Fear PDX

Fear PDX
Logo
Entrance to the attraction, 2026
StatusActive
FrequencyAnnually
Locations12219 Northeast Glisan Street, Portland, Oregon
Coordinates45°31′41″N 122°32′11″W / 45.5281°N 122.5365°W / 45.5281; -122.5365
CountryUnited States
Years active14–15
Inaugurated2011 (2011)
FounderBrian Mudgett
Websitefearpdx.com

The Fear PDX Haunted House Screampark, also known as simply Fear PDX, The Fear PDX, and "The Fear", is an annual haunted attraction in Portland, Oregon, United States. The event originated in Vancouver, Washington in 2011, and was known as Confront Your Fears, until 2014.

Fear PDX relocated to Portland in 2015. It primarily focuses on the Halloween season but has also hosted activities for Valentine's Day in February and Christmas in December, with vampire and Krampus-themed attractions, respectively.

Description

Fear PDX is an annual haunted attraction in Portland, Oregon, operating during the Halloween season. Located in the Menlo Park Plaza shopping center in the northeast Portland part of the Hazelwood neighborhood, the attraction bills itself as "Portland's scariest haunted house" and the city's largest Halloween event. According to Portland Monthly, Fear PDX targets "more hardcore haunt-seekers" and "organizers warn those with heart conditions or high blood pressure". It has been described as the city's largest Halloween festival. Attractions feature actors and animatronics. Participants can wear costumes.

History

Brian Mudgett is a creator. The event originated in Vancouver, Washington. Mudgett owned Fear PDX with his father Mike, as of 2012–2014. Plaid Pantry has sponsored the event.

2010s

The first four Halloween events were held at Vancouver Plaza. The original haunted house in 2011 was called "Mayan Apocalypse". The 2012 and 2013 events had three and four haunted houses, respectively. The two new attractions in 2012 were called "Circus Insane 3D" and "Morbid Nightmares". In 2014, the event's name was changed from Confront Your Fears to The Fear PDX. It had three haunted attractions: a voodoo temple-themed maze ("The Cursed"), the zombie apocalypse-themed "The Outbreak", and "The Slaughter", which had a family of cannibals.

The event relocated to Portland in 2015. The "Fear PDX Haunted House Screampark" had five attractions: "Blood Moon", "Factory of the Undead", "Festival of Freaks", "The Condemned", and "The Harvest". In 2016, the experience had five haunted houses with approximately 100 monsters, as well as special effects, lights, props, and sounds. The haunted houses were called "Carnage", "Factory of the Undead", "The Condemned", "The Cursed", and "The Harvest". The 2017 event was called "Fear PDX Haunted House Scream Park". It had a lot with food trucks and actors portraying "chainsaw-wielding maniacs". The six haunted attractions were called "Carnage", "The Condemned", "The Decayed", "The Harvest", "The Pit", and "The Slaughter". Fear PDX moved to a new location and had four attractions in 2018. For Valentine's Day in 2019, Fear PDX hosted "Love Bites", described as a Valentine's-themed haunted house with vampires. The five attractions in October 2019 were an apocalyptic city ("Dead City"), a carnival ("Dark Carnival"), "The Doll Factory", "The Mansion", and the new "Nightmares Extreme Haunt".

2020s

Exterior of Fear PDX in 2026

Fear PDX hosted the haunted house "Love Bites" again in February 2020. In October, following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fear PDX operated at 30 percent of their normal attendance to follow social distancing requirements. The event also relied more heavily on animatronics over actors. The swamp-themed area had a fog machine, green lasers, and a robotic clown that dropped from a ceiling. There were five attractions in 2021: an abandoned factory ("Factory 13"), a haunted hotel ("Kill Floor"), the evil clown-themed "Blood House", the "Layers of Darkness", and the "Midway of Fear", which had food and drink options, a gift shop, and opportunities to take photographs. Face masks and temperature checks were required for all guests and staff to comply with guidelines during the pandemic. For social distancing purposes, guests were timed to experience attractions in private groups via a ticketing system.

Among the eight attractions in 2022 were the "Midway of Fear", "Radioactive Rampage", and "The Harvest". There were eleven attractions in 2023, including "Don't Split Up", an escape room, "Smiley's Fun House", the farm-themed "The Harvest", and "The Mansion". According to The Oregonian, Fear PDX used the following disclaimer in 2024: "For your safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, extreme phobias, or any other medical or physical conditions that could be aggravated by a high thrill adventure."

The 2025 event had five attractions, including an asylum-themed attraction called "Tormented", escape rooms, a funhouse with clowns, a mansion, and a pumpkin farm filled with "toxic waste". Fear PDX also hosted a Krampus-themed attraction called "Krampus Holiday Haunted House" in December 2025. The 2026 event has thirteen attractions, including the new "mini-haunt" called "The Oni".

Reception

Fear PDX has been deemed "iconic" (platinum status) by the Haunted Attraction Association. In 2017, Lyndsey Hewitt of the Hillsboro News Times said the event "doesn't disappoint" and wrote, "You're immediately subjected to near-torturous levels of scare tactics, while everything is seemingly going 1,000 mph. Add smoke, strobe lights, and blasting metal and dubstep music, and you're suddenly in a twisted, industrial-rave-themed horror nightmare." Delaney Rea included Fear PDX in the Daily Emerald's 2017 list of Oregon's top ten haunted houses, writing, "these attractions are definitely nailing the more hardcore-scare vibe, if that's the kind of spook you're dying for". KOIN ranked Fear PDX second in a 2023 list of the Portland metropolitan area's top haunted houses, according to Yelp. In 2026, the magazine PDX Parent recommended Feat PDX for "teens who consider screaming part of the fun".

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Street of Screams: WW's Haunted House Hunting Guide". Willamette Week. 2023-09-06. Archived from the original on 2025-03-24. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  2. ↑ Swindler, Samantha (2023-12-06). "How Portland's Krampus parade celebrates the naughty side of Christmas". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  3. 1 2 Harlan, Kohr (October 22, 2020). "Fear PDX ready to scare this Halloween season". KOIN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ Lynn, Stacey (October 12, 2023). "K103 Things To Do This Halloween". KKCW. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Best Portland-Area Haunted Houses to Visit for Halloween". Portland Monthly. October 2, 2025. ISSN 1546-2765. Archived from the original on 2025-09-22. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  6. ↑ Haas, Elise (October 31, 2019). "What to do on Halloween in Portland". KOIN. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ Meyers, Rebecca. "Nearby haunted houses inspired by Halloween". The Western Howl. Western Oregon University. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  8. 1 2 3 Concannon, Sophie (2019-10-28). "Weird haunted houses for a weird city". Portland State Vanguard. Portland State University. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  9. ↑ "Fear PDX haunts east Portland this Halloween". KOIN. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  10. ↑ Stein, Rosemarie (2023-10-02). "From gourds to ghouls: Portland area Halloween haunts and other seasonal events for 2023". The Oregonian. ISSN 8750-1317. OCLC 9278915. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  11. 1 2 Ogle, Wesleigh (2016-10-18). "The Fear PDX". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  12. 1 2 Ogle, Wesleigh (2021-10-20). "The Fear PDX celebrates 10 years". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  13. ↑ Rogers, Ethan M. (2024-10-01). "Oregon City to welcome Shock on 13 Halloween event in October". Lake Oswego Review. Carpenter Media Group. ISSN 0889-2369. OCLC 13819679. Retrieved 2026-10-11. This venture between Mudgett and Zamani is separate from Fear PDX, which Mudgett founded.
  14. 1 2 3 Hewitt, Lyndsey (2017-10-23). "Say 'boo!' to your favorite haunts". Hillsboro News Times. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  15. 1 2 "Meet Your Neighbors: Confront Your Fears Haunted Houses". Vancouver Business Journal. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  16. 1 2 "In Vancouver, The Fear PDX serves Halloween haunts three ways (photos)". The Oregonian. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  17. ↑ "Events, Monday, Oct. 27: Camas High School Choir, Fear PDX". The Columbian. 2026-10-10. ISSN 1043-4151. OCLC 15644994. Retrieved 2026-10-11. This is Mudgett's fourth year running the Vancouver complex of haunts.
  18. ↑ Vorenberg, Sue (October 17, 2013). "Ghastly, gory ghosts — and goofballs". The Columbian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  19. 1 2 Vorenberg, Sue (October 18, 2012). "Haunted house honcho piles on the scares". The Columbian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  20. 1 2 Vorenberg, Sue (October 16, 2014). "New name, same scary vibe at haunted houses". The Columbian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  21. ↑ Yao Long, Stephanie (2015-10-22). "The Fear PDX will have you screaming (photos/video)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  22. 1 2 "Top 10 Haunted Houses in Oregon". Daily Emerald. Emerald Media Group. 2017-10-11. OCLC 704987467. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  23. ↑ Ogle, Wesleigh (2017-10-25). "Looking for something frightening? The Fear PDX will leave you feeling haunted". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  24. ↑ Ogle, Wesleigh (2017-10-30). "Things 2 Do: October 27 - 29". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  25. ↑ "Get creeped out at the new Fear PDX location". KGW.
  26. ↑ "Love Bites" (2019):
  27. ↑ Sheldon, Corey (2019-10-22). "2019 Portland Halloween guide: Corn mazes, haunted houses, festivals and more". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  28. ↑ Ogle, Wesleigh (2019-11-01). "Things 2 Do: Nov. 1, 2019 - Nov. 3, 2019". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  29. ↑ Ogle, Wesleigh (2020-02-14). "Things 2 Do: Feb. 14-16, 2020". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  30. ↑ Stein, Rosemarie (September 24, 2021). "Halloween 2021 in Oregon: More thrills, chills and in-person events". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  31. ↑ Anderson, Zuri (October 21, 2021). "The Fear PDX Celebrates 10 Years Of Scaring Portlanders". iHeartRadio. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  32. ↑ "Go to these Portland haunted houses for a scary good time". KOIN. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  33. ↑ Ogle, Wesleigh (2023-10-13). "Things 2 Do: October 13-15". KATU. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  34. 1 2 "LIST: Top haunted houses near Portland, according to Yelp". KOIN. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  35. ↑ Stein, Rosemarie (2024-09-24). "Ready for thrills and chills? Check out our list of 2024 Halloween fun around the Portland area". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  36. ↑ "WATCH: KOIN team braves 'The Fear PDX Haunted House'". KOIN. Archived from the original on 2025-10-22. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  37. ↑ Smith, Jackson (2025-10-21). "Portland's 'Fear PDX' creates a thunderstorm of terror". Clackamas Print. Clackamas Community College. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  38. ↑ Nakamura, Beth (2025-12-05). "Annual Krampus Lauf parade combines naughty with whimsy to create Christmas spectacle in Southeast Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  39. 1 2 "Portland Haunted Houses for Every Scare Level in 2026". PDX Parent. Archived from the original on 2026-02-11. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  40. ↑ Lynn, Stacey. "Stacey & Mike's K103 Things To Do In Portland This Spooky Season". KKCW. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  41. ↑ "The Haunted Attraction Association". Haunted Attraction Association. Archived from the original on 2026-09-23. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

External media