The Darkside of the Abbey is one of two incredible haunted houses located in Cañon City, CO. The Darkside haunt is located on the grounds of the Abbey Events Complex which used to be a Monastery. Built by Benedictine Monks the Monastery housed the Abbey Boy’s school, Holy Cross College and a Seminary. So, it is only fitting that it is now the sight where the Venture Scouts, a branch of the Boy Scouts for older kids ages 14-21, host their fundraising haunted house! This haunt features two attractions, a blackout maze called “Disturbance at the Monastery” and the main haunt “Darkside of the Abbey.” The proceeds for this year are going to help the Scouts achieve their goal of going on a cruise!
We decided to try our luck in the blackout maze first. Last year, the maze was one of the highlights of our season, and this year the maze was even better!!! I mean, what is more fun than climbing into a dark hole and literally sliding into a haunted attraction?! After being told the rules and tips and tricks for making it through the maze, we headed into the darkness. And boy is it dark! The maze starts out pitch black and you can’t even see your own hand in front of your face. But, then a light flashes suddenly and you get a glimpse of a door! Alas, when the light is gone the blackness seems even darker than before and the door is impossible to find. Feeling our way around we came across ghouls who seemed to be blocking the path, holding shut doors, and intentionally keeping us lost. All the while that teasing light kept blinding us and illuminating our path all the same time. After crawling and climbing and stumbling our way through we finally made it out into the open!
On to the main event! And oh wow was it a showstopper!! An absolutely incredible haunt! They just don’t make haunts like this anymore and it is a real treat for us to get to experience the true thrills that a well designed classic haunt can give. The Darkside has it ALL!! Great actors, fantastic sets, terrifying scares, obstacles and twists and turns and surprises, oh my! They get you right from the beginning too. As soon as that door opened we got a jump scare, then it was on to our first obstacle even though we had no idea it would be an obstacle until it was too late! One of the most fun scenes we experienced all season! As you continue through the house the scares just get better and better. There are holes to climb down into, ghouls on stilts popping up out of nowhere, secret passageways and stairways. It really is quite the workout making it through there. If you are a tall person, be prepared to duck, a lot! We can not say enough awesome things about how well done this haunt truly is. We even brought along a special guest, the owner of one of the best haunts in Colorado for many years, and he gave Darkside of the Abbey two thumbs up for creativity, execution, and scares!
Entrance to Darkside of the Abbey 
This picture is not upside down, everything in this room was upside down, it made for a very surreal effect.
We had a total blast in Canon City this weekend and it was the perfect ending to another fantastic haunt season! We’re already looking forward to another season of incredible scares. For more information on ticketing and hours for Halloween weekend check the link below. Happy Haunting!
2951 US-50, Cañon City, CO 81212
Hauntaholics 