Community Highlights: Meet Matt Mason of Fear Frontier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Mason.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I create ghost tours, and spooky media, and get to be surrounded by everything and everyone I love. The tours I have created, are now the highest rated in the state. My story is one of always trying to strive for happiness above all else. It may seem ironic that my happiness often comes in the form of things that seem frightening to others, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, and with it, come unique rewards. A young child version of me would probably not be able to withhold their excitement if they knew where the adult version of me would wind up. I have created, and am still creating, a world of all the things I love, and taking people I love along for the ride. As a child, at the top of any list of things I loved, Horror and anything and everything spooky, would always top the list. I loved horror movies, from all eras. As a very young kid, I would already be passionate about horror movies that were current, as well as horror films dating all the way back to the silent era. I loved reading horror books, playing scary video games, and desired to create my own of all the above. Above all else though, the written and spoken words that created horror was what I was drawn to. The “story” that was the foundation of all frightening tales, was the paint that created the memorable image on the canvas. So, how exciting for me, that my life has lead to me telling scary stories for a living, and along with it, I have met incredible people, and have used the scary, macabre, and foreboding, to create a life of warmth, happiness, and relationships. I took a less traveled path, and found ways to create my own, as well. I took risks and went against expectation, to chase the dream of being happy in life, regardless of consequence. While the ride is not always easy of course, I believe I am so fortunate, and must be doing something right. I created a business called Fear Frontier that has proven very well liked and successful. With Fear Frontier, I am able to run a successful ghost tour, and am just on the cusp of opening a second one. I create and work with people involved in paranormal and horror media, and feel I have created an outlet for lovers of the same, as well as people that feel like outcasts to have a very welcoming place to go. So my story, which is of course still on going, is the story of someone who partook in things that I did not want to do, in order to find the opportunity to do what I did want to do. And when those opportunities arose, I risked a great deal, leaping from the safety of conventional, trying to land on my feet in the abnormal, and so far, happy landing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In many ways, yes, and in some ways, of course not. I have always been someone though, who can find ways over hurdles that life presents, and if I fail, I seem to fail forward, and do not let discouragement, even if over whelming, prevent me form trying again. Some of the struggles that I have faced were first and foremost, trying to create the job and life I wanted, even if there didn’t seem to be a place for it. I took a job as a tour guide in an already established location with “haunt history” in order to try and someday create a brand new tour attraction that covered the more ghostly tales of the area. There was no evidence that you even could create new attractions in this location, especially for a new hire, but if there was a way, I would find it, and I did. I gave up a secure job during the pandemic, to create a brand new business, using the misfortunes of the pandemic as coal to fuel the engine behind this business. I was called crazy, I was called foolish, but I knew my ideas would work. I understood the risk, but more importantly, I understood the assignment, and did not let doubters stop me. And now, no one is calling me crazy. The same people that doubted me, now give me their business. This isn’t about pride or vengeance though, but more about how it is important to push yourself forward instead of standing still and forever wondering what may have been.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The name Fear Frontier is inspired by the idea of venturing into plains that are frightening, and of course provoke fear. Not fear in an negative way though, but in an adventurous way. On the surface, Fear Frontier is a business that focuses on providing and entertaining the curious, with stories of the darker side of history. Very few ways to do that are better than providing a ghost tour that guests can arrive at and hear such things spoken in person. In an old 1890s mining town, known as Goldfield Ghost Town, which is an already, very well, established attraction, Fear Frontier presents a ghost tour, called The Goldfield Ghost Tour, that is all about the history of those who, kinda like me, risked everything in search of both fortune and opportunity. But they chose to do so, in a desert that is known to be cursed, where maybe 100s or more have lost their lives over the years. Located at the foot of the Superstition Mountain, the town and the desert around it, or known to be cursed by the Apache Tribes that lived there before Goldfield’s residents, and is said to be haunted, by the souls who are never allowed to leave the grounds. I myself, romanticize about such lore, and the terrifying thought of souls accumulating every step of where I work. So much so, that Fear Frontier is opening a second tour this October that speaks more about the woman who lived in the town, and hardships that they too would have faced. The new tour called The Spirits of the Bordello, will even take place in a Victorian looking brothel house, and also tie into the Spiritualism era of the Victorian which was still very active while Goldfield was a booming gold mining town. Fear Frontier is also no stranger to our own paranormal investigations, and even creating our films, and other creative endeavors, when we get the chance. We are teachers of frightening subjects, but when we speak, you would be challenged not to find an ear that is listening.

We are told that our tour experience is very unique when compared to others. We provide a theatrical presence, an immersive atmosphere, and have had people tell us they experience more unexplainable phenomena with us, and on our tours, then anywhere else they have ever been. We also have more than one guide per tour, and you never know who it will be that tells the next story. I do think though, that at its roots, what makes Fear Frontier so special, is our passion, and that we truly do care about every single person that comes out to see us. We love sharing with them, as much as we love hearing from them, and every time we see them smile and know they are enjoying themselves, it means the world to us.

Our new upcoming tour will also be a ghost tour that is held in the daytime, and indoors. This is very rare for Arizona, if it has ever happened at all. There will be multiple tours throughout the day that you can purchase on site, allowing more guests than your average ghost tour to be able to come and visit and get an experience.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I am also a music lover, and Phoenix is no stranger to bands from all different genres coming and playing for our city, so my favorite thing about the city, may have to be the number of shows that come through. Especially since I am a huge fan of heavy metal, and metal bands do love their stops in Phoenix. My least favorite thing about the city? Probably having to drive through it. Phoenix can be a bit nerve wracking to drive in, but that has never stopped me from enjoying it.

Pricing:

• Goldfield Ghost Tour Tickets for Adults are $35
• Spirits of the Bordello Ghost Tour Tickets for Adults are $13
• There are discounts for both tours for both Seinors and kids under 12

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.FearFrontier.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearfrontier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FearFrontierLLC
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FearFrontierOFFICIAL

Image Credits
Ruby Rose, and Chloe Smalley