Ghost stories and Denver haunted houses are a mainstay of Halloween lore. During the fall, Hollywood typically releases a horror film or two. Many families huddle up on the sofa with caramel corn, popcorn balls and other Halloween treats and watch Halloween films or other horror movies.

Our fascination with ghosts and ghost stories dates back to the beginning of time. In many early religions, the concept of heaven and hell where not defined as they are in the Christian tradition. Therefore, the veneration or commemoration of a family’s ancestors played a pivotal role in every day life. There were times during the seasonal calendar when the veil between the human world and the spirit world was more porous and allowed for the passing through of spirits, including ghosts. Autumn was one of those times for many ancient Indo-European cultures.

When one reads many old ghost stories, there is generally a fair amount of genealogical history associated with the stories, tales of tragedy and unfortunate connected to certain members of the family. In many cases, the ghost story involves some unresolved conflict within the family, which the ghost is striving to resolve in order to find peace. Some ghosts are seeking to have the truth of their untimely death acknowledged, while others are seeking to right old wrongs.

Ghost stories are not always related to murder, tragic death or other violent demise. As a premise in literature, there are a variety of motifs and uses for the ghost story. In a story the ghost can be attempting to guide or lead the protagonist to the right path, helping them resolve a conflict or find the truth. In some stories the ghost may not be a presence in the characters’ lives but rather a marked absence.

While the spookier ghost stories might be too frightening for younger children, ghost stories or suspenseful stories are a great way to share this time honored Halloween tradition with children. Sitting around the campfire or riding in a wagon mounded with hay, telling tales is a great way to pass the time.

For many adults telling a ghost story is exciting, but visiting the site of the actual story is even more exciting. Many ghost stories are related to an actual physical location. That location, be it a house or a building, is then said to be haunted.

All around the United States and Europe, there are many Denver haunted houses and castles. In many cases, these houses are open to the public and offer tours, rich in history and culture. Some of the private homes are only open seasonally or to professional historians, writers and ghost hunters.

If there is not a real Denver haunted houses in the area, many clubs and organizations will put on a theatrical event, featuring images from horror films, blood, ghosts, monsters and the like. These Denver haunted houses are not for the faint of heart, but are very thrilling for those Halloween revelers who desire a bit more fright in their Halloween night.

Either way, taking a Denver haunted houses tour is a great way to experience “living” history or for getting a glimpse of how Hollywood does Halloween. Both versions of a haunted house make for a lively Halloween. Mixing in some ghostly fun can make Halloween a bit more educational for some and a bit more thrilling for others and is something the whole family will enjoy.

What is it about Halloween that transforms ordinary people into seekers of anything dark and unknown? Cemeteries at night, horror films by the dozen or one of the most popular and oldest traditions – the Denver haunted houses!

Denver haunted houses are defined as buildings that are the center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. A house is said to be “possessed” or “haunted” when Satan or ghosts take up residence. Some cases involve otherwise normal people hearing strange noises or having visions of dead people or of objects moving with no visible means of locomotion. That is the type of illusion that most actors, animatronics, sound, lighting and other special effects bring to today’s haunted house making them such excellent scary venues. It is estimated that there are over 3,000 Denver haunted houses operating every year.

A haunted house should terrify, mystify, shock and disorient its patrons and then let them laugh at their own fears upon exiting. Fear is one of the strongest emotions a human being can experience. There are two basic types of fear good Denver haunted houses can generate; first, the “boo” scare. This is the cheapest but most sought after fright. In the human psyche, there are no lingering effects from this threat. It is accomplished by simply introducing a shocking element by surprise. While causing a scream and a jump in blood pressure, the effects wear off quickly when the person realizes there is no real threat. Chainsaws are typically the favorite for invoking this type of fright. Second is the “lingering” fear. This type of fear is actually a deep sense of dread of what is to come. Approximately 70% of the population is afraid of the dark and their imagination goes into overdrive for what they perceive might happen. The boo scare is the release of this dread. Without the release, the lingering fear can bother guests even after they have left the Denver haunted houses.

If you’re looking for a deal on a home, you might try your local haunted house. Denver haunted houses are also known as “stigmatized properties”, along with houses that have had murders, gang usage or other unpleasant histories. These properties may be short on reputation, but their price may well make up for it.

Denver haunted houses with purported ghosts in them don’t do as well on the market as their spiritless neighbors. There are still people who believe in otherworldly entities (or just don’t want to risk that they might be lurking in a corner). This can drop a home’s value by up to 35% in some cases. On average, a house reputed to be haunted will sell for 2.4% less than similar houses in the neighborhood. 2.4% doesn’t seem like a lot, unless you’re dealing in real estate. 2.4% of a $400,000 home is $9600. That’s nearly ten thousand dollars that you could be sinking into that $400,000 home to make it worth $450,000.

Some realtors are understandably reluctant to reveal that the house they are showing may or may not have a non-corporeal tenant. Disclosure could mean that the buyers refuse to consider the property. Also, disclosure means that prices go down. The laws in each state vary as to disclosure of negative aspects of a property. Find out what your state’s laws are concerning properties with a negative incident in their past – sometimes nondisclosure is grounds for legal action.

If your state has no disclosure laws, then you may have a difficult time finding out from your realtor if the house has an unsavory past. If you have an understanding realtor, you can ask specifically for properties with a negative past. Some realtors would be more than happy to show an interested buyer Denver haunted houses that are lingering on the market due to rumors of creepy happenings.

You might have to do some digging for stigma. Or you might go to your newspaper archives and look for creepy stories about Denver haunted houses in the area you’re considering. If you’re looking at a specific house, Googling the address might help. That and asking around the neighborhood. People are usually delighted to tell you any juicy stories about any creepy tales. If there is a property tale that the seller is not disclosing to the public, you could make it a factor in offering a lower price on the property.

Understandably, these properties involve some risk-taking for an investor. Just because you’re willing to take on the negative vibes from purportedly Denver haunted houses doesn’t mean future home investors will be so eager. If the stigma is bad enough, it may well last for years. However, with a little work, it is possible to make current memories erase the ones that stigmatized the house in the first place.

Fear for the unknown and the eagerness in human beings to confront supernatural powers has created a huge segment of people all over the world in search of real haunted places. It is said that people in search of ghostly adventures get a high when they visit real haunted places and Denver haunted houses.

But why does man want to visit real haunted places for instance Denver haunted houses, which are assumed to be havens for supernatural happenings or paranormal phenomena? You may come to close confrontation with ghosts, poltergeists, or even malevolent entities if you visit or come across these real haunted places. I believe it is the adventure and the thrill of experiencing fear that drives people to these haunted places.

Real haunted places are believed to be occupied by the spirits of the dead, who may have been past inhabitants or were familiar with the now haunted place. It is said that paranormal happenings inside such real haunted places is primarily associated with any violent or tragic events that might have occurred in the inmates of the building. It may be related to any murder, accidental death, or suicide either in recent times of sometime long ago.

It is believed almost cutting across any religion and faith that the souls of those who die traumatic deaths do not rest in peace and are trapped inside the property. These entities are believed to haunt houses; and if you dare to visit these real Denver haunted houses, you can hear noises, see the spirits appear as ghost, and move or launch physical objects.

There has also been a strange co-relation found between real haunted places and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is found to be the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in North America. And, symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include listlessness, depression, dementia, emotional disturbances, and hallucinations.

Investigations show that there have been a number of cases when the inmates of Denver haunted houses may experience strange visions and sounds, feelings of dread, illness, and the sudden, apparently mysterious death of all the occupants. This can be attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning and experts opine that carbon monoxide poisoning should be promptly investigated as a possible cause for haunting.

There are many people who would like to experience the thrill of being in real haunted places. I have known people who plan these ghostly trips. But people with weak hearts beware. Do not get carried away with the challenge of a friend to accompany him, if you are suffering from any heart ailments. I’m sure you would not want a DARE at the cost of your life.

For all those who dare to visit the real Denver haunted houses, the Internet now offers a lot of information and guides to satisfy your thrill side. Websites on real haunted places are spread over the Net offering daring information on haunting trips and tours. You can get information on the Ghosts & Legends of the historic Queen Mary ocean liner to haunted hotel rooms.

Talking of Denver haunted houses, one of the first places that comes to mind is that of the haunted Brown Palace Hotel in Denver. The story goes that the Brown Palace Hotel is constructed on a celebrated site that goes back to the early days of Denver when it was just in the making.

It was back in the 1879. Thereon both the staff at the hotel and the guests have had queer experiences and encountered strange and bizarre happenings through the years. And guess what; recently this hotel has officially been acclaimed to be one of the Denver haunted houses.

Staffs at the hotel and the guests have reported that they have seen ghouls and shadows and mysterious reflections in the mirrors and the glasses and crockery at the hotel. Maids and butlers have often heard their names called out with no one around.

They have also felt taps on shoulders and pens dropping on the reception desk from no where, vacuum cleaners start moving all across the floor even when unplugged. People believe that ghosts in the Brown Palace Hotel which is one of the Denver haunted houses are from the Victorian Age and the following Colonial era.

People have often seen a little girl often appearing in the windows. She is said to be May Yohe who grew up at the Brown Palace Hotel as a little girl. May grew up in to a beautiful and talented young lady and later became a famous singer and actress in the 1890s.

She went on to marry a wealthy man who had a fortune enough to own the Hope Diamond which she herself wore a number of times. However her entire life was marked with failed affairs and scandals. It is believed that the best time of her life was her childhood days at Brown Palace Hotel.

Other than the little apparition of May Yohe people at the Brown Palace Hotel which is one of the famed Denver haunted houses have also seen the shadowy presence of an unknown woman who appears in a period dress often in the hotel’s kitchen. Guests and staff have also seen this woman in the dining room.

In fact at times guests scared of the encounter with this shadowy lady have asked to leave early as they exclaimed to have seen an apparition in their bathrooms or rooms or in the dinning room and a lot of other nooks and corners of the entire hotel.

In fact, once an engineer denied visiting the sub-basement due to his eerie experiences there. All these stories and accounts together create enough to make this hotel one of the most Denver haunted houses.

An elderly man had died in the 1940’s. He was old. He had many children. When he died, he left his spirit behind . The spirit is obsessed with the doors of that house where he lived. Every door in the house that is left open is found closed again. The apparition also drags people out of their bed during the night. The people can be found in the hallway.

This is not the only real haunted house in the world. The list is quite long. The big question, however, is – “Should we believe in Denver haunted houses in this scientific era?”

The Denver haunted houses are generally dark houses which lack maintenance. We hardly call a bright colored and well maintained building a “haunted house”. Everything that we are afraid of or are not comfortable with get associated with the concept of a haunted house. Our psyche and imagination conceive haunted house as a dark house. The building is not at all impressive. One can hear eerie sounds coming out of the broken windows of the house. Blood stains can be found on the floors.

It is difficult to trace the origin of Denver haunted houses. Some are of the opinion that the ghost stories gave birth to the concept of haunted house. But then again, as others say, literature is always a reflection of the contemporary culture. Was haunted house a part of the pagan culture or was just a fictitious entity? It is debatable that who hatched the egg first.

The little girl knocked her neighbor’s door. Nobody came out. The girl knocked again. This time the door opened. But the girl could not find the person who opened the door. She entered the house. But nobody has seen her since then. It is believed that the dead woman of the house was very fond of children. Thus, the apparition never allows any child to get out of that house. This same incident would have got a different interpretation if it was explained by a psychologist.

Professor Richard Wiseman, a renowned psychologist has done his research on superstitions and fake psychological phenomena. He is now interested to set up a scientific haunted house to explore the psychological effects of haunting. He is on his way to make the arrangements with eerie lighting, infra sound vibrations or provisions for making the necessary change in the temperature. He wants to record the visitors’ responses and wants to prove that haunted feelings are caused actually by the environment and not by the ghosts.

If Richard turns out to be successful in his experiment, then it would turn the concept of Denver haunted houses upside down. People try hard to believe that ghosts really do not exist. In spite of this conception why we get sweats on our foreheads while passing by a haunted house? According to the scientists and psychologists, we get afraid because we are not comfortable with the gloomy appearance, dark rooms, strange smell of old houses…All these give us the impression of an eerie atmosphere. We do not want to get controlled by witches and apparitions anymore. It’s time to wait for the response of Richard’s experiment. Modern research is on it’s way to prove that it is our uncomfortable state of minds that create the Denver haunted houses.

Denver haunted houses form a very important aspect of Halloween. People love to create the haunted house atmosphere while they celebrate Halloween. This time, it is all about fun and not fear. The psychology can be explained in this light- the moment we come to know that this particular house has been labeled as the “haunted house”, we experience a different uncanny mental state even if we do not get any ominous signal from the apparition. Halloween is the time when people want to play with the fear feelings.

When discussing the finest Halloween costumes in vogue, what immediately comes to mind are certain popular trends – like the ones shown below – that have withstood the test of time.

There is the craze to dress like Marilyn Monroe resembling her classic wind-blown dress and going around attempting to win people’s hearts. These are also the type of people who wish to dress up like Cleopatra the way Elizabeth Taylor did on screen or like Jennifer Lopez in her all revealing green Oscar gown. To really bring the flashy and glamorous look, people sport a fiery bright red lipstick and some quaint costume jewelry.

Some choose to wear an evening gown with satin gloves and run around carrying a microphone like some well-known singers. One of the most often seen Halloween costumes is an imitation of Madonna with her pointed seductive bra and hair tied in ponytail. Two good friends can pair up and dress Pam Anderson and Kid Rock. – to make heads turn. Some imaginative people willing to take pains come up in a vibrantly designed and eye-catchy color suit with a bowl-cut wig to resemble Elton John.

But Halloween is not mere copying but also an opportunity to be original and creative. The best way to achieve this is to opt for Halloween dress that is innovative and non-traditional. Making one’s own costume is a great way to be creative and also to spend the least. The best costumes are invariably homemade and they grab maximum attention by being just simple but funny.

For those who are willing to spend liberally, there are shops galore to selling attention-grabbing costumes for adults and children. There are also several imaginatively designed costume accessories such as canes, beards, teeth and capes.

The historical background of Halloween tells us that it is woven around popular occult myths and that means most people want some other-worldly costumes and getups and the all-time favorite is wearing ghost costume to scare people away.

In today’s computer age, the right place to see a wide variety of Halloween dresses and get unique costumes is online. The Internet is a great source when trying to locate the perfect Halloween costume or accessory. Certain costume sites offer a variety of Halloween gear ranging from smiling angels and alluring fairies to horrible-looking witches and wizards – not to speak of French maids, Superman, Batman, and Cat Woman. For those pressed for time, ordering a costume online is convenient as most sites promise delivery within 24 hours.

Halloween costumes that are easy to wear, easy to move around in, easy to assemble are always ones most favored by many. For instance, doctor and nurses costumes are an all-time favorite because all one needs is a white lab coat or dress and a stethoscope.

Of course, if you happen to be a grown-up adult, then sexy Halloween costumes are always the biggest hits. The possibilities are endless – which means you have lots to choose from without worrying about whether someone else is going to show up at the party with the same outfit.

There are many family-oriented activities available on or around Halloween. Denver haunted houses, trick-or-treating, parties, etc. are all par for the course. Perhaps the greatest seasonal activity for a family with young children, however, is to attend a corn maze.

Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to haunt the maze as families attempt to find their way through it. Be sure children wear sufficiently warm clothing under their costumes, as it is often cold during this season.

A good corn maze will be somewhat challenging to navigate. It is traditional for there to be several ancillary program features.

Snacks such as kettle corn, cider, hot cocoa, caramel apples, roasted nuts, etc. are common delicacies. Some corn maze operators include an expanded menu to also embrace Oktoberfest. Bratwurst, beer and pretzels are therefore often included as menu choices.

Usually, carnival games are also offered attractions. These come in the form of ring toss games, bouncing tents, miniature bowling, etc. It is common to also see seasonal games such as bobbing for apples, costume contests, pumpkin carving and the like.

Remember to bring a camera to capture treasured images of your children playing, as well as walking through the maze. Many operators offer aerial-view maps of a given corn maze, in order to assist you on your journey. Even so, a good maze can prove difficult to complete. Therefore, there are usually several “emergency” exits along the way. Restroom facilities are normally provided in the form of portable toilets.

Clearly, there is a lot more to a corn maze than one might think. The veritable plethora of activities and treats available are sure to please all members of the family.

The Asylum Haunted House is located in the Boondocks Fun Center at 11425 Community Center Drive in Northglenn, Colorado and is among the top haunted houses in the area.  The staff at The Asylum Haunted House can be contacted by phone at 303-355-FEAR, or by e-mail at info@getscared.com.  You can also visit The Asylum Haunted House online at www.getscared.com.  First-time visitors should review the frequently asked questions section of the website, in order to familiarize themselves with all pertinent rules, safety information, etc.

Parking is provided free of charge in the Boondocks Fun Center parking lot.  Forms of payment accepted are cash, Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Admission to the Boondocks Fun Center is free, as always, however, you do have to pay for attractions if you decide to play.  Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM and Friday and Saturday from 7:00 PM to Midnight.  While there is no age limit to enter The Asylum Haunted House, due to the graphic nature of the layout, it is not recommended for small children.  The house is handicap accessible. Photography and video recording are not permitted in The Asylum Haunted House.  The layout and features of the house are different every year.

There are live animals, reptiles and insects incorporated into the layout.  Visitors should not attempt to touch or otherwise handle them.  There are other hazards incorporated into the layout.  However, if you walk where directed you will make it through without incident.

The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door at Denver Haunted Houses for treats on holidays dates back to the Middle Ages and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door at Denver Haunted Houses on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of “puling like a beggar at Hallowmas.”

However, there is no evidence that souling was ever practiced in North America, where trick-or-treating may have developed independent of any Irish or British antecedent. The custom of wearing costumes and masks at Halloween goes back to Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them, In Scotland for instance where the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white. Ruth Edna Kelley, in her 1919 history of the holiday, The Book of Hallowe’en, makes no mention of ritual begging in the chapter “Hallowe’en in America.” Kelley lived in Lynn, Massachusetts, a town with about 4,500 Irish immigrants, 1,900 English immigrants, and 700 Scottish immigrants in 1920. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but do not depict trick-or-treating. The editor of a collection of over 3,000 vintage Halloween postcards writes,

There are cards that mention the custom or show children in costumes at the doors of Denver Haunted Houses, but as far as we can tell they were printed later than the 1920s and more than likely even the 1930s. Tricksters of various sorts are shown on the early postcards, but not the means of appeasing them.

Thus, although a quarter million Scots-Irish immigrated to America between 1717 and 1770, the Irish Potato Famine brought more than a million immigrants to North America in 1845–1849, and British and Irish immigration to America peaked in the 1880s, ritualized begging on Halloween was virtually unknown in America until generations later.

The earliest known reference to ritual begging on Halloween in English speaking North America occurs in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, near the border of upstate New York, reported that it was normal for the smaller children to go street guising on Halloween between 6 and 7 p.m., visiting shops and neighbors to be rewarded with nuts and candies for their rhymes and songs. Another isolated reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920.

The earliest known use in print of the term “trick or treat” appears in 1927, from Blackie, Alberta, Canada:

Hallowe’en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front of Denver Haunted Houses demanding edible plunder by the word “trick or treat” to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.

Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the first U.S. appearances of the term in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939.

(Source: wikipedia.org)