Find Your Fright is a hidden gem in Loveland, Colorado, that packs an incredible punch! Through a combination of outstanding acting and improv, layers and layers of twisted scenery, and the right blend of cool costumes and special effects, we certainly found our fright. Stitches the Clown, the colorfully sordid character who is the face of the attraction, and the demure worker at the front desk of the Last Resort Haunted Hotel, which is this year’s theme, undersell the mayhem that awaits past the bellhop. Take one last look at the relative calm of the haunt’s lobby, because your heart will be pounding for the next 16 minutes!
Many of the cast members at Find Your Fright aren’t old enough to buy a scratch ticket, but don’t be fooled because they’re not kidding around. Regardless of age, the actors brought energy, heart, and dedication to their roles, showing more chops than a karate instructor working a double. That cast filled a wide variety of roles, from ominous and brooding to frantic and panicked, with the haunt hosting enough players that the entire attraction seemed to always have at least one living creature hidden among its shadows. Regardless of the role, the cast met the moment with threatening quiet or whinging and writhing and everything in between. A few cast members, in particular, set themselves apart, such as the poor girl denied a good night’s sleep and her companion who was communing with her own inner demons, and the maid wearing someone else’s face with her victim left to drain in the tub. Another actor, who had clearly been schooled on the ways to create some separation between groups, did a terrific job staying in character despite the length of time he kept us with him and my own obliviousness. There were even a few folks playing other guests of the Last Resort who weren’t on board with how strange it had become, with one memorable girl screaming on the ground as if she had lost her mind in fear. Most haunts don’t dedicate cast to acting as a fellow “normie,” so it was fun to see. We really can’t say enough about how stellar the cast is and how powerfully and passionately they performed!
There are as wide of a variety of costumes at Find Your Fright as there are roles. From the queue cast to the creatures inside the hotel, the costumes all fit within the various areas they were found, making it clear that the hotel had gone haywire. The costumes were distinct from one another, some being as simple as clothes one would expect a person to wear on an average day and others being much more detailed and unique, sometimes even fleshing out familiar fiends. The makeup was also done well, with care and consideration for each character, and there were a flurry of cool masks throughout. Overall, the costuming was thorough and complete, and any gaps were rendered invisible by the intensity of the acting and the scenery.
Getting to Find Your Fright is as simple as visiting its website, checking any of its highly-active social media posts, or even just Googling, and putting the address into your map app. Being in central Loveland, it’s easy to find, but be forewarned, there is construction going on directly out front. Nevertheless, following the detour signs leads to ample street parking on the surrounding roads. You’ll know you’re in the right area when you hear the chainsaws sing, unless Stitches finds you first. Though the road in front is closed, the sidewalks remain open, so heading to the haunt on foot from wherever you park is a piece of cake. When we got there, the entrance was easily identifiable due to the man-sized clown standing out front drawing folks in; however, upon coming back around front, it was a little nondescript approaching from the east, as we were drawn to the lighted sign and blow-ups just west of the doorway, so keep an eye out for the haunted lobby visible through the large windows. Whether in the house or outside, and whether in costume or not, the staff at Find Your Fright is spectacular, helpful, and friendly. There was nothing truly unsafe at the haunt, despite the hauntrunners doing their best to make it appear the exact opposite. In fact, they took steps to ensure that the haunt is a safe area for guests and ghouls alike, including placing neon strips on the stairs to make sure finding your footing is easy, and having staff in costume to roam the haunt and keep eyes on all of the goings on.
The area in front of the haunt is alive with Stitches and his minion milling about, helping point the way along with the lighted sign and inflatables mentioned above. Even with the not so scare-inducing construction crowding the paths, the surrounding area is set up well for their hijinx, with a large alleyway that meets a few local bar and restaurant patios, giving the haunt crew plenty of spots to stage their attacks on future hotel guests.
Once guests enter the lobby, the haunt vibe kicks in fully. The area is set up as a hotel lobby, complete with some seating and a front desk, and creepy decor all around, which sets the scene for the haunt and its theme perfectly well. The hotel staff, consisting of the front desk worker who sold us our tickets and the bellhop who manned the entrance, were both in costume, complete with subtle makeup and full characters, which says nothing about the roaming beast or bloodied but shy hotel guest. We saw a healthy sampling of character introductions, one of whom wandered in and out exuding the vague odor of pork while giving the guests in the queue line a good once over.
The haunted hotel theme is set up well, as guests are given a key card bearing a room number when purchasing their tickets, which is to be carried in and given to a host inside of the hotel. From there, the host will direct guests to the path leading to their room. We learned after the haunt that there are three different room keys available, each of which leads guests through a different experience, keeping it fresh and giving guests good reason to return. While inside, there’s hardly enough time to take in everything there is to see between the decor and the performances, so the sense of immersion remains strong throughout.
At the end, the haunt’s finale gives visitors one last chance to remain at the hotel indefinitely, but those lucky enough to escape will find themselves rushing through the alleyway behind the building, where people were hanging out, laughing and talking excitedly about their experience only to see the next group come pouring out with a shout then taking the place of their predecessors, laughing and talking excitedly. While this vibe is more wild than the peaceful hotel lobby, it’s more of an upbeat, less scary feel.
It’s hard to believe that the haunt comes together as quickly as it does, but each fall, the brains behind the event work tirelessly to pull things together in a matter of weeks. Going through the haunt, one would never suspect that to be the case, as the scene designs are remarkable. The path is dark and winding, with enough around to present a fresh scene with every twist and turn. Some scenes are packed with themed decor creating a well-defined space, and others are less specific but add to the sense of chaos occurring at the hotel.
The hotel also does a tremendous job of using special effects. Although visitors won’t encounter many animatronics, their absence isn’t noticeable due to the number of cast members, who play their parts better than any machine ever could. Nevertheless, the audio booms through the building with bass that can be felt, and the juxtaposition of blinding bright lights and pitch black shadows, sometimes augmented by a blast of fog, tickles the senses with the tingle of some unknown scare being just out of view.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 8.52
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.33
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 7.7
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 8.13
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 8.22
Find Your Fright is deceptively scary, much more than one would anticipate given the story of the attraction. Find Your Fright is associated with Find Your Light, a Loveland nonprofit that helps empower people of all ages through the performing arts and delivering the message of mental wellness through artistic expression. Given that prophylactic, it’s no surprise that the haunt–especially its cast–is incredible at their craft, but that friendly facade masks the terror beneath the surface. Find Your Fright is scary! Actors bring their A games, with scares of all varieties such that a subtle tilt of the head can send a chill up and down your spine. One actor in particular got under my skin when the black eyeholes of face she wore looked at me. I don’t know if that counts as eye contact, but when she zeroed in on me, I could feel the blood preemptively drain from my own face.
Despite the energy that the cast brought to the scares, there were times that the back of our group got to see the scare had already happened rather than experiencing it for themselves. Although the actors’ improv abilities were often enough to still give the rest of the group a good show, things just hit differently. On the other side of that coin, there were also times that we could anticipate a scare before it happened, whether that was the result of seeing an actor poised to pounce or a scene featuring props with which we were well-acquainted. There were also scares that, despite knowing what was coming, still raised our hackles, like the actor in need of a hair brush who had enough gusto to leave our hair raised! The finale was a lot of fun as well. Once we realized that the haunt had come to its end, we knew what awaited us on the other side of the final curtain, but that didn’t detract from the fun of it. We continued forward to share our own laughter and excited chatter.
Find Your Fright packs a lot into its sixteen-minute run time, and only charges $20 per person, which is a steal these days for such an entertaining time! That sixteen minutes doesn’t include the time spent in the lobby interacting with the queue actors in the fun setting, and the fun doesn’t die at the end of the haunt, as guests have a variety of ways to keep the laughter and discussion going in the surrounding neighborhood. Anyone looking for a terrific haunt packed with one of the best haunt crews we’ve seen should make a point of visiting Find Your Fright this season!
133 and 131 West 4th Street, Loveland, Colorado 80538