Nightmare on 13th Haunted House: Utah's Legendary Haunted Attraction Over 35 Years Strong
Written and verified by the Rallyvite editorial team using publicly available data and the business’s official website. Last updated: 23 Dec 2025 22:58
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TL;DR: Nightmare on 13th Haunted House Check Out the Fair is One of the Best Group Outing Venues near Salt Lake City
Nightmare on 13th Haunted House in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a premier destination for friends looking to experience an unforgettable night filled with thrills and scares. Housed in a massive 36,000-square-foot former car dealership transformed into a Gothic castle, this haunted attraction has been operating since 1990 and is one of the longest-running and largest haunted houses in the United States. Its reputation as Utah's scariest haunted house and one of the best nationwide draws over 1.6 million visitors since its opening. What makes it a great meetup spot is its variety of experiences for both thrill-seekers and families; it offers two distinct haunted attractions — the classic Nightmare on 13th haunt and the additional Institute of Terror asylum attraction. The latter immerses guests in a criminally insane asylum experience filled with rooms like the Common Room, Operating Room, and Isolation, intensifying the eerie atmosphere. The haunt is known for top-tier theming, immersive storylines, and sensory engagement — from cold air and scents to startling visuals — making every visit a unique adventure. They also provide family-friendly options without gore, allowing groups with children to enjoy the spooky fun together. Additionally, Nightmare on 13th offers special event spaces for private gatherings and group celebrations, making it an ideal venue for friends to create chilling memories together in a safe, controlled environment. Its continual yearly updates ensure returning visitors will find fresh scares and new attractions each season, enhancing its place as a must-visit destination for shared Halloween excitement.
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What people think of Nightmare on 13th Haunted House, based on reviews
As of recent, Nightmare on 13th Haunted House holds a 4.5-star rating based on 2164 reviews.
Reviewers widely praise Nightmare on 13th Haunted House for its immersive and creative approach to scare entertainment. Many highlight the exceptional theming and storytelling, which sets it apart from other haunted houses nationwide. Positive reviews emphasize the size of the venue, detailing how it offers multiple distinct horror environments that maintain interest and suspense throughout the entire experience. Visitors appreciate the rotating scares and yearly additions, which keep the haunt feeling fresh and unpredictable even for repeat guests. The dual attraction setup—with both the Nightmare on 13th main haunt and the Institute of Terror asylum—provides diverse experiences, adding great value for visitors willing to pay for combo or VIP tickets. Reviewers also commend the family-friendly aspects, noting that while the haunt is scary, it avoids gore and excessive blood, making it accessible and enjoyable for groups with younger attendees. Negative feedback occasionally points to long wait times during peak periods and the cost for combo tickets, which some feel can add up. A few visitors mentioned the intensity of certain scenes might be overwhelming for those who prefer milder scares. Despite these points, the overwhelming majority find the attraction well worth the visit, highlighting the professionalism of staff and the high-quality effects and set designs. Overall, reviews consolidate Nightmare on 13th's status as a top haunted house that delivers thrills, chills, and plenty of memorable moments — solidifying its reputation as Utah’s must-visit haunted experience each Halloween season.
How to reach Nightmare on 13th Haunted House
320 W 1300 S St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, USA
FAQ about Nightmare on 13th Haunted House, your new favorite meetup place for groups in Salt Lake City, Utah
Why rally at Nightmare on 13th Haunted House with your friends? Gathering a group for a shared experience at Nightmare on 13th creates the perfect atmosphere for bonding over excitement, suspense, and adrenaline. The thrill of navigating through terrifying scenes together primes conversations, laughter, and collective storytelling afterward, strengthening social connections. Facing fears as a unit turns the spooky environment into a memorable adventure worth retelling. Additionally, the haunted house's immersive design and attention to detail elevate the experience beyond a simple scare—it's about stepping into a vivid horror world where your reactions and interactions with friends become part of the fun. The venue’s popularity and strong 4.5-star rating from over 2,000 reviews underscore its reputation for delivering this kind of electrifying group outing that appeals to thrill-seekers and casual visitors alike. Whether you want to test your courage, escape the ordinary, or just have an unforgettable night filled with surprises, Nightmare on 13th offers a compelling reason to gather your friends and create lasting memories.
Nightmare on 13th Haunted House provides a rich variety of attractions designed to engage groups with diverse interests in fear and entertainment. The main attraction is a highly immersive haunted walk-through, featuring elaborately themed rooms filled with props, special effects, and expertly crafted monsters. These include frightening creatures like zombies, demonic clowns, and other grotesque figures created through impressive makeup and prosthetics, which heighten the sense of realism and shock. The house is designed to assault all senses with eerie lighting, disturbing sounds like creaks and whispers, and even scent machines that simulate dank, musty environments, creating a chilling atmosphere from start to finish. Beyond the main haunt, visitors can enjoy smaller adjunct activities such as zombie shooting galleries or mazes like clown-themed sections, which add layers of interactivity to the experience. These diversions provide moments of active engagement beyond passive walking through scary scenes, which is ideal for groups desiring a more hands-on thrill. The haunted house also hosts themed events and seasonal variations, switching up setups every few years to keep returning guests intrigued and to maintain an unpredictable element for newcomers.
Nightmare on 13th excels as a meetup destination for friends or families because it fosters shared emotional experiences—the kind that deepen bonds and create lasting stories to reminisce about. The venue’s layout is conducive to groups moving together through the scare zones, often requiring teamwork or mutual support to cope with intense moments, which builds camaraderie naturally. It also caters to different fear thresholds by offering multiple attractions, allowing groups to pick and choose how scary or interactive they want their outing to be without excluding anyone. Moreover, the haunt’s size and organization make it a great place to celebrate a special occasion like a birthday or reunion; some groups even coordinate costumes to enhance the immersive vibe. Important social conveniences such as ample lobby space for gathering, including areas where groups can rest, chat, or purchase themed merchandise and concessions, contribute to the venue’s suitability for meetups. Finally, the shared experience of confronting fears within a controlled, entertaining environment helps dissolve everyday social barriers, encouraging everyone to loosen up and enjoy themselves—this is why many visitors rave about the fun social energy and incredible memories made here.
The venue’s creators put significant effort into crafting a fully immersive horror environment that grips every visitor from the moment they enter. From the atmospheric lighting designed to evoke unease to soundscapes mimicking the subtle noises of an abandoned haunted building, Nightmare on 13th engages visitors’ senses deeply. The presence of actors in full costume who actively interact with visitors adds a dynamic and unpredictable element to the experience, transforming the haunted house from a static set into a reactive nightmare world. This live interaction not only sustains suspense but also turns group members into participants rather than mere spectators, increasing group cohesion through shared reactions and problem-solving under spooky conditions. Detailed set design includes narrow, maze-like hallways, optical illusions, and bizarre room layouts that physically disorient visitors, enhancing the thrill of the journey. These environmental qualities amplify emotional highs and lows, encouraging groups to stick close and support each other as tension rises, thereby intensifying the communal experience.
Visitors can expect a well-organized, professionally run event with safety and guest enjoyment as top priorities. The facility enforces clear guidelines to maintain order and security while allowing people to embrace fear within safe limits. Expect wait times, particularly during peak seasons, but also recognize the anticipation this builds adds to the excitement of the experience. Once inside, the journey will be filled with a variety of scares—from subtle atmospheric dread to shocking surprises delivered by costumed performers. Group members should prepare for physical activity, as navigating the haunted walkthrough involves standing, walking through narrow passages, and potentially crouching or dodging in some areas. The haunt’s commitment to changing and updating their themes regularly means even returning guests will find new thrills and twists each year. Finally, groups can look forward to a social and festive atmosphere enhanced by themed merchandise and food options in the lobby, ideal for relaxing and debriefing post-adventure.
With a 4.5-star rating derived from over 2,100 reviews, Nightmare on 13th clearly resonates with a large audience, many of whom highlight the quality of the experience and the strong social dynamics it fosters. Such a high rating reflects consistent customer satisfaction related to atmosphere, scare factor, and overall event execution, all critical when choosing a place for a group outing. Reviews often mention how the experience is "next level" in terms of makeup, set design, and actor performance, endorsing the venue's commitment to excellence. While individual opinions vary, the majority accepted the haunt as an exciting and worthwhile place to visit with friends or family. This positive reputation reassures groups that their event will be fun, well-managed, and memorable. Moreover, the venue’s evolution—frequently updating its scares and layouts—demonstrates responsiveness to public feedback, further enhancing its long-term appeal as a repeat destination for social gatherings.