Fear Factory is The First Haunted House in The World To Open During COVID19

Now that its summertime, people all over the world are anxious to get out of their homes and enjoy a fun outdoor activity. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, theme parks, concerts, festivals, and fairs are all canceled or delayed. Thankfully, we are beginning to see theme park announcements for reopening dates. What about Haunted Attractions? Well, good news! A haunt will actually be opening sooner than you think! Fear Factory has been cleared to open this weekend!

On May 29-30, 2020 the Fear Factory, a haunted attraction in Salt Lake City Utah, with over six buildings of fear and terror, will open safely and cautiously, for its annual Halfway to Halloween event — and is the first haunted house attraction in the world to open during COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re excited to be able to open for our annual Halfway to Halloween event and to start the process of getting back to normal,” said Rob Dunfield, Fear Factory Founder and COO. “The health and well-being of our guests is our top priority and we’re taking every precaution to ensure that attendees will have fun in a safe and secure environment.”

The Fear Factory has implemented a number of safety precautions for Halfway to Halloween, including:

• Mandatory social distancing of 6-8 feet while waiting in outdoor lines.
• Additional hand sanitizing stations throughout the haunt.
• All Fear Factory staff will be wearing masks, as required by the Salt Lake County Health
  Department.
• Temperatures of the Fear Factory’s entire staff will be taken prior to entering the property. Any
  staff member with a temperature over 100°F will be sent home and advised to seek medical advice.
• Concessions and rides will NOT be open.
• The Fear Factory will have dedicated staff to regularly disinfect high touch surfaces such as hand
  rails and restrooms during the event.
• High risk individuals may enter the property during the first 15 minutes of opening time.
• The Touch of Fear add on option will NOT be available.

Although masks are not required to enter, it is highly recommended that all attendees wear their own masks. Gloves are encouraged and will be provided on-site while visiting Fear Factory.

A 30+ page Contingency and Safety Plan has been developed and will be used during Halfway to Halloween and throughout the 2020 Halloween season. The protection, contingency and safety plan was created in conjunction with the World Health Organization guidelines and federal, state and local government recommendations for operating a public venue in our new Covid-19 world. Additionally, close conversations with the local health department, and a third party health professional inspector added additional security and safety measures. The Fear Factory has shared this safety plan with other haunts, amusement parks, and active entertainment centers around the country and many are planning to use this a guide while creating their own plans for opening.

Below is some of the new signage in place for guests visiting the Fear Factory.

Signage isn’t the only way Fear Factory is reminding attendees to distance themselves from one another. As shown in the image below, queue line areas have been marked for safe 6’-8’ distances to keep EXTRA spacing.

“We’ve spent a tremendous amount of resources to develop and execute these guidelines and are confident that the investment will ensure our guests enjoy a safe experience during Halfway to Halloween and throughout our 2020 Halloween season,” continued Dunfield. “We know we’ll have a lot of people watching this event and are happy to lead out and provide other haunts, amusement parks, and entertainment venues with a template of how to run a successful and secure event during this Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Fear Factory has everything in place and has gone above and beyond for everyone’s safety. General Manager, Spencer Terry explains in the video below what guests can expect when they arrive.

In addition to its annual Halfway to Halloween event, in August, the Fear Factory will sponsor the 11th annual Zombie Walk in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Their 2020 season will open in September 2020.

The Fear Factory is located on 2.5 acres in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah featuring a post-apocalyptic setting with underground tunnels, towers, mazes and over six buildings, some up to six stories high, in a massive abandoned cement factory.

Tickets to Halfway to Halloween are available immediately on the Fear Factory website and will be sold in timed ticketing time-slots to ensure safe physical distancing. The following ticketing guidelines and procedures are in place:

• Once you arrive at the front street gate entrance, you’ll be greeted by Ticketing Staff, who will guide you to
  the appropriate place, based on your time frame. Please do not arrive earlier than 5 minutes before your timeslot.
• If you’re more than 10 minutes late for your time-slot, you’ll be added to the standby line. We’ll do what we can
  to get you in, however please keep in mind that Fear Factory may not be able to accommodate you when you
  arrive late.
• Waivers are still required to enter our attraction due to our size. Each year, everyone is required to sign the
  updated version of the waiver.
• No walk-up guests will be admitted. All tickets must be pre-purchased in advance, online, to ensure
  contactless payment methods.

For more information, including a complete list of events and the 2020 haunt schedule, visit their official Fear Factory website by clicking here.

With the precautions mentioned, do you feel safe enough to attend Fear Factory’s Halfway to Halloween event? Let us know on our socials!

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