Scared, screeching, and swooning customers are what every cast member at Castle of Chaos is hoping for. Located on State Street and 7900 South, it’s the perfect place to experience the haunt of a lifetime.
Whether you’re looking for a fun Halloween activity for you and your friends or a more aggressive screaming experience, Castle’s five levels cater to whichever level of fear you’re looking for.
Level One is for the “I’m already scared.” Hold your glow stick like a wand and it keeps the monsters away and you can simply observe the haunts without fear of your personal space being invaded. At Level Two, monsters get up close and personal, but don’t touch.
But for those who want more, they and move to Level Three where actors WILL touch you but won’t move you. At Level Four, actors definitely move you and may lure you away or push you, but no intent to ever hurt. Level Five is for the bravest.
“Anything that may happen to you in Level Four is sure to happen at Level Five,” manager James Bernard said, adding that monsters will drag you away, shake you, and most importantly, scare you.
Castle’s indoor theatrics set it apart from other haunted houses, Bernard says. Each haunted house in Salt Lake has its own highlight, but the one that customers underline at Castle is the immersive storytelling, detailed set, and the giant crew that executes their assigned part of the story perfectly.
The Highland Rambler got a sneak peek at the action. We went through as Level Three, with a clown room you have to see to believe, a butcher whose knife looks unbelievingly sharp, and a disorienting strobe light which is only too easy to get lost in as customers wander in a dizzying fear, groping for walls and an exit.
Each room presents a different terror. Whether it’s the various ways actors find to scare you or tactile sensations that change in each room, the haunt is sure to find a way to aggravate your fear response, as was only too real for the staff to see as our own writers fell at jump scares or the surprising, creepy touch from the actors.
“We want to tell a story; we want you to really feel like you are where you are. And then give you the scares that you want, and that’s it,” Bernard said.
No worries though, if you begin and a level gets to be too much, just take your glow stick off and the monsters won’t touch you.
“We’ll give you a Level Four and you’re supposed to take the necklace off if you don’t like what we’re doing,” Bernard said.
And, if haunted houses aren’t really your vibe, customers can enjoy the 90-minute escape room.
“It’s crazy detailed… computers behind that wall… candles are part of a puzzle… lights come on… panels open… turning tables,” Bernard said.
Each year, certain puzzles are replaced so that customers can return for years and still get an original experience.
With only a few days left to celebrate Halloween, Castle of Chaos is a great place to have a fun but scary experience with your friends.
