Considering how popular haunted attractions have become in metro Denver, we decided to help readers with insider information.

The Denver Gazette sent three journalists to some of the area’s most popular haunted houses: The Frightmare Compound in Westminster, The 13th Floor in Denver and The Ritual in Englewood.

Here’s their first-hand experiences.

Dennis Huspeni — The Frightmare Compound

My daughter Elese and I have always enjoyed the scarier side of life, from horror movies to haunted houses. We often went alone together, as my wife Clare and oldest daughter Brittany are not fans.

She’s an adult now, and her significant other is also no fan of haunted houses. Elese heard about The Frightmare Compound in Westminster — arguably the oldest haunted house in the Denver area at 40 years and running — from a podcast. So off we went.

While I always led the way when Elese was younger, this time she led the way as I was a tad gimpy with a turf-toe type injury and I needed her to help me spot floor obstacles. The wait was about 30 minutes, but there were interesting things lining the wooden wait corrals like mock front pages of the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News (closed in 2009) with stories laying out the back story. The storyline has it that the U.S. government used the compound to conduct experiments on dead animals and humans — hence the Frankenstein-themed props of mutilated bodies.

I pride myself on not getting jump scared, but the character actors got me bad two times — once bad enough to cause me to jump and grab Elese’s back. The makeup and costumes were high quality, as were the eerie and un-human sounds by many of the scare actors.

There were water features in a couple of the jungle and forest-type areas, which are unusual for haunted attractions.

Scare actors lured you into a scary old fridge, an oven and a vintage camper that harbored a creepy scene, indeed.

Outdoor scenes included the rusted hulk of an old truck with a tree growing through it, a downed small airplane (we found out later that plane was real) and a graveyard that included real headstones — no fake foam figures here.

The scene inside a mock chapel was scarily accurate to a real church, but with a macabre twist of live and fake figures in the pews and on the altar.

Visitors wind through a too-tight-for-me cave tunnel that reminded me a lot of Black Bart’s cave at Casa Bonita. The floor after this turned squishy, and it felt like we were wading through quicksand. Another floor feature further along moved sections forwards and back, and other sections side-to-side – testing your balance.

One of our favorite sections included a live scare actor mocked up much like actress Linda Blair in “The Exorcist.” As customers get closer, she appears to rise in the bed thanks to a mechanical lift — truly an unsettling scene straight from one of the greatest horror films of all.

We entered an open area with tall wooden poles, chain saws stuck in the top of most.

“Foreshadowing dad! Watch out.”

Sure enough, scare monster with chain saw pops out and chases us through the maze. The actors never touch, but they’re close enough to bring the creep!

We both really appreciated the careful timing with which visitors are sent through — far enough so each group gets their own scares and it’s not like one big group going through together.

The experience, which took about 10-15 minutes, finished with a walk through the Monster Museum. Owners kept the monsters over the years as they were replaced with new ones, and it was cool looking at the vintage beasts.

We both gave The Frightmare Compound a two severed thumbs up rating.

Nicole C. Brambila — 13th Floor

I’m a scaredy cat, so, I surprised my friends when I suggested visiting the 13th Floor.

And, no, I did not visit during the “monster-free” hour.

But I should have.

I didn’t know that the 13th Floor is “one the scariest haunted houses in the country” as the company’s advertising claims. I haven’t been to many — but it definitely frightened me.

The 13th Floor haunted house in north Denver opened last month for the 16th year. It’s one of the longest running, and most popular, haunted house attractions in metro Denver. It’s been delivering screams since 2008.

“This year, 13th Floor Denver is showcasing plenty of new additions and updates, from the route to the themes, we think everyone is going to be very excited and we can’t wait to share everything the team has been working on,” Chris Stafford, CEO at Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, said in a statement.

The props were so realistic that my stomach churned.

But what scared me the most — except for the claustrophobia bags in the simulated marsh that left me panicked and grasping for my friend, Josie Valko’s hand — was me.

I dreaded every corner of the haunts, fearful that a scare actor was going to jump out of the darkness and give me a fright.

The scare actors were worst.

My group of friends and I had the misfortune of standing in line in front of a group of jittery teen girls who squealed at every bump and boo, which is a ghoulish allure for scare actors. While the actors don’t touch, they do come uncomfortably close.

Although teens were more than a little annoying, I did learn something invaluable: How I react determines whether I’ll be a fright target.

“We teach the scare actors to read the customers,” said Duty Salas, a performance manager for the 13th Floor.

After spending hours in line — in two separate lines for both haunted houses — I recommend the fast pass.

Noah Festenstein — The Ritual

Normally, you’ll find me on a roller coaster and not inside a haunted house.

However, The Ritual Haunted House in Englewood made me think differently of why a good scare once in a while might be good for me.

I walked out of the 15-20 minute experience at The Ritual feeling a unique rush of adrenaline. The experience can best be described as frisson: terrifying chills with that mix of excitement and mystery.

Just be sure to bring something to sacrifice, because my girlfriend, Olivia, and I, did not during our recent visit. Well, I was able to provide a slip of paper from my pocket. And Olivia did, as well. Thankfully, we survived.

Whether that be any item in your pocket, an expired gift card or perhaps a tip — merchants of The Ritual will insist.

The Ritual tells a story of sacrifice and a dark journey. Throughout the dark, flashing hallways and rooms of ceremony, you will be followed. You won’t be touched, but you will be stalked and preyed upon as sacrifices of the ritual.

Personally, walking into The Ritual flashed me back to a nostalgic moment of when my 6-year-old self bailed, last-second, on The Haunted Mansion at Disney World.

This time, I was strong.

The experience begins inside a rickety shack. A blue light will turn on, and your group is escorted into the back of the shack, where you meet your first monster.

Visitors are asked to take part in a ritual ceremony. The dark, mysterious hallways lead into rooms of the ritual, where the monsters and ghouls are waiting. Perhaps the scariest portion of The Ritual is a room called “the swamp.” There, you must cross the other side to reach the final portion of the ceremony.

As a tip, listen to the stories of The Ritual merchants escorting you through the house. Engage with them respectfully to get the best out of their dialogue. These scare actors don’t follow a script but, rather, maintain creativity and provide consistency in telling the story.

Along the way, we met Bill Nye the Intesti and Bruce, the giant crocodile.

Owned by Dave and Brittani Allen, The Ritual offers a unique, family-created haunted house experience with unique lighting, fog effects, sounds and detailed home-made props.

The best way to experience The Ritual is to come in with an open mind. Whatever time you have to wait in line, it’s worth it. Come at 6:50 p.m. for the shorter lines. Bring a jacket, the lines are all outside and can reach up to two hours.

The Ritual was, indeed, a personal ritual to motivate me to visit more scary attractions and be more brave. Happy Halloween, Denver.

Noah Festenstein covers Douglas County for The Denver Gazette; Nicole Brambila covers Denver Public Schools, health and immigration; Dennis Huspeni is the City Editor.