Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus Was it the murderous clown from Stephen King’s “It” or was it the stuffed toy clown from Poltergeist that first transformed the fun-loving Bozo into a tormenting evil nightmare? No matter where your coulropho- bia (fear of clowns) originated, it’s sure to be heightened once you enter the first of 23 terrifying semi-trailers at the Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus. HOURS: Open 7:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday through Nov. 1. LOCATION: 98 E. 13800 South, Draper COST: $25 online, includes line-hopping VIP pass INFO: www. stranglingbros.com

1/2 Fear Factory One of the scariest things about Fear Factory is the realism -- or is that surrealism -- of its environment. Located at an old abandoned cement factory with a sordid past for untimely and grisly deaths, this haunted at- traction is a workout for your heart -- from some heart-stopping thrills, sure, but also in an aerobic sense as this tour will tax your stamina by the time it’s over. During the course of the nearly hour-long attraction, you will find yourself traversing below ground into a dingy basement dungeon, and up and down steel stairways through factories and silos. There’s even a nifty darkened slide to take you from high in the factory down to the bottom floor. Or for an extra price, you can ride a zipline out of the factory tower or experience a free fall. This was a very, very loud attraction. There seemed to be a constant banging on steel staircases with metal pipes or the playing of extreme heavy metal music, with lots of screaming. (At least we think the scream- ing was from the music?) It was definitely a sensory overload by the finish. Speaking of noises, one we will not get out of our ears for quite a while was when a Freddy Kreuger character grated his obviously metal claws over a steel bar. Yikes! Give us a thousand screeching fingernails on chalk- board before having to endure this sound again! In addition to many thrills and chills, we found one of the highlights of Fear Factory to be the witty dialogue provided by many of the character actors. It was often smart, macabre and humorous -- if you took the time to listen. Kudos also for an excellent effect following a shotgun blast to a zombie’s head. HOURS: 7-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday through Nov. 1 WHERE: 666 W. 800 South, Salt Lake City. A parking lot with a limited number of stalls is open at the haunt and additional parking is available along 700 West. If you park at The Gateway, you can also experience the new Zombie Bus. TICKETS: $25 for general admission, $25 for Online VIP Admission, $35 for Online VIP Admission and Extreme Attraction Combo (choice of ipline or freefall). INFO: FearFactorySLC.com — Doug Fox, Daily Herald

Haunted Sleepy Hollow Wagon Ride This authentic horse-drawn wagon ride recreates the well-known tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is told through inventive scenery and well-read excerpts from the classic tale. It’s made to be a family adventure and is sure to please all ages with- out scaring their heads off! They start the rides while it’s still light outside, so book an early ride if you’re worried about the little ones. HOURS: Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday nights now through Oct. 31. Thursday and Monday rides run every half hour from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday rides run every half hour from 6 to 10:30 p.m. WHERE: Sleepy Hollow Haunted Wagon Rides is hosted by Rocky Mountain Outfitters at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Approximately 25 min- utes from Provo. Find directions on their website. PRICE: Halloween Haunted Wagon Rides are $20 per person. Fam- ily specials and coupons are available on their Facebook page. Advance reservations are required and tickets are sold exclusively online at Sleepy- HollowUtah.com. If you go to their Facebook page you can find a $5-off coupon. INFO: (435) 654-1655 www.rockymtnoutfitters.com

Castle of Chaos Boasting the “Hands on Horror” ticket upgrade, the demons and devils at Castle of Chaos can, with your signed permission, make your haunted house excursion even more frightening. HOURS: Open 7:30 p.m., Monday- Saturday through Nov. 2. LOCATION: In Taylorsville at 5600 S. Redwood Rd. and in Riverdale at 1100 W. Riverdale Rd. COST: $23 plus online service fee per location. INFO: www.castleofchaos.com

The Haunted Forest & Zombie Warz Traversing unknown ground, in the shadow-filled darkness where snapping twigs, howling creatures and blustering winds abound, is often a fearful trek. Add the frights of a Halloween night and the forest becomes a heart-pounding, race-for-your-life adventure. Returning once again is the popular Zombie Warz — a paintball gun setting where you are recuited into a zombie-fighting army, charged with the task of killing as many zombies as possible while riding aboard the Zombie Assault Vehicle. HOURS: Open 7:30 p.m., Monday- Saturday through Oct. 31 LOCATION: 6000 W. 6400 North, American Fork. Take Pleasant Grove Exit 275 and head west for 1.8 miles. Follow the spotlight south. Zombie Warz is located approximately 1 1/2 miles from the forest. Check website for more details and pricing. COST: Combo ticket for both the Haunted Forest and Zombie Warz just $25 plus tax. Kids 6 and under are free. INFO: www.hauntedutah.com

Frightmares Utah’s favorite amusement park is transformed to the perfect realm for all things ghoulish for Halloween. All of your favorite rollercoasters and park rides are open, some featuring your favorite creature of the night. Entertainment, too, is featured on all the main stages. You can scream your guts out while on Wicked and then wander through The Backlot maze of scary movie scenes. Watch for Frankie, the Wolfman and other “Stalk-A-Rounds” as they wander the park and then enjoy the hypnotic dance review “Disturbia.” HOURS: Open 5 p.m., Friday and 11 a.m., Saturday-Sunday through Oct. 30. LOCATION: 375 Lagoon Dr., Farmington COST: $45.95 plus tax (discounted rates for kids, toddlers and seniors). Parking is $9 per day. INFO: www.lagoonpark.com