This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Permits in hand, Salt Lake City's newest haunted attraction opened for business on Tuesday.
Fear Factory, built inside an old cement factory at 666 W. 900 South, completed work on all the safety and fire-prevention upgrades on the building, which dates to the 1930s.
"We're good to go," said spokesman Trent Falcone. "Everyone is happy to have this over with."
After purchasing the property in December, the new owners worked until August cleaning out tons of debris and evicting squatters. Since August, work has been under way to create a haunted house and get the attraction up to city fire codes.
With that approval, Fear Factory may have exorcised its remaining demons. Except, perhaps, for a few ghosts, which paranormal investigators claim they detected earlier this year.
Before the 1930 factory, a previous cement factory existed on the site, dating back to the late 19th-century. According to newspaper reports of the era, a number of workers died on the property, dying by electrocution or by being crushed to death. One man's arm was torn from his body in an industrial accident.
Earlier this year, paranormal investigators asked the factory's new owners for permission to set up experiments with video cameras on the site. While the owners remain skeptical, they're also not ruling out the idea that there might be ghosts hanging around the property.
After seeing the investigators' videos, co-owner Rob Dunfield said he felt less skeptical about the idea of hauntings.
Attraction spokesman Kannon Knaphus explained what happened to him when the paranormal investigators asked him to walk down a tunnel in the old factory. "Every hair on my body stood straight up," Knaphus said. "It was like I was in some kind of static electricity vortex or something. It was just an odd, odd feeling that I've never felt before. So who knows? I think there's something to it."
Because of its late start, Fear Factory plans to remain open past Halloween, into November and for special events throughout the year.
Fear Factory
Where • 666 W. 900 South, Salt Lake City
When • 7-11 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 7 p.m.-midnight, Friday and Saturday
Tickets • $25 admission; $35 front-of-the-line passes
Info • For more information, visit fearfactoryslc.com.