Although there is evidence of human habitation in this area for thousands of years, it was in the mid-1800s that the first Europeans came upon the desert ruins.  The name “Hovenweep,” Paiute/Ute for “deserted valley,” was adapted by pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson in 1874, and quite accurately describes the desolation of these canyons and mesas wherein the ancient farmers cultivated and irrigated their crops.  Though we know the natives in this Four Corners area as Anasazi, they are more accurately called Ancestral Puebloans, and the fascinating thing about them, besides their mysterious exodus, is the variation in the composition of their living areas.  While the better known Mesa Verde tribe built into the cliffs, the Hovenweep people, also members of the Mesa Verde tribe, had a penchant for building towers and massive castle-like buildings with shapes that varied, including square rectangle, round, D-shaped and horseshoe.  The remains of these structures are now Colorado haunted houses.

The Hovenweep area began with small, scattered units, pueblos built on the mesa around 1100, and evolved after 1200 into sophisticated masonry-walled pueblos, with large structures interspersed, often at the head of the canyons.  Water was the life-blood of the Ancestral Puebloans, which, in this dry, arid climate, they diverted into the fields to grow food, using innovative farming methods like terrace farming and irrigation.  Modern scientists examined tree rings from the logs used for construction in the area and found that from 1250 to 1300 there was a severe drought, which likely caused a large migration of the Puebloan people.  Additionally, there now are no trees here, although logs were a corporate part of the construction.  This indicates a depletion of a vital building material and fuel.  Not everyone left however, as they are believed to be the ancestors of the modern tribes of the Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo.

It is widely believed that the Hovenweep Castle is an ancient haunted houses, cursed by the spirits of the Ancestral Puebloans who were forced to migrate during the drought of 1250 – 1300.  Modern-day visitors have reported hearing Native American drumming in the distance.  Others have reported smelling the odor of sage smoke, often used in Puebloan ceremonies.  In a sense, the Hovenweep Castle is one of the most interesting and unusual Colorado Haunted Houses.

What a cool haunt! I don’t know if all the rumors of the ghostly activity inside the actual warehouse are true, but certainly the haunt itself held up to its expectations. It is a dark haunt. Not literally speaking, but there is a very ominous feeling about the warehouse itself. The setting is awesome! As you walk into the warehouse to get in the cue line, the scene reminded me a lot of the first “Blade” movie where the vampires are all dancing to their techno Goth like music in an abandoned warehouse under showers of blood. Unfortunately, there were no vampires slaughtering all of us unsuspecting victims, but there was a hot Goth chick doing a hot dance to entertain you while standing in line! There also a freak show, but I will let the other critics mention something about that and cut to the chase.

With a name like the 13th floor, I was really curious as to how they were going to pull that off and make it feel like you’re climbing multiple floors. Well… they did it! You step into an enclosed elevator room and suddenly you feel like
you really are in an old rickety elevator that could drop at any second. The actors here did a terrific job making you believe that you could too. Once on the 13th floor, the scenes began to unfold. One thing that really stood out in
this particular haunt, were the props looked very movie quality real. There was a severed head in a container that was awesome! I thought the coolest gag, which I am sure all the critics also dually noted, was the ghostly bride. She
slithered in and out of the rooms in the dark and was really creepy the way she moved. Just like if you were to really see a ghost, she was there for a split second, and gone the next.

The acting I felt was fantastic. The little scenes I thought were great! The smoke was perfect! I like it when you can’t see much in front of your face and don’t know exactly where you are going. Over all, I really loved this entire haunt. I felt it really held up to all the others that have had the benefit of running for years. I can’t wait to see the adjustments made and how much further it goes in years to come.

Come Halloween time in Colorado, we are really lucky to have so many great attractions to visit.  With there being so many haunted houses to choose from we have decided to give some direction on the top ones to visit.  There isn’t anything fun about waiting in line and being disappointed once you finally make it through the house.  If you can’t tell we’ve done it more times than we’d have liked to so we’ve rated Denver’s top 3 haunted houses.

1.) The Asylum (303-355-3327)

Located at 120th & I-25, the Asylum offers a  Before entering the haunt, everyone waiting in line gets to stare down the creepy facade of a creepy busted down old Asylum. Once inside, this place seriously looks like you might imagine a real Asylum might look if it were taken over by some evil inmates. The use of lighting was great to add to the suspense.  It’s scare factor is intense and is quite lengthy which makes the Asylum one of our top Denver haunted houses.

2.) 13th Floor (303-355-FEAR)

Located at 6100 E. 39th Ave in Denver, the 13th Floor is one of the most affordable haunted houses for its length.  We were extremely excited with the news of adding more space to the haunted house even though it was already one of the largest in the area.  The 13th Floor is a must see in Colorado, especially with the planned 2009 additions!  I don’t think there are better actors in the Denver area and the attention to detail in the house makes the 13th Floor in the top 3 Denver haunted houses.

3.) Frightmare (303-439-7391)

Located at 108th and Old Wadsworth, Frightmare is one of the best outdoor haunted attractions in Denver.  Although the price is lower than the average haunted houses in Denver, it’s not limited on scares!  After you leave this place you won’t want to walk alone outside again.  The actors are pretty good and the setting is even better! This haunted house brings 25 years of experience and was named 2008 Best outdoor Haunt.  Your Halloween won’t be complete without visiting Frightmare.

Make sure you check out all of these haunted houses so you don’t miss out of Denver’s scariest attractions.  If you can’t make all 3 this fall, I wouldn’t want to be the one who has to choose which of these 3 you miss!