Local spook factory scares without chainsaws
Ed Timmins, Jr.
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Spotlight
Haunted houses I've been to in past always leave me tired and 20 dollars poorer. It may be the predictability of what is around the corner, or the broken strobe lights that make you feel nauseated and your eyes pulsing with strain. Whatever the reason, there is not much to be liked about these seasonal money traps that are usually constructed at the tail end of a foreclosed strip mall.
With the Rockies making the World Series, this has been a surprising October for all. However, after last Thursday night, I became even more surprised, for I found a haunted attraction that actually caused my facial expressions to differ. I found the oldest haunted house in Denver, The Haunted Mansion. This 34 year old spook factory is locally owned and operated by the Reinke Brothers and is located in old town Littleton on the corner of Alamo Ave. and Prince St. (5663 S. Prince St, Littleton, CO, 80120), in an elegant red-brick building.
It was not only the cutting-edge special effects and "Disney" animatronics that amused me, but also the 32 rooms decorated with different Hollywood type sets that set this house apart from all the others.
The detail of the rooms is so amazing that often times you may forget where you are. The "scares" do not come from loud chainsaws or masked gooneys running around you under the strobe light. Rather, they are a result of unexpectedness and anticipation created from contrasts of lights and sounds which make it difficult to adjust and prepare for a monster. The monsters come at the most unusual times and scare you in a humorous way (don't ask how, just go).
Price of admission is only $12 and they have a coupon on their website (www.reinkebrothers.com) that makes it even cheaper. Better yet, transportation was free. I was able to use my all-inclusive bus pass and take the light rail within walking distance of the mansion.
From near where I live at Speer and University, I took bus #3 to the Alameda Station. From there, I hopped on the light rail (train # 101) and got off at the Littleton station. This took 30 minutes, and I was left with a ten-minute walk through olde town Littleton.
If you don't want to walk, you can wait around for bus #66 which drops you off just a kitty-corner from the mansion. If you are coming from campus, get on bus #52, which can be found on the Southeast corner of Regis Blvd. and Irving St., and get off at 17th St and Curtis to get on the light rail (train #101).
Life can become a little too routine at times, so during this Halloween, take the initiative and breakaway, especially for a good scare.
With the Rockies making the World Series, this has been a surprising October for all. However, after last Thursday night, I became even more surprised, for I found a haunted attraction that actually caused my facial expressions to differ. I found the oldest haunted house in Denver, The Haunted Mansion. This 34 year old spook factory is locally owned and operated by the Reinke Brothers and is located in old town Littleton on the corner of Alamo Ave. and Prince St. (5663 S. Prince St, Littleton, CO, 80120), in an elegant red-brick building.
It was not only the cutting-edge special effects and "Disney" animatronics that amused me, but also the 32 rooms decorated with different Hollywood type sets that set this house apart from all the others.
The detail of the rooms is so amazing that often times you may forget where you are. The "scares" do not come from loud chainsaws or masked gooneys running around you under the strobe light. Rather, they are a result of unexpectedness and anticipation created from contrasts of lights and sounds which make it difficult to adjust and prepare for a monster. The monsters come at the most unusual times and scare you in a humorous way (don't ask how, just go).
Price of admission is only $12 and they have a coupon on their website (www.reinkebrothers.com) that makes it even cheaper. Better yet, transportation was free. I was able to use my all-inclusive bus pass and take the light rail within walking distance of the mansion.
From near where I live at Speer and University, I took bus #3 to the Alameda Station. From there, I hopped on the light rail (train # 101) and got off at the Littleton station. This took 30 minutes, and I was left with a ten-minute walk through olde town Littleton.
If you don't want to walk, you can wait around for bus #66 which drops you off just a kitty-corner from the mansion. If you are coming from campus, get on bus #52, which can be found on the Southeast corner of Regis Blvd. and Irving St., and get off at 17th St and Curtis to get on the light rail (train #101).
Life can become a little too routine at times, so during this Halloween, take the initiative and breakaway, especially for a good scare.
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