We attended VIP Media Night last weekend and got a sneak peek at the 13th Floor Haunted House—and oh, boy! Y'all are in for a spooky treat this year!

On behalf of the OurCommunityNow team, I was able to attend a Media Night at the 13th Floor Haunted House here in Denver. I had such a great time getting a behind-the-scenes look at the haunted house, before going through it myself! I brought my boyfriend along as a guest, and the two of us enjoyed wrapping up the weekend with a different type of Sunday Scaries.

Let's get into everything available at the 13th Floor this year, starting with:

Announcements

When we arrived, we were directed to meet at the front gate, where we received our VIP wristbands. The 13th Floor is extra-fun because they also have 2 bars! (One of them is a secret bar). We started off by hitting the Shriekeasy Bar, where I ordered the "Spilt Blood" cocktail.

All of us attending Media Night were told to gather in the bar for announcements from the managers. Here, we were told information about the different themed haunts included in the haunted house. This year's themes are Primal Terror, Midnight Mania, and All Hallows Eve. Primal terror revolves around Bigfoot, and Midnight Mania is 13th Floor's take on an '80s slasher, featuring a frat house that is being terrorized. All Hallows Eve follows the story of demon trick-or-treaters.

Behind the Scenes

After the announcements, we were taken behind the scenes where we got to watch some of the actors get their makeup done. We also were given a tour of the wardrobe room. It was really cool to see the actors get ready who were going to be scaring us shortly after. It definitely gave a unique perspective to watch as the actors had their makeup done. We also learned that the basement area, which is where the wardrobe/breakroom area is, has some pretty creepy vibes going on. Our tour guide told us that even he, as a "seasoned haunter," has become pretty freaked out being down there.

We then heard from Dusty, the performance manager, and Joseph, the wardrobe manager. Dusty told us about the hiring process and how he coaches the actors on developing their characters. Joseph told us how he "blossomed into this beautiful flower of blood," as he was wearing a bloodied costume. He also spoke about creating distressed clothing that doesn't actually fall apart. Joseph even mentioned how he works on all events, including the main season, their Christmas event, and their Valentine's Day event. Halloween isn't the only time for haunted houses!

The Haunt Itself

After the tour, those of us VIPs got to skip the line and be the first ones to go through the haunted house. Even though I hate scary movies, I actually really like haunted houses. It's such a fun activity to do with friends during the spooky season and I always have a great time. I do startle super easily, so there was lots of screaming from me, but also lots of laughing. As media VIPs, we even got pulled aside during the haunt (before entering the "frat house" section) for shots that would "keep us safe." They were super yummy and tasted like caramel apples!

Extra Stuff

In addition to the main attraction, the 13th Floor also has Class Axe Throwing, a Sensory Overload experience, and Mini Escape Games. We took a shot at some axe throwing, which was pretty fun even though I wasn't very good at it.

We decided to try out the Sensory Overload before heading out, a quicker haunt that took us probably 5-10 minutes. It was completely dark for the majority of the time and involved feeling around to figure out where we were going in order to exit the maze. Sensory Overload was scarier than the main haunted house, in my opinion. I would describe it as more unsettling, as it hit on a different sort of nerve for me. I'm glad I did it though!

I'm so glad I had to opportunity to join the 13th Floor's VIP Media Night. It was so neat to meet some of the people who are responsible for putting on the haunted house and getting a behind-the-scenes look! It was really fun to spend a Sunday night hanging out at the 13th Floor, having a couple of drinks, experiencing the haunt, and even throwing some axes. Although it's not quite October yet, it was a great jump-start to the Halloween season.

*All photos by Helaina Cozza with OurCommunityNow.com.