It has been a challenging year and a half, so it is time for us to get back into the swing of things. The Freakling Bros. are reopening their doors for the fright culture that Las Vegas provides to all. With zero to minimum contact, the Freakling’s haunted houses are not for the faint of heart.
One of Las Vegas’s top three scare companies started in 1976 by father Duke, wife Ginnie and son Daniel Mollner as an overly decorated home for Halloween. As the years went on, they practically attracted the whole neighborhood as well as the local news.
In 1992, Duke and Daniel partnered with Craig Lewis, a fellow horror creator, to open the first free-standing haunted house in Las Vegas, “The Circus of Horrors.” This attraction is filled to the brim with creepy clowns, something that would give students more nightmares than they bargained for.
Over the last ten years, the Freakling Bros. have expanded the company to three main haunts: The Dungeon, Black Box and The Mortuary.
The Mortuary has since transformed into Castle Vampyre, a fan favorite illusory terror house that is fun for all ages. This may be the last year for Castle Vampyre, so if you’re thinking about going, now would be a perfect time.
In 2011, the Gates of Hell opened up as the first and only R-rated haunted house in Nevada, which is the only local attraction that participants have to sign a waiver for, along with choosing a safe word to ensure one’s safety.
With the talk of COVID-19 still the main topic of interest, we have to wonder if the haunted house is a good idea in such vulnerable times. Some of the things the Freakling Bros. are doing to follow protocol will make everyone feel safe this spooky season.
Freakling Bros. requires that all staff are fully vaccinated and masked at all times. They also asked that all patrons wear their masks in the houses, and if they do not have any, free surgical masks will be provided and commemorative ones are sold in the gift shop.
Guests will be going into the haunted experience with their own group, not with anyone they do not know. Spacing will be larger than the standard between groups and anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will be asked to stay home.
Overall, if you feel safe enough to go out and experience the haunts, there is no reason why you shouldn’t. If you are still wary in these times, there is no harm in staying home and binge-watching all the cult classic Halloween movies this spooky season. The haunts will be here this year, and if you choose to stay home, they will be there next year as well.
However, if you choose to partake in the scares, haunted houses once again returning to the valley will be the best way to reign in the spooky season.
