The terrifying Strangling Bros. Haunted Circus is back: Is the experience worth the expense?

Pumpkin spice lattes are back in season and so are haunted houses. These are one of many October and Halloween traditions for all ages. The Ringling Bros. have brought back their haunted circus to compete with other haunted houses, where you pay money to be chased by chainsaws, famous killers, and of course, clowns.

Located just off Pleasant Grove Boulevard in an empty field, a large white tent is filled with people of all ages waiting to enter into the interconnected trailers that host the frightening walk. Each trailer has a different theme and new frights. The walk ways are skinny and warped to make the experience feel more uneasy and frightening.

The Strangling Bros. brought back some of their former scares, but also have incorporated a few new scare tactics. “I thought it was pretty similar to last year. The only thing new they added was an “IT” themed section,” Mariana Nunezz, a returning Haunted Circus attendee said,”

Even though it seemed like this haunted circus was catered towards a younger crowd, there were still some real scares. “There was this part where you had to walk through these blow up things and they were very long and made you feel very claustrophobic; that was probably the scariest part for me,” said Gil Maciel, Nunezz’s date to the Haunted Circus. Depending on the night, the wait to get into the Haunted Circus can be a long one, but they have creepy videos to keep the crowd entertained while they wait.

Once the wait is over, there are strobe lights, themed trailers, fog machines and scares around every corner that will make the wait worthwhile. But the attraction is also a little expensive. When asked if The Haunted Circus was worth the $50, cinematography sophomore at UVU Juan Lopez said, “I wouldn’t spend $50 on a date to this Haunted attraction. It just wasn’t scary enough and I felt like I didn’t get what I was paying for.”

So, if a terrifying night out is more appealing, maybe spend the money at a scarier attraction like Castle of Chaos or Nightmare on 13th. But if being mildly scared or having a good night is more appealing, then The Haunted Circus is perfect for that.