By: Victoria Brawn
Are you afraid of the dark? Better stay out of Fright World then. The moment you walk in the
door you’re thrown into darkness, lit only by black light and the occasional spotlight to show
something lurking in the darkness. What is that, and why is it moving toward you? Before you
can register what’s happening, a screaming clown is running at you full speed. Welcome to
Buffalo’s #1 house of horrors.
Fright World is rated #1 haunt attraction in Buffalo by frighttour.com, #3 nationally by Buzzfeed,
and given an 8.9 out of 10 by thescarefactor.com. But what makes Fright World so unique?
There are five different themes: Carnival Boneyard (new for 2022), the Grind House, Night
Stalkers Reloaded, Eerie State Asylum, and Insanity. All five senses will be engaged in each of
the houses. If you go into the Eerie State Asylum a staff member will give you a flashlight that
will flicker and turn on and off throughout your walk through the asylum. There is the sound of
blood dripping quietly in the background of the Grind House before scare actors pop out to scare
you. Many of the houses smell musty and dirty, or have related scents like chain saw dust in the
Grind House. Stephen Szortyka, the Director of Operations, says that the team is “focusing on
quality, we are committed to giving our fans the ultimate Halloween experience at an affordable
price.” There are 150 actors hired yearly and trained in ‘Boo School’ for two months before
opening night. It can take up to two hours to have make up and prosthetics applied
professionally. Auditions take place in August and there are 300 people vying for the 150 open
slots.
For Fright World’s 20th anniversary the team has really upped the ante. “We are always pushing
ourselves to be better than before, and this year, we are really excited to provide the number one
requested attraction by our fans,” says Szortyka. Each year new attractions are swapped out for
older ones. In years past there has been Storm Area 51 and Eerie Palooza Fear Fest- a musical
festival overrun by murderous clowns. The themes might seem a little bit silly, but become much
more terrifying in the dark. Feeling up to a challenge? On November 4th and 5th you can go with
no lights at all, guided only by a single glow stick provided for you.
If you’re looking to bypass lines, make sure to get the VIP Fright Pass before you go. As it is the 1 haunted house in WNY the lines get pretty long, and there are things lurking in the halls.