13th Door haunted house

The haunt industry is now in full swing as preparations are made for the 2008 Halloween season. One of the contacts I have been fortunate to make in the haunt industry is KathE Walker, who made time in her increasingly busy schedule in haunted houses and convention planning to discuss her work.

TheoFantastique: KathE, thanks for agreeing to talk about your work in the haunt industry and related activities. I know that preparations for the haunt season are underway, and I appreciate that you made time for our discussion. As we begin, I have a great fondness for the haunt industry given my love for the Halloween season, and my childhood spent with many hours of horror film viewing and listening to albums like Disney’s Night in a Haunted Mansion. You run the 13th Door and Curse of the Slaughter Gulch haunted houses in Colorado. How did you come to be involved in the haunt industry, and with these particular haunted houses?
 
KathE Walker: Our family has run the local Science Fiction/Media convention in Denver for the past 31 years.  We realized that there wasn’t any of the haunted houses at the time that offered a haunt that had a science fiction flavor to it.  We wanted to see Aliens , The Terminator, Close Encounters, not just Zombies.  So we set out to do something completely different.  We put together a haunt that made the people feel they were part of the action.  We created scenes from each of our favorite sci fi movies and put the audience and the characters from the show in the scene together.  We called our first haunt “Alien Encounter”.  Over time we realized that most people prefer a more traditional haunt house experience and that was how 13th Door and Slaughterhouse Gulch came about.  We still make the audience part of the action while trying to ‘scare the screams’ right out of them.

TheoFantastique: I understand that your whole family is involved in the haunt business. How did your whole family come to catch the spirit, and what part do family members play in your haunt activities?
 
KathE Walker: We have always had a family business since our sons were very young, so they grew up always being part of working with the family.  I think we were very lucky that they also enjoy haunted houses and it was just a natural extension of what we were already doing as a family business.  In fact, our son Michael went to college and got a degree in Mechanical Engineering so that he would be able to make the props and effects for our haunts even better.  Our son, Stephen received his degree in Business Administration and Marketing and takes care of all our advertising and most of the business decisions for the company.  Their wives and children also work at the haunts as well as our extended family – sisters, brothers, cousins, nephews, nieces…no one is safe.
 
TheoFantastique: The haunt industry is now gearing up for October. What types of things are you involved in right now that fans in Colorado can look forward to with your haunts?
 
KathE Walker:  We are working on some really unique scares this year that I think will generate a lot of interest.  We always try to bring something different to the mix and stay on the cutting edge.  Of course, we still offer some of the tried and true scares as well.  We are also very fortunate to have some of the very best actors in Colorado working at the two haunts.  Nothing can scare you more than an actor who takes his job very seriously. 
 
TheoFantastique: Your company also produces a haunted house effect called The Black Hole that you’ve sold to some major haunted attractions. Can you describe this effect, and tell us about some of the places it has been sold and used with great effect?
 
KathE Walker:We make an effect call The Black Hole.  It is a spinning tunnel that you walk through that makes you feel as if you are moving.  It affects your sense of balance.  It is an incredible effect and one we brought to the haunted house industry in 1991.  We were the first to be able to offer this effect to the industry and have sold them to companies all over the world.  There are Black Holes in Six Flags Amusement parks, Wonderworld in Florida, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Universal Studios and over 85 haunts across the country.  Overseas we have them in the Canada, United Kingdom, Russia and even the United Arab of Emirates.
 
TheoFantastique:One of the other hats you wear is webmistress for Haunted Ratings that includes reviews and ratings for Denver area haunted houses. Has this proved a useful tool for haunt fans and haunt providers alike in providing a source for comparison of haunted houses, perhaps raising the bar for quality scares, and creating a sense of community among haunt fans?
 
KathE Walker: HauntedRatings.com lists all the haunts in the Denver Metro area.  We have a review team that goes to each of the Haunts and offers up unbiased reviews online for our readers.  Each Haunt is unique and our Review Team points out the positive elements of each haunt letting the readers know what kind of experience they can expect.  We also print reviews from our readers so that we can offer a very well rounded glimpse of each haunt.  This has created a wonderful sense of community among the haunted house fans and as a haunted house owner I know we are always interested in hearing what the attendees have to say about our Haunts.  HauntedRatings.com is constantly changing and growing.  This year we are sponsoring a food drive for the Food Bank of the Rockies.  Several of the Haunts in the area will be offering discounts off the price of admission in exchange for a can of food to benefit the Food Bank.  It’s a great way for the haunt house Owners to give back to the community
 
TheoFantastique: As a busy woman in this area, you are also involved with the Starfest Convention and its many facets. What is your role within the convention?
 
KathE Walker:As I said in the beginning, we have been putting on the StarFest conventions for the past 31 years.  My main role at the convention is as the Convention Co-ordinator.  I try to make sure all the elements of the convention come off without a hitch.  It would be an impossible job if I didn’t have the constant support of my family.  As with everything in our Family Business – everyone is involved. 
 
TheoFantastique:One more question, KathE. I hope to get my foot in the door in the haunt industry this year as an actor in a Utah haunted house in Salt Lake City. As you describe your various activities in Denver I wonder whether you would ever consider expanding your empire into franchises in Utah, a very haunt and fantasy-friendly state (he asks drooling at the possibilities)?
 
KathE Walker: Right now we run 4 and at times 6 different Haunted Attractions in the Denver Metro area.  We have thought about expanding, but for right now have no immediate plans for it.  Besides, you have some of the best Haunts right there in Salt Lake City.  You will have a blast working as an actor.  I will be very interested in hearing how you enjoyed your “scary” experience.  If you ever have a chance to come to 13th Door or Slaughterhouse Gulch remember that the ‘scares’ are on us!
 
TheoFantastique:KathE, thanks again for carving time out of a busy haunt season to talk about your many projects. I wish you the best with this year’s season.