13th Floor Denver has opened its 17th season in Elyria-Swansea, with three major attractions scheduled to run through November 14, 2026. The lineup includes a newly licensed Jason Universe maze that places visitors inside a live theatrical version of the Friday the 13th world.
The haunted house is located at 3400 E. 52nd Ave. in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Its 2017 relocation added 10,000 square feet of space, according to the Denver Business Journal. This season's other headline attractions are Stitchworks House of Reanimation, built around a scientist's laboratory and mechanically enhanced creatures, and Cathedral of the Crimson Queen, which centers on Sister Agony's accidental release of the titular villain, the Denver Gazette reports.
The third headline attraction, Jason Universe: Survive the Night, features Jason Voorhees stalking visitors through a maze — the product of a 2026 licensing partnership between parent company Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group and rights-holder Horror, Inc., which brought the Friday the 13th franchise into live immersive haunts at select 13FEG attractions in nine cities. For an extra thrill, the venue also offers a VIP Director's Cut version of the Jason experience that lets visitors control Jason's attacks through a screen, per the same account.
What's New Beyond the Main Mazes
Beyond the three main mazes, 13th Floor Denver offers mini escape games, a clown maze and axe throwing, the Denver Gazette reports. The venue also warns that strobing lights, loud noises and sudden movements may pose risks for visitors with migraines, seizures or other sensitivity-related conditions.
A Seasonal Business With a Longer Reach
America Haunts estimates that more than 1,200 haunted attractions charge admission in the United States.
The Denver Gazette reports that 13th Floor Denver employs 200 to 300 scare actors over the season, with roughly 80 to 100 working on a typical night.
Immersive Theater, Not a Thrill Ride
General manager Bryan Kopp told the Denver Gazette that the attraction is “immersive, live theater with real people,” rather than a conventional thrill ride. He said makeup artists, wardrobe staff and actors spend substantial time preparing and training before each run.
Kopp said the attraction is intended to give visitors a temporary break from everyday concerns and encouraged them to focus on the stories and setting rather than treat the experience as a simple walkthrough, according to the Denver Gazette.
Media Night Reactions
The Denver Gazette attended a media night in Denver on September 19. Its account included reactions from visitors, but those comments represent individual responses rather than an independent measure of the attraction's overall reception.
The venue advertises itself as the fifth scariest haunted house in the country, according to its own marketing.
A National Chain With Local Roots
13th Floor Denver is a venue operated by Denver-based Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, co-founded by CEO Chris Stafford, which operates as the largest Halloween-themed live entertainment producer in the country with more than 15 locations nationwide, according to a PR Newswire release.
Nationally, the haunted house industry generates between $300 million and $500 million annually across roughly 1,200 commercial venues, according to trade association America Haunts as cited by Empower. During peak scare season, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group employs roughly 3,500 seasonal workers across its attractions nationwide, according to the US Manufacturing Report.
Denver's Crowded Haunted House Scene
13th Floor Denver operates in a competitive local market that includes Westminster's Frightmare Compound, founded in 1983 as the region's oldest operating haunted house, according to 9News. Later in the season, the venue also hosts specialized events like Blackout, in which visitors navigate the dark haunt guided by only a single glow stick per group, per a report from Westword.
Trade group America Haunts also reported in September 2026 a growing national trend of so-called scarecations, in which horror enthusiasts take multi-state road trips specifically to visit premier destination haunted houses, according to Morningstar.
