Las Vegas Weekly

October 19, 2009 · 6:30 AM

Halloween’s horrifying fright festivals run amok in Las Vegas

By Robin Leach

Magician Jan Rouven is impaled on the Drill of Death.

Photo: Preferred PR

Holy horrors! The haunted houses of Las Vegas are filled with bone-shaking ghouls, goblins, gremlins and other wicked creatures of the night who dwell in darkness. Yes, it’s Halloween again, and a slew of gruesome attractions are providing blood-curdling and bone-chilling adventures.

At New York New York, the haunted houses of Zombie Precinct have taken over the Brooklyn Bridge. Last year, this was the star attraction, with everybody from Criss Angel, Jonas Brothers, Frank Marino and Holly Madison taking the tour. The gruesome attraction is thematically tied to New York New York: Fright-seekers will play official investigators to solve the terrifying mystery of a cursed prison where inmate No. 13 turned other prisoners and guards into zombies with a bolt of lighting as he was executed in an electric chair.

Photo: Larry Burton Photography

Fright Fest at the Fremont Street Experience.

Oktoberfest and Halloween celebrations have been combined on Fremont Street Experience, and, in addition to the haunted house attraction inside Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel, a Viva Vision light and sound show has been themed to “Time Warp” and “Monster Mash.” European shock illusionist Jan Rouven performs his signature hand stab trick, plus his death-defying magic with him wound up impaled on a giant screw.

Photo: Larry Burton Photography

Fright Fest at the Fremont Street Experience.

At Fright Dome this year, the haunted houses have been created from themes inspired by the Saw films (Saw VI is in theaters this Friday), and even the movie executives screamed as they toured the spooky spectacular. As Vegas DeLuxe reported earlier, this is now the home through Halloween of The Lizardman, who in addition to sporting horns embedded from his forehead and a surgically split tongue, is covered in tattoos on over 95 percent of his body. Our favorite shock magician Amazing Johnathan took a party of friends through the halls of horror and chatted with Lizardman afterward.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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