Haunted houses are big business this time of year. Here’s a list of local horror shows to get your blood curdling. Keep in mind that most of these are not recommended for young children.
13th Door Haunted House: Each door is scarier that the last. Sunday-Thurs. 7-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 7 p.m.-midnight. $14.95 with donation for Food Bank of the Rockies. 3184 So. Parker Rd., Aurora. 720-261-0570. 13door.com
Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch Haunted House: Twisted who’s who of terror, Rogue’s Gallery of Gore. Sun.-Thurs. 7-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 7 p.m.-midnight. $14.95 with canned food donation. 2184 So. Parker Rd., Aurora. 720-261-0570. slaughterhousegulch.com
25th House Haunted House: Search the haunted house for a sacred artifact and don’t catch the virus that turns you into a zombie. Sun.-Thurs. 7-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 7 p.m.-midnight. $14.95 with canned food donation. 2690 E. County Line Rd., Highlands Ranch, C-470 and University. 720-261-0570
The Asylum: As if a regular, old haunted mental hospital wasn’t scary enough, “The Asylum” is a mental hospital inside of a “Nightmare Factory” — at least, that’s how the story goes at this spooky favorite. Explore what’s left of “Gordon Cottingham’s Hospital for the Mentally Insane,” all 5,000 square feet of it.
Boondocks Fun Center: 11425 Community Center Drive, Northglenn; 303-355-FEAR. 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday. General admission is $15, VIP tickets $20.
The 13th Floor and the Blood Shed: There are good reasons that buildings avoid marking their 13th floor, and all of them are here. Watch out for creepy animals, open elevator shafts and the strange people who make their home on the unlucky floor. At the Blood Shed, a bizarre hillbilly family lies in wait for their visitors. 6100 E. 39th Ave.; 303-355-FEAR. – 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday. General admission is $20, VIP tickets $30. Admission includes both haunted houses.
Frightmare: This year’s theme at Westminster’s Frightmare is “Awaken the Fallen” — lurching zombies and other undead horrors have infested the property. Don’t bother hiding in the old barn. It’s haunted, too. 10798 Yukon St., Westminster; 303-439-7391. 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday. General admission is $15, VIP tickets $21.
Field of Corpses: What happened on the White family farm so many years ago? No one’s sure, but weird stuff’s been going on ever since. Perform your own investigation, but don’t expect a pleasant conclusion. 13251 W. 64th Ave., Arvada; 303-423-FEAR. Dusk to midnight tonight and Saturday. Admission is $15, VIP passes are $25.
Spider Mansion: Arachnophobes, beware. This Heritage Square haunting supposedly sits on top of a gigantic nest of black widow spiders. Creepy-crawly spiders aren’t the only thing to fear, however. Heritage Square, 18301 W. Colfax Ave., Golden. Open tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. Admission is $12.
Reinke Brothers Haunted Mansion: It’s the 35th birthday of this Halloween haunt, more than 30 rooms’ worth of eerie tableaux. Kids can visit during the day, too, for less scary, lights-on tours. Bring a canned-food donation and get $1 off admission. 5663 S. Prince St., Littleton; 303-795-5006. 6 p.m. to midnight tonight, 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday. Kids tours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $13; kids tours are $6. .
Haunted Field of Screams: It’s just what it sounds like, a field full of freaky scenes. Wander the cornfield and prepare for the worst. Adjacent to the field is the Dead Man’s Night corn maze, another way to get scared — and lost. East 104th Avenue and Riverdale Road, Thornton; 303-913- 5947. Open sundown to midnight tonight and Saturday. General admission for Field of Screams is $16, VIP passes are $28. Maze admission is $12, or $20 VIP. Package deals are available for admission to both attractions.
The Butcher: Nothing like being stalked by a serial killer to really get the Halloween fun started. Located on the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, The Butcher promises to live up to its name — just try to avoid becoming a victim yourself. 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton. 7-11 p.m. tonight and Saturday. Admission is $16, or $15 with a canned-food donation.
Primitive Fear and The 13th Street Manor: Choose from two different haunts, or do both. In Primitive Fear, follow the footsteps of a missing scientist deep into the jungle. At the 13th Street Manor, a butler is driven mad by a terrifying ordeal at the hands of his employers. 5155 E. 64th Ave., Commerce City. 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday. General admission is $15 per attraction, or $25 for both. VIP admission is $30 each.
City of the Dead: See what it’s like when zombies rule the world. Hint: It’s not pretty. Be prepared for surprises and scares aplenty at this one. Mile High Marketplace Event Center, 7007 E. 88th Ave.; 303-289-4656. 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday. Additional hours Oct. 26-29. Admission is $15, or $25 for VIP.
