and hauled off, my desperate screams echoing down the deserted hallway, it all became very real. I won’t give too much away, but where scaring is concerned, Castle of Chaos reigns supreme.
Castle of Chaos is open for two more nights, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Go get your scare on.
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