Nightmare on 13th Haunted House

Nightmare on 13th is a haunted house in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is one of the largest and longest-running haunted attractions in the United States and is considered one of the best and scariest in the nation. Nightmare on 13th is also the only haunted house in Utah that has two haunted attractions as well as a kid/family friendly option. As of 2023, they have been in business for 33 years.[1][2] More than 1.5 million people have visited this haunted house.[3]

Nightmare on 13th Haunted House
Nightmare on 13th logo
LocationSalt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Coordinates40.7415648°N 111.9018419°W / 40.7415648; -111.9018419
Opened1990
Operated byMike Henrie
ThemeHalloween
SloganUtah's Legendary Haunted Attraction
Operating seasonFall
WebsiteOfficial website

Nightmare on 13th has two new themes for the 2023 season: "Possession" and "The Howling." They also have a brand-new Shop of Horror, featuring exclusive merchandise.

Nightmare on 13th has a 2nd attraction,[4] Institute of Terror. This asylum for the criminally insane is full of patients who have gone mad from what they have seen in their dreams. During this experience you will explore the Common Room, Operating Room, Dormitories, Isolation and more. This attraction is available with their Combo Tickets or VIP Level Tickets.

For Halloween loving scaredy-cats out there they offer a new experience called "Day Haunt: No Scares, All Atmosphere."[5] This is a kid friendly and family friendly Halloween event.

Nightmare on 13th has been voted one of America's scariest attractions by the Travel Channel.[6]

In 2023, Nightmare on 13th was voted as the #8 best haunted house in the entire country by USA Today.

Nightmare on 13th is located at on 300 West and 1300 South, it is in a 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) castle, which was a former car dealership.

History

The Nightmare on 13th was started by Klane Anderson in 1984 as The Institute of Terror.[7] The Institute of Terror was sold to Troy Barber and Mike Henrie in 1990, as Klane was moving to Atlanta to help start a nuclear robotics division of Westinghouse. Early adoption of robotics and high tech special effects by Klane Anderson were a big attraction of "The Institute of Terror."

In 1993, after three seasons Mike and Troy decided that they wanted to do something that separated them from their competitors:

"In 1993 after three successful seasons the decision to put every dime into buying the building proved to be a wise move. By owning their building, Mike and Troy could spend all year working on the Haunted House. This enabled them to separate themselves from the competition."[8]

By purchasing the building, it put them in a position to run the haunted house business full-time. This gave them a very strategic advantage over their competitors who ran their haunted houses on the side.[8] In 1996, Troy and Mike decided that they would attend the Halloween, Costume and Party show which was hosted in Chicago. Once there, they learned some very valuable lessons that would make them more successful:

"Mike and Troy realized that they were under priced nationally and that a raise in the price of admission could pay for a substantial investment in the show.  They firmly believed that with each price increase should come a perceived higher value to the customer.  That show opened their eyes to the possibilities before them."[8]

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the company changed its name to the Nightmare on 13th in 2001.[9]

Nightmare on 13th is a seasonal haunted house open in September, October and November, but its creators work on it all year long to keep it fresh every year.

Nightmare on 13th is the only haunted attraction that has an animated theater show that you watch while you wait in line before going into the actual haunted house. After you enter the haunted house there are over 45 different rooms you travel through which take approximately 45–60 minutes.[2][10][11]

The business environment for haunts in Utah is one of the most active in the United States. Nightmare on 13th is regularly part of the top tier of houses in Utah.[12]

This haunted house was featured on the Travel Channel in 2009 and 2010 and was on the cover of Haunted Attraction Magazine in 2009.

As of 2016, approximately 120 people staff the haunt on any given evening.[13] Employees get paid above minimum wage.[14]

References
  1. Randall, Lynette (October 25, 2016). "Nightmare on 13th: Thrills, Chills, and "Phantasms"". The Daily Utah Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  2. Wilson, Staci Layne (2016). "Nightmare on 13th – Upping the Evil Ante". America Haunts. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  3. Scene, The Salt Lake (2020-09-04). "Nightmare On 13th - 30 Years of Terror!". www.visitsaltlake.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  4. Henrie, Mike (September 2, 2023). "Institute of Terror". Nightmare on 13th. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  5. Henrie, Mike (September 2, 2023). "Day Haunt". Nightmare on 13th. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  6. Kopsky, Anna (October 11, 2015). "19 Insane Haunted Houses That'll Literally Scare The Shit Out Of You". BuzzFeed. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  7. Jarvik, Elaine (1988-10-07). "HALLOWEEN'S HAUNTED HABITATIONS DEMONIC MONSTER MEISTERS HAVE UTAH JUST ABOUT GHOSTBUSTING AT THE SEAMS". Deseret News. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  8. "Haunted Houses in Salt Lake Utah - Nightmare On 13th". www.hauntedhouseassociation.org. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  9. Steffen, Rob. "VIDEO: Eyes on Nightmare on 13th". www.ksl.com. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  10. Parkinson, Pat (2017). "One of the Best Haunted Houses in the Country". Hometown Values. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  11. "Haunted House in Salt Lake City Utah Nightmare on 13th". Hauntworld Magazine. 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  12. Cairns, Becky (March 6, 2014). "Attendance at local haunted houses above national average". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  13. Jones, Caitlin (October 30, 2016). "Behind the Scenes at Nightmare on 13th Haunted House". The Digital Journalist. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  14. Benson, Lee (October 15, 2017). "It's scary how much these workers like their jobs". Deseret News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
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