In the heart of Salt Lake City, at 666 W, lives a factory – the only truly haunted factory in the United States, if you ask us. The building itself is over 100 years old and has a history of chaos and “career-ending accidents”. This is a history that Fear Factory itself fully embraces when creating the haunt experience they have today. Each year adds not only new stories but new and creative ways to share them with you, and this year was no different. Some structural changes were made to the factory’s entrance this year after an outbuilding covering the entrance to the haunt caught fire from a neighboring lot. Instead of letting that disrupt the backstory of the Haunt, they decided to roll with it. Writing the fire into the seven-year storyline that is entering its second year this 2025 season. At the beginning, we stated the factory’s ‘lives’ at 666 W. That statement may be more true than you think, but we will leave that for you to discover.
That is not the only update that you will see at Fear Factory in the 2025 season, last year they added an adults-only sc-area where you can enjoy a nice warm adult beverage to soothe the throat from screaming. This year, though they have added even more options, including the ‘Death Dare Shooter’, and even we still couldn’t get a full list of ingredients to this terrifying taster. It’s described as a ‘sugary, salty and spicy’ shot sure to put hair on your teeth. It may cost a bit more, but when the menu straight up tells you not to try it, what are you supposed to do? Now, just because it’s adults only doesn’t mean you have to drink like one. They have plenty of mocktail options, including a tropical IV bag option that is sure to calm the nerves. Located at the end of the haunt, this is the perfect cherry on what is sure to be a screamin’ sundae.
From beginning to end, each character that you encounter is part of a deeper storyline laid out with much thought and care as to what this new season’s guests could want. Karl Mossman is the go-to guy here at Fear. He greets you at the gate and narrates your haunted adventure the entire way through. Whether in person or mechanical, this guy surely sees all. Even talking shit at times–animatronic words still hurt. Nurse Wretched made quite the impression this year, with the disgustingly descriptive tellings of surgeries passed, she is sure to put lasting images in your head for nights to come. She can be spotted multiple times throughout the pre-haunt and post-haunt areas and is always down for a photo opp.
New to the haunt family this year is Jim or better known as The Butcher. With a human body and the head of a beast, this terrifying meat mangler is sure to send chills up and down your spine when stepping into the new and goriest area we have seen at Fear Factory to date. This blood-filled section is not just scary but factually based. The was a butcher in Utah that is the inspiration for this new family addition. Whether it was just animals or actual people that started disappearing….. We will let you find out.
The makeup and costuming at Fear Factory never disappoints! The attention to detail in each ensemble is unmatched. You will not find any classic horror monsters or pop culture references inside this haunt. Each character is created from scratch down to the last stitch. Whether it be in material or flesh. Between practical makeup, prosthetics, and masks, the faces of each monster are brought to life by some seriously talented artists.
Just like last year, our favorite costume area has got to be the UV Carnival. Without the 3D glasses provided, this area will blow you away. With textures and patterns colliding not only on the environment but on the costumes and faces of the clowns themselves. Packed full with clown after clown, each one appearing more detailed than the last. Although in our opinion, the scariest creature under the big top isn’t a clown at all. He looks soft and cuddly, but we assure you his crawl across the ground with have you jumping higher than he hops. Definitely tested the limits of my vocal chords with this one. Good luck with the furry little guy, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
As always, information about getting to and experiencing this haunt is extremely easy to find. They have a website and multiple social media platforms that contain all the info you could need. Not to mention their not easily forgotten address, 666 W. 800 S. You could say it’s the heart within the heart of the city in downtown Salt Lake. There is plenty of staff on site, ready and willing to answer all questions and point you in whatever direction you need, whether it’s merch, food, photo ops, or the nearest bathroom in which to regain your composure. They are helpful and they are friendly. If they don’t know the answer, they will find it for you. Definitely a 10/10 for their customer service/security team.
From the moment you park, the experience begins. The rumbling sounds bellowing from the factory are almost reminiscent of the beat of the heart of the Jumanji board, beginning to play. The beat of this factory’s heart is not different. Calling you in from the street, ticket in hand, you begin your journey into the haunt. Before even reaching the ticket counter, you are greeted by sparks and screams of the creatures in the night. Even waiting in line leaves no time for small talk. While waiting for your turn, you watch as Karl hacks the main video system with a message for us all. And not just once but twice you are viewers of 2 brand new movies, brought to life just for you to learn more about those with whom you are about to interact and hopefully….. Survive.
Once inside the haunt, there are moments of discontent with what is real and what is not. Whether you are inside or whether you are outside. One second you are just walking up some stairs, and next you realize it leads to a grated floor corridor towering two stories above the concrete entrance where you just were. How did you get up there so fast? It’s not just sight and sound that are used to enhance your time in the haunt, but smell as well. And if you feel you are losing your way or are not sure which way to turn, don’t worry, Karl is there the entire time. From beginning to end, he speaks to you through the factory’s intercom system (presumably also hacked), letting you know just what section you are about to enter next. Like your own little Jiminey Cricket–just, ya know, scarier.
Where to begin… the amount of time and care, and not to mention electricity spent on making this haunt what it is, is astounding. From lights and fog to projections and screens, this place is covered. The team at Fear Factory works all year round to bring new and exciting things each season. But one of our favorites from season to season lives in the hot underbelly of the factory. You glimpse it through the street grates upon entering, but until you are standing next to this towering skin-sewn monstrosity, you truly cannot appreciate its size. Lit up and beating this giant aortic art piece is truly one of a kind.
Now, with the addition of our new character Jim, that obviously means a newly built area of the haunt just for him. This two-story, blood-filled arena is one of the goriest parts we have seen at Fear in seasons passed. Once room that truly got us was what we have lovingly named ‘skin room’. Hanging from the ceiling are sheets of leather made to look as if someone has been skinned (possibly alive) and is curing as if to be made into a suit themselves.
The effects continue beautifully throughout the end of the haunt. Their use of something as simple as fog really toys with the mind at one point. I turned to check on my partner behind me and couldn’t see him, even though he was less than a foot away. Right-hand right wall!
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9.5
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9.5
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 9
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9.5
One of the goals of this season was to find a way to ‘grotesquely tell our story,’ and that is just what they did. The new butcher area has literal blood waterfalls. Every section of this XII section haunt is packed with jump scares and screams just as you would expect. But it’s the things that you don’t expect that can sometimes get you worse. Such as that damn bunny in the carnival. That furry little creep scared the shit out of me for real, real.
And that doesn’t even include the newest scare factor that Fear has added this season. This year, they have added touch. That’s right. For those of you brave enough to add it, that is. Now, it is a simple touch from the shoulders up and the knees down only. But the effectiveness of this minimal interaction is noticeable. Something as simple as a tickle on the ear heightens the scares that are already there. But it’s the neck and leg grabs that really get you moving.
With a multitude of ticket options, this place has the perfect one for you. Their GA price is around $35, depending on the time of season and if they do any specials. But you can also opt for VIP for a few dollars more. This gets you in quicker and maybe even a little surprise at the end of your visit. But there are even more options than that. You can bump up to $100 for instant entry. This means not just quicker but not at all. Just be sure you have some tough skin, as it’s not just looks you will be getting thrown your way, but also some of those mean, animatronic words we talked about earlier. “Some skip the line action” is worth it, though. After that, there is still one more tier of ticket pricing, and that is the Rockstart ticket. And let us tell you…. You absolutely feel like a rockstar. Starting with your own private entrance and green room, and ending with multiple gifts of photos and merch. This ticket is definitely worth it if you aren’t a haunter on a budget. All in all, Fear Factory is definitely worth the price of admission and then some.
666 W 800 S, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104
