Which is Scarier: 13th Floor VS Fear Farm

Looking for a haunted house in the Metro Phoenix Area, but not sure which to visit or which is Scarier?

Click Here for a review of Sanctum of Horror Haunted Attraction in Mesa.

This review will provide some pros and cons between The 13th Floor and Fear Farm. Click here for my past Fear Farm VS 13th Floor review.

Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group produces some of the world’s largest Halloween themed attractions, including Fear Farm and 13th Floor haunted houses in Phoenix. But which is scarier?

The 13th Floor is located at 2814 W. Bell RD. in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 13th floor this year is basically 2 Haunted Mazes. The first half is a continuous labyrinth of Jump scares, animatronics and well done scenery which changes themes as you stumble through. The second half is surviving a Zombie Apocalypse. Though they are advertising the theme of the first half this year as a Creature Feature of Classic Silver Screen Movie Monsters, there definitely was NOT an abundance of Werewolves, Frankenstein's Monster, Mummies or Vampires. Takes approx 45 minutes for both mazes, with use of a Fast Pass to skip most of the line.

Tickets range from $24.99 to $32.99, depending on the date. Fast Pass is an additional $10.

Pros:

• It is inside, so inclimate weather is not a concern.
• The fact it is inside allows for use of more elaborate scenery and animatronics.
• Far more "jump Scares" by the "scare actors" than Fear Farm.
• Scare actors interacting with guests.
• There is a Photo Opportunity at the beginning, this makes a nice souvenir.
• Additional photo Opportunities with props when you are exiting.
• Shirts and other souvenirs are not exceedingly expensive.
• Free Parking
• Overall better rooms and better scares than Fear Farm. Comparable to Knotts Scary Farm and Halloween Horror Nights in regards to special effects.
• Smoke free zone, Vaping was also barred.

Cons:

• Metal detectors, needlessly inducing the wrong kind of fear. I wasn't visiting a prison.
• Longer line than Fear Farm. Fear Farm is multiple smaller mazes which generally cuts down the wait in line compared to 13th Floor.
• Paying the extra $10 for Fast Pass offsets long line, but reduces the cost vs value.
• No Carnival games and No food vendors. This lack of additional content means unlike Fear Farm, there is no point to hanging around.
• The theme, Creature Feature was not represented well. 

Fear Farm is located at 2209 N. 99th Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona.

Fear Farm this year is 5 Haunted Mazes and a "back to the roots" corn maze. This year Fear Farm opted to not have a hay ride and instead do a corn maze "The Reaping". When I first heard this, I felt it was a mistake. The corn maze had hardly no line, and the hayride always had a long line. I think many like me were not willing to pay additional for a corn maze, where I would have paid for the hayride. Takes approx 3 hours to complete all 5 mazes, with waiting in line.

Mazes: The Bunker, Slaughterhouse, Pumpkin Witch, Fallout, Plague.

Tickets range from $24.99 to $32.99, depending on the date. Fast Pass is an additional $10.

Pros:

• No need to buy Fast Pass, being multiple mazes, the wait in line is manageable.
• Carnival games, food vendors, benches and a mini escape room make for the added benefit of hanging out before, in between mazes and after. This makes it a fuller night.
• There was less use of chainsaws in confined areas this year.
• The strobe lights in Slaughterhouse were not directly in your eyes this year.
• Smoke free zone, Vaping was also barred.

Cons:

• Metal detectors, needlessly inducing the wrong type of fear. I wasn't visiting a prison.
• All the games and activities cost, making it a more expensive night than 13th Floor.
• 90% of the attendees (when I was there) were tweens and teens without adult supervision, was like a daycare with kids breaking things, leaving trash everywhere and cutting in line.
• Nickel and diming, with "VIP" paid parking. There is no part of the lot so far from the entrance that paying $5 to park is an added value.
• No hayride (it was the best part), from the looks of the line (and myself not having added the corn maze) they have to have lost money this year compared to the hayride.
• Dust, dust and more dust.
• Seemed short on scare actors, many rooms were empty, many hiding spots in the fields vacant.
• No jump scares, there are very few hidden surprises. Most of the mazes are simply people in costume in the rooms basically being part of the scene and yelling things.
• Uneven ground throughout, watch your footing.
• Runs the risk of being rained out like last year.

Overall I love Haunted Houses, even bad ones, but if you ask me which is scarier, which is more worth the money, go to 13th Floor!