FORT WORTH, Texas — Spooky season is in full swing, and North Texas is getting some chilling recognition. Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth has been named the scariest haunted house in the world by Hauntworld.com, adding to its already fearsome reputation and decades-long legacy of frights.
The multi-level haunted attraction, which has been terrifying guests for over 30 years, already holds several Guinness World Records, including the title of the world’s largest walk-through haunted house. Visitors can expect to spend nearly an hour navigating dark corridors filled with monsters, ghouls and elaborate horror scenes.
Actors and staff say the production’s success comes from its immersive and cinematic approach.
“Actors, in here, giving everything they got and more,” said Demetrius Parmer, an actor and trainer at Cutting Edge.
“It’s, it’s a big production. Think of anything as far as theatre-wise,” said Sophia McReynolds, the attraction’s cast manager.
There are roughly 200 cast and crew members each night making this ghoulish haunted house come to life.
McReynolds said the operation runs like a full-scale stage production. They run through makeup, animatronics and safety checks before every performance.
Parmer said the key to the experience is its realism and the performers’ commitment to creating fear through physical acting rather than shouting.
“Yeah, we don’t vocalize at all — no talking. ‘What’s the significance of doing that?’ Um, you think of Jason, you think of Mike Myers, you think of some of those real top serial killers…they never spoke.”
The finale of the walkthrough offers a wet and wild “bubble tunnel,” which can be a relief after surviving the scares.
“It takes a lot to be a part of the number one haunted house in the world,” Parmer added.