Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

USS Nightmare: Newport, KY

Hank
As a seasoned haunt enthusiast with almost 20 years of reviewing experience, I love coming back to the USS Nightmare for a truly unique thrill! With such a unique venue and location, the setting is second to none. The old boat gives you chills before you even step aboard. USS Nightmare gives you a much longer than average experience. The length of the haunt is outstanding, but they don’t sacrifice quality in being one of the longest haunts I have toured. Each section of the boat is perfectly dark, creepy, and full of scares around each turn. The professionalism of the actors, costumes, and makeup always impress me. The USS Nightmare is a perfect blend of live actors, props, and lighting. What USS Nightmare gets right where so many other haunts fail is they build you up to each scare. You have many dark areas where you can barely see, and can either hear or see outlines of someone stalking you, but you aren’t quite sure where or when they will come out. They build the suspense extremely well, and really make you experience the fear of the unknown. USS Nightmare has continued to maintain its place as one of the premiere haunted attractions, and I would definitely recommend making a stop there during the 2014 haunt season!

Frightmaster
This is one of our favorite haunts in the tristate and continues to impress with new scares each year. We visited the USS Nightmare on a dark, foggy Wednesday evening and that mixed with the spectral image of the derelict boat sitting by the edge of the riverbank gave me chills before I even approached the ramp. The rain drizzled down and the creepy music played from the boat as we interviewed Allen Rizzo, General Manager of the USS Nightmare, about changes to this season’s haunt.

Next it was time to enter the boat. Strange ghouls stalked our every move and beckoned us to “go visit the Captain” so we had no choice but to comply. Once inside the boat, we were greeted by a seemingly normal individual who spoke a little about the boat and cautioned us against touching “his things” and then surprised us with a **** (can’t spoil it!) before we moved on.

We wound our way around many, many (SO many!) different areas with both actors and animatronics meant to startle, surprise and scare us . The blend of actors and animatronics seemed to work very well this year as it added confusion as to who/what was real and what was robotic.

There were a few new areas, some additional “dark areas” that were very disorienting and creepy, and the addition of much more fog than I remember in the past.

All in all, I have to say that I think this years USS Nightmare was one of the best versions in many years, if not THE BEST! It was both scary, creepy, unexpected, long, great actors, nice interaction with the reviewers (the doctor in the one experiment scene was great!) and all around very entertaining! I can’t say it enough – if you haven’t been to the USS Nightmare yet – GO! Pick a rainy, foggy night during the week to get the total ambiance, but bring a buddy. This haunt is not to be visited alone!

Overall score: 4.50 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at www.ussnightmare.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor

(2 skulls) – Average

(3 skulls) – Good

(4 skulls) – Excellent

(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Sandyland Acres: Petersburg, KY

Haunted Hayride

Teresa
Delightful hayride. This was a lot of fun. Movie fans will enjoy all the various scenes and props. I loved the Jeepers Creepers scene and the Horseman! Most scenes have characters who get on the wagon and interact with the guests. They are very good at targeting the scaredy-cats!

Frightmaster
Gene and Brenda have outdone themselves this year on the haunted hayride. They added new buildings to the “haunted woods” area, new scenes, new surprises, upped the scare factor at the same time as going “old school” with the new scenes in the barn. All the hard work throughout the year really shows in the detail put into each scene. If you are a horror movie aficionado, you won’t believe the minute details added to the scenes! These people know their classics! Amazing haunt! Outstanding actors, nice length, I can’t recommend this haunt enough! If you haven’t been to it – GO this weekend!

Farmers Revenge

Teresa
This one got me a couple of times with some good jump scares. The actors were fun and the scenes were good. I thought this part was a little creepier than the hayride, simply because you aren’t sitting with a bunch of other people. You are in the dark, finding your own way. I always love it when they’re creative enough to make me jump!

Frightmaster
This year the Farmer’s Revenge was a bit longer than last year but the scare factor was 100% better! I loved the addition of more dark areas, the spinning tunnel and the torture chamber. This haunt has gone from just a sideshow walkthru to being a major haunted house in itself! It’s a must see for everyone who is a true lover of haunted houses! Well done!

Overall

Teresa
This is a fun place to spend an evening. The lines aren’t bad, the scenery is great, and it is fun to watch the characters roaming around among the guests. I loved some of the costumes! And both the hayride and the indoor portion are quite fun. The hayride would be great with older (or braver) kids!

Frightmaster
This is Sandyland Acres’ 9th year of scaring and it really has gotten better each year. This is absolutely one of the Frightmaster’s favorite haunts in the tri-state for a couple of reasons – they have an awesome knowledge of horror and horror movies and a feel for what scares people – really scares them and not just what startles teeny-boppers. They are such creative people in that they build most of their animatronics from scratch – and they are impressive and scary. Their actors are some of the best I have encountered anywhere! Truly frightening and believable – Hollywood caliber! However, the most impressive thing about Sandyland Acres is that they change the haunt every year so you never know what to expect while keeping the same basic theme. If anyone reading this has ever owned a haunt you know how difficult it is to keep the haunt fresh and new and still stick to a specific theme. Gene and Brenda make it look easy. That’s the mark of a true professional.

Great haunt, nice people, worth the drive to the country to see. Excellent job again this year!

Overall score: 4.00 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at www.sandylandacres.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Scream Acres Ct: Covington, KY

Teresa
This one hasn’t been around long, so it doesn’t have all the production of some of the professional haunts out there. It is inexpensive, and even though the lines are long and slow, Beetlejuice was playing to entertain guests and the wait was inside, which is nice for those cold, rainy nights. This one has some very detailed rooms and some of the actors made some seriously creepy noises! There were other parts with very little in the way of decor and actors, but that just means there is plenty of room to grow for next year. If you don’t mind a long wait, you get a variety of scenes for the money.

Frightmaster
To consider the scores on this haunt you must consider that it is only a second year haunt grown from an 18 year old’s imagination and several years of existing as a home haunt. All that considered, it’s not a bad haunt but still has room for improvement. Let’s look at the areas that were impressive first.

The curb appeal was very good due to the fact that the haunt was clearly marked on the outside and the wait queue was on the inside in a heated building out of the rain. The night we were there they had “Betelgeuse” playing on a big screen TV for the amusement of the folks in line. This was much appreciated as I will explain later. The front of the haunt appeared to be an old morgue which was the haunt’s theme as explained to you by the first actor you encountered. I’m not sure I followed the entire story but it was something about a deranged funeral director/doctor? Some of the rooms were well done with detailed decorations while others seemed to be lacking something. This is pretty common with a new haunt-in-the-works. The actors were acceptable and (for the most part) seemed to stay in character as we went through. The make-up was decent but I felt there was an over use of masks in the haunt. My overall impression was that the haunt was a good start and could be on it’s way to a great haunt with a few improvements.

The things I felt that had room for improvement were the following:
The queue line was WAY too slow – even in the VIP line it took us all of 1 1/2 hours to get into the haunt. We even came early and still had to wait 90 min. The reason for this was that they waited up to 10 min between groups. I understand that they didn’t want the “conga line” going through but you need to get a happy medium here, people. 10 min is way too long to wait in between groups. Not necessary. Also – send more than two people through at a time.

Next – the haunt in general was too well lit. No one gets scared in total daylight or in a house that’s all lit up. Also – you could see over the top of many walls and hallways – this too is due to too much lighting. I would have loved to see a few more dark spaces or dimly lit rooms.
Also – please loose the “Clown room”! It is so overdone, not scary (the one clown’s outfit was half open in the back) and the actor’s seemed actually confused as to how they were supposed to act or what to say. Use that space for something different and creative that no one else has.
Another suggestion – train your actors to not go out of character when they interact with people. I encountered several situations where I spoke about something having to do with the scene to the haunters and they instantly became the “17 year old wearing a costume” talking to me. This just kills the scene instantly.

And lastly, lose the “backwoods hillbilly” scene in back of the haunt. The chainsaws weren’t scary, the actors weren’t scary and it was just an annoyance.

Don’t get me wrong – this was a good haunt especially since it was designed by an 18 year old. It has monumental potential with some tweaks and fleshing out more details, upping the intensity, turn up the believably of the actors, darken the scenes, add a few creative touches, make the haunt longer and the queue lines shorter/move faster and next year this will be a haunt to rival any haunt in Northern KY.

Overall score: 3.00 Skulls (Good)

Visit their web site at cincyscreams.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Haunted Culbertson Mansion: New Albany, IN

Teresa
The actors here are very engaging. They stalk, talk, tease, and grab. Being in the carriage house behind a historic mansion gives it great curb appeal. This has always been one of my favorites for their creativity and they didn’t disappoint this year. I love that they split the group up. I was pulled aside by myself. I won’t say what happened, but it sure was fun! I highly recommend this one to families with older kids who love to be scared. Quite a fun experience.

Frightmaster
The frightfest that is Culbertson Mansion is a well kept secret in the New Albany, IN/Louisville area. The haunt takes place in a huge old carriage house behind a mansion that is really supposed to be haunted. Limited by only the space of the carriage house itself, the folks at Culbertson Mansion put on one of the best shows we’ve seen in quite a while! Every inch of the house is put to use using the main theme of a real haunted house. The actors are the best of the best, very convincing and frightening but not over the top in your face. Each room is in of itself a scenario that plays out as you enter the room. This just isn’t another “quick walk through, glance around the room for the hidden actor and then move to the next room” type haunt. They space out the visitors so you don’t run into the crowd in front or have people catching up with you. This greatly adds to the feeling of “being all alone in a haunted house”.
This haunt is definitely worth the drive. All proceeds go to the restoration of the real Culbertson Mansion that is a magnificent structure in front of the carriage house. For a not for profit endeavor – this one blew us away! The actors (baby doll guy and the clown girl) were very entertaining while we were waiting in line. Once you get inside, the actors in each of the rooms really made you believe the place was real and evil was all around you.
This is truly one of the best haunts we have seen all year! The creepy, foreboding atmosphere as you are surrounded by fog and screams as you walk through the cemetery to get to the haunt just sets the mood for the rest of the trip. Check this one out! It’s a must see haunt for true haunt lovers!

Overall score: 4.50 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at www.hauntedculbertson.org

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor

(2 skulls) – Average

(3 skulls) – Good

(4 skulls) – Excellent

(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Industrial Terrorplex: Jeffersonville, IN

Industrial Nightmare

Todd
We were informed by the owner, Terry, that this may be the last year for the Industrial Terrorplex – at least at its current location. Perhaps that’s why it felt as if they’re going out “with a bang.” Last year we were forewarned that we may be touched, etc., however, I do not remember much hands-on contact. This year, is a different story.

Industrial Nightmare offers a lot of eye candy. Just waiting in line you’ll feel as if you’re in some sort of Hollywood horror movie archive. There are set scenes of all modern iconic horror characters surrounding the immediate queue.

Once you’re inside, the crazies are all over you. It is reported that the whole haunt has ~100 actors. I believe it. At any one time you may have 3 of them in your face, touching your back, neck or even chest (don’t worry..they wont touch the ladies there). My nipple was pinched. It was awkward. So was the guy standing on a makeshift kitchen counter who flashed us his ass.

Maybe I should mention – DO NOT BRING YOUR KIDS! Although I believe the actors are sane enough to not touch them, there’s lot of F-bombs dropped as well. There are also simulated scenes of satanic worship and at one point we were pulled into a room only to more or less worship “the pig” before we could move on.

It’s a lot more “WTF” than “Boo.”

Teresa
Industrial Nightmare is a fitting theme for this old building and they have lots of space to fill with creepy giant props you might expect to see in some Lovecraftian industrial setting. It was long and the actors were engaging. There were some fun lighting effects. They will touch you here (and invite you to touch them, though I doubt you will want to). Some of them were fairly disturbing. A minor complaint I have is that the lighting sometimes wasn’t good enough to see just HOW disturbing some characters were. Some humor was rather adult, but I’m guessing the actors could tone it down, depending on the age of the guests.

Gus
While many of the scenes feel like they were put together out of Legos due to the abundance of cookie cutter wall panels, the actors in this Industrial nightmare really make this one shine. We hung out for a good long while with the swine boys, hootin’ and hollerin’ and screaming “OINK” as lound as we could and finally managed to feel our way out. Another delight was the swamp area which featured very effective combination of lighting, fog and other trickery. The Terrorplex is much more handsy this year than ever before. Expect to be grabbed, and pushed around a bit this year, especially in the elevator. This is typically the first of the Terrorplex’s offerings and is one of the best.

Andy
Super loud and fast. Intense haunt a lot of physical contact with a lot of animatronics. Plenty if actors! Great haunt! Never a dull moment!

Tammy
Actors in this haunt were very intense; some sections were very loud; lots of big animatronics; new addition of adding lots of creepy pigs

Frightmaster
Industrial Nightmare is a trip through an industrial wasteland with glowing walls, amazing animatronics and unbelievable special effects. The owner, Terry Campbell, has tailored a truly terrifying haunt over the years that is your worst apocalyptic nightmare. The overall effect is a mind-blowing experience full of surprises around every turn. This is a haunt NOT TO BE MISSED!

Dementions

Todd
Dementions felt a bit shorter than Industrial Nightmare, but not too much. This one takes on more common themes that are either commonly nightmarish or twisted takes on your favorite cherished holidays.

The overall vibe is the same as Industrial Nightmare – a lot of jump scares and fairly aggressive actors in your face, not afraid to touch.

Teresa
This one had some interesting themes, including holidays, like Christmas and Easter that I haven’t seen before in a Halloween attraction. It was pretty weird to have Christmas decorations and hear holiday music while in a haunted house. And here also were some pretty disturbing characters. It reminded me of the movie, Se7en. I found some of it more uncomfortable than scary.

Gus
Dimentions is a collection of just plain weird and chaotic scenes. Haunted holidays, Michael Jackson, and an outdoor maze where you are chased by chainsaw wielding maniacs all all featured here. Again the actors were much more hands on this year. I was held against the wall and my throat “slashed” as punishment for overstaying my welcome at my favorite shower scene.

Andy
Great creativity! Really enjoyed the moving props and the themes. Loved the Christmas room!!

Tammy
More themed areas here – such as the Christmas room

Frightmaster
The best part about Dementions was the actors. You really felt like you were in an insane asylum gone out of control and that your life was in danger! You will run in this haunt for your life!

Carnevil 3D

Todd
If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to them all. This is yet another clown-filled, blacklight-engulfed maze where you’ll spend more time keeping the cardboard 3D glasses on your face than paying attention to your surroundings.

The actors are very energetic and they keep it all moving along for you, but as any of these 3D haunts, it’s not scary and it’s so well lit that there’s never a “what’s lurking around the corner” moment.

The only unique aspect to this particular 3D haunt is that there are a few times you’ll come to a dead end have to play a “game” with an actor in order to find your way out. Oh and there’s a childrens’ slide that you may optionally go down if it fancies you so.

Teresa
Carnevil is fun because you wear 3D glasses and the clowns were pretty engaging. I noticed they did a good job of pulling us aside and keeping our attention while the group in front of us we were catching up to got ahead. The slide was also good fun, although it would have been better if we could have slid into another room. It was kind of pointless to slide right back where you started. This part could have used more actors, as I remember it being more creative and surprising years ago. It’s still great if you’re a clown-a-phobe, though.

Gus
Let me start out by stating that I don’t really find clowns that scary. Carnevil is a bit gimmicky with 3-d glasses that make the florescent paint pop off the walls. If its your first time seeing the effect, its pretty cool. If you’ve seen it before, the glasses become more of a hassle as they are one-size fits any giant, and tend to fall off. I did enjoy the slide and giant jack-in the boxes, but I was hard pressed to get too scared here.

Andy
Always love the 3d! Clowns make it even bette. Love the slide and creativity!

Tammy
This was a 3D haunt; liked the room with the gargoyles – the actor there was interactive and funny; neat 3D effect going down hallway of pillars

Frightmaster
The Carnevil haunts are pretty much the same but this one has an extra special scare that waits for you. I won’t give it away but your life may depend on it.

Infected

Todd
I’d say Infected is the second most intense of the Industrial Terrorplex’s offerings. As you guessed, this is a zombie-themed haunt but it’s more 28 days later than Dawn of the Dead.

The walkers within are pretty damn aggressive (and have quite an extensive vocabulary!). At one point, being last in the group, I had 3 of them on my tail…rubbing my back, my head and making it clear they were hungry for my flesh. They followed me for quite a while as well, so don’t think that just because you’ve left their room that you will be rid of them.

Teresa
I enjoyed the story here, but I’d have liked to see it carried more consistently all the way through. The setup was great, but what happened to us? Did we stay infected? I enjoyed the use of the zombie-face mirror that made us all look like zombies. Maybe they could have “scanned” us and pulled the infected aside? This was a fun concept I’d like to see become more interactive.

Gus
This is my favorite haunt at the Terrorplex. It’s focus on the theme of being infected is carried throughout. There is a fun video board where your face is altered to show how far the infection has gone. Later you no longer have a reflection. Such a great time!

Andy
Always love the zombie haunts! Great character interaction.

Tammy
Very dark in many areas; liked the actor in the elevator; like all the zombies and interaction of the actors

Frightmaster
Infected was scary because they used current events like the Ebola scare. The nurses were just as demented as the “infected” patients and followed you around which made this haunt very creepy to go through. Nice job on the decorations and acting here.

Overall

Todd
This one is definitely worth your money provided you’re not sensitive to foul language, ritualistic themes and most importantly, invasion of your personal space.

This year was MUCH more “in your face” than last year, so both first-timers and returning guests may experience something new.

I enjoyed myself a lot and very much hope that the Terrorplex will live on somewhere!

Teresa
If you get tickets for all 4, this is a good, long haunt for the money. You get a variety of scares and it would make for a fun evening out with friends. There’s something for everyone. Be aware this is an extreme haunt in that they do touch you and use adult language and concepts which may not be appropriate for younger guests, (although this may be toned down when minors are present). Some parts are light of actors and repetitive, but it is a large place. The scenes with actors are disturbing.

Gus
The Terrorplex is really upping the ante this year with a more hands on approach. Expect to be grabbed and slashed, and if you’re wearing a hat like I was, expect to have it taken from you several times through the night. This helps break the invisible wall and help the immersion in the night. Expect to spend most of the night as Terrorplex has so much to offer in one location!

Andy
Industrial terroplex is above and beyond. When it comes to haunts they have it all. Great actors, great animatronics , and props. Great time!

Tammy
Great haunt with a large variety of using animatronics, themed areas and actor interaction. Lots of guests waiting in line for a great haunt. Great detail to all the props as many of the walls are made by owners company and are great. Overall, a really great haunt!

Frightmaster
Industrial Terrorplex has always been one of our favorite haunts and certainly the longest haunt in the Louisville area. It’s well worth the price of admission as one can spend upwards of two hours going through all the haunts. The night we were there the wait line snaked back almost a block from the door so get there early if you don’t want to wait. Great haunt! Highly recommend to all haunt enthusiasts!

Overall score: 3.71 Skulls (Good)

Visit their web site at www.industrialterrorplex.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

The Haunted Hotel: Louisville, KY

Todd
The Devil’s Attic is referred to as a theatrical haunt. It’s less gritty and shocking; it’s more about the ambiance. The costumes and characters are movie-quality. Satan himself who welcomes you upon entry is a marvel to look at alone.

This haunt is all about utilizing lighting and environments to play into your fears. There are certainly jump scares, but more so, the primary focus is on the environments and characters themselves.

Just to back the theatrical take on a haunt. Every so often, guests waiting in line will find Satan appear on an outside balcony, ordering his minion to find a girl and bring her to him. The minion does as instructed and grabs a “random” victim, kicking and screaming, inside – never to be seen again.

It’s not a long haunt. I wish it was longer. There’s a nice mix of original themes as well as some from the most iconic horror movies of modern decades. Hands down you will not find a better Hellraiser room around. Their Pinhead, Butterball and Chatterer are FANTASTIC looking.

If you appreciate attention to detail, costuming and set design in movies, this may be the perfect haunt for you.

Teresa
This is a well-done, professional haunt, from the sets to the lighting to the costumes. The entertainment starts with the devil doing a show from the balcony, requesting his minions bring him fresh blood from the queue, as the guests squirm and run from the demons converging upon them. You can have creepy, hilarious photos done with an on-site photographer. The decorations are like movie sets with a variety of scenes throughout. The actors were really good, and some were seriously loud screamers! This one is so professional, I’d almost like to see more of the old building showing through their fancy sets, but this is a minor complaint. As a horror movie fan, I enjoyed seeing their take on all these movies. And The Exorcist scene was riveting. I wanted to linger a minute longer to watch the performance. There were a few of these scenes where our group wanted to slow down to enjoy the show. That’s pretty impressive. Definitely a recommend!

Gus
The Devils Attic is probably the most theatrical of the haunts iI have visited. The short version of the story is that the Devil has locked away all sorts of nightmares away. Expect to see many of your favorite scary movies reimagined. My favorite was probably Dr. Frankenstein. This year the Devils Attic feels better strung together, the transitions from scene to scene helping to keep the tension high, instead of simply passing from room to room like in years past. I highly recommend this haunt!

Andy
Great haunt! Super good theme. Loved the actors. Great creativity. One of the things I love about the devils attic is it’s kind of old school. Not over done with animatronics and not over done. GREAT haunt

Tammy
This is one of my favorite Louisville haunts! The owner is very hospitable and accommodating; we had a great photo taken as a group; actors outside put on a great show prior to entering the haunt; my favorite room was Dr. Frankenstein – actors did a fantastic job!! The Devil in the first room was great. Well lit, good sound, like all the movie themes. Great haunt!!

Frightmaster
I enjoyed The Devils Attic very much. The outside show is a must see! While you are waiting to enter the haunt you can also get your group’s picture taken and check it out online. As soon as you enter the haunt you meet Beelzebub himself who sets the tone fpr the rest of your trip through hell. The rooms are all themed on a trip through hell complete with an exorcist room and a room where people with pigs masks make you do bad (but funny) things. You will get touched in this haunt but not molested like in some haunts. The rooms were very creative and the actors were extremely believable. Great make-up as well. Some of the best in the industry. The Devil’s Attic is well worth the price of admission and a must see in the Louisville area! One of the better haunts we’ve been to this year!

Overall score: 4.50 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at thedevilsattic.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

The Haunted Hotel: Louisville, KY

Todd
We returned to 2013’s Frightmaster award winner and were NOT disappointed!

This is one hell of an extreme haunted house. It’s also the only haunt where I have seen people come back out the front door after literally 1 or 2 minutes of being inside. This haunt is not for the weak-willed or maybe even the physically weak.

DO NOT BRING CHILDREN.

Anything goes in the Haunted Hotel. Anything. And you’ll know it as soon as you walk in. The OUTSTANDING concierge will welcome you in a manner true to what you are about to experience. There’s touching, shoving, the feel of his hot breath on your face…and that’s just the first room.

While inside, I was chained to a pipe and even at one point pulled from my group and forced to wait in a closet alone. Once let out, I then had to navigate the dark hallways solo until I caught up with the rest of my party. I was also pushed over a counter and held down, bent over it while some tool was used to throw sparks all around me.

The Frightmaster herself at one point was chained to a cross by someone wearing a burlap, goat-like masked who was chanting God knows what. One of our other female reviews was licked. I was grabbed by the neck on several occasions and shoved in the general direction I needed to go.

I know it sounds like I’m filing a police report but this is what goes on in the Haunted Hotel…and it’s F**KING FANTASTIC!!!!

The Haunted Hotel is not a haunt, it’s an experience. It’s is undoubtedly the most aggressive and intense haunt I’ve ever been to. It’s loud, chaotic and relentless. It may just be the most fun you’ll have all season, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Teresa
The exterior isn’t too awe-inspiring, but don’t let that fool you. This is one intense haunt. The actors are seriously, award-winningly creepy. I saw some things I’ve never seen before. I won’t spoil it, but some of the actors are quite acrobatic. The scenes were creepy and surprising at times, but completely overshadowed by the actors. They not only touch you, they grab you, toss you, breathe on you, manhandle you, chain you, caress you, and I think one even licked my face. Having said that, I didn’t find any of it to be inappropriate. It is all done to freak you out or give you some serious goosebumps. It does highly increase the creep-factor! This one was so much fun I would have gone through it again the same night. We had tons of fun laughing at each other. If you can handle extreme haunts, this one is the one to see (or if you just want to see your friends freak out and run out the front door before it even begins).

Gus
For those looking for the scariest haunt, I cannot recommend this Haunt enough. However, if this is your first time through a haunted house, you may want to work your way up to this one. The Haunted Hotel is best described as brutal. Expect to be manhandled, chained to the wall, held down while a psychopath creates showers of sparks mere inches from your head. Each time I’ve been, there are those that cannot make it past the bellhop in the first room and have to bail before the nightmare has even begun. Deceptively long, by the time you reach the end you’ll be glad its over, but will want to do it all again.

Andy
By far my favorite haunt of all time!!!! The best of the best! Very physical. Not over done with animatronics! Intense! This IS the real deal!!!

Tammy
This is a unique haunt that goes above and beyond! Being greeted by the Bellhop sets the tone for what you are about yo experience thru a great long haunt. The elevator is the next stop and that guy is just all kinds of creepy! The scientist wanted me to eat worms and upon my refusal I was placed in a closet while the rest of my group was told to continue on through; some other stand out areas were goat man, the girl in the bathroom with the plunger. Lots of special effects and if you don’t want direct contact from the actors this is not the haunt for you. The actors do and will touch you! I felt that this was done tastefully and wasn’t too far over the top. Actors did a great job of being creative, unique and scary all at the same time. The owner is awesome and really listened to all of our feedback and excitement from walking through a great haunt! Great job Haunted Hotel! This one alone is worth the drive!

Frightmaster
Be warned! The Haunted Hotel pulls out all the stops and nothing is off limits! You will get touched, pushed, shoved, and thoroughly creeped out in this haunt! From the first room where the inn keeper gets literally in your face! To the creeper in the elevator to the terrifying chains around your neck and being chained to a wall. NOTHING is too much for these demented souls to do to you! Our dear friend, Kevin Stich, has done it again with over the top performances from the actors and a whole new way of inflicting terror on his victims. While we were there waiting in line there were several people who didn’t even get past the first room. This is not your grandma’s haunt, people! Be prepared for the scare of your life!!!!! HIGHLY recommend!!!!

Overall score: 4.83 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at www.hauntedhotelky.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor

(2 skulls) – Average

(3 skulls) – Good

(4 skulls) – Excellent

(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Necropolis: Indianapolis, IN

Necropolis – City of Perpetual Darkness

Gus
While things were highly detailed, and interesting to look at, I found myself experiencing Deja-vu over and over as it seems that we were just in this same area before. As it turns out, the Necropolis was a very long winding path through the same garden over and over.It was also completely saturated with actors. It was hard to get scared when you are bumping into them every few steps. They were very enthusiastic, but ultimately ineffective.

Todd
Necropolis is located in the basement of a large industrial building set back a ways from the main road. There is a ticket booth that is decorated, but if it were not for that there would be no indication there was a haunt at all.

You’ll be welcomed by Gomez, a biker vampire when you arrive. I can easily say he’s the star of the show. He’s energetic, witty and does a great job of pumping you up before entering. Unfortunately, we did not see him again inside.

When you enter, you’ll be lined up (literally) and be instructed with all of the typical rules by the greeter (while Gomez continues to entertain). When you finally enter the haunt itself, an animatronic corpse will greet you and once again go over the rules.

My first impression was great. There’s a high level of detail in the initial room. I was getting really excited because this place was DECKED OUT! The one thing I can say is that the detail is fantastic throughout. There’s a lot of outdoor scenes that are executed well (especially for being in a basement with no windows).

Unfortunately, I found some challenges. First, it’s disappointing to report that the actors do not carry the same level of detail that the haunt itself does. Most are wearing black drab clothing with masks or minimal face paint. That’s all. Second, you are berated by actors and damn near every point. It’s not scary; more so distracting. At any one time there could be up to 6 of them within 10 feet. It’s relentless at times.

At one point I asked myself “man, how many people are in this thing?” but it wasn’t long before I realized that most of the actors we encountered were the same ones that were either following us area to area, or jumping ahead to meet us down the pathway. I’m not sure how this can be sustained with multiple groups navigating through but they stuck with us until the end.

Although the set detail never fell short, it became repetitive. This is a long haunt, no doubt about it, but a lot of it takes place “outside” and doesn’t offer anything new the second, third, forth time you are walking among the headstones and shrubbery.

Even though I was really into it in the beginning, by the end I was tired of seeing the same thing over and over.

Frightmaster
This is a very long, long haunt which takes place in an old “New Orleans style” cemetery. You wind around and around a trail of moss covered graves and monuments and mausoleums for what seems like hours. There are occasional actors jumping out at you but these seem to be too few and infrequent to make the haunt truly scary. After the first 15 minutes of the same thing it’s really repetitive. This is a great idea in a cool building with lots of room but needs more variety and surprises. I was left wanting more.

Hellusions in 3-D

Gus
Unfortunately, this portion was little more than an art exhibit for florescent paintings and 3-D glasses. There were few, if any actors and very little scares to be had here.

Todd
When purchasing your tickets, consider this before paying for this attraction…

The sign indicates you’ll be equipped with “Hi Tech” 3D glasses. Maybe for 1950. They’re nothing more than the ones you’ve seen everywhere else overusing blacklight paint.

What adds injury to insult is that the whole first half of this short attraction is the lack of actors….or props. It’s not even horror themed. We walked through a space/sci-fi themed collection of portraits on the walls. That’s right – UFOs, galaxies, etc. No actors…hardly any props…it was almost like a blacklight art exhibit. Eventually the theme turned to “freakshow” with a few props…and then on to clowns but I only recall seeing one, maybe 2 actors before it was over. It was short and pretty much pointless.

Avoid it.

Frightmaster
Hellusions in 3-D was your average neon clown show. I didn’t find anything scary about it unless you’re afraid of clowns. The special 3D glasses and 3D effects were fun but so overdone by so many haunts that something new is needed here.

Overall

Gus
The Necropolis has real potential, but needs to more effectively use their actors, and needs to shorten, or at least make it seem as though you are not looping through the same area over and over. I found myself wishing it to be over sooner, not because it was scary, but as it was so repetitive.

Todd
Although we did not go through everything Necropolis has to offer, this felt like a disappointing movie to me. It started off great but wound up dragging on for a bit too long. I give it props for its room detail! Great stuff there, but the influx of actors should be toned down a bit. I don’t mind long haunts by any means, but there was too much of the same. It needs to be changed up and offer more variety.

I did not like the 3D area at at all. Not scary or even mildly interesting.

Frightmaster
Necropolis is a huge haunt in an old factory on the edge of Indianapolis. The location and foreboding exterior makes the approach creepy. Once inside, though, you feel like you stepped into just a deserted factory. The area where you wait is dull and not used to build the suspense as with other haunts. We were probably told five times NOT to loose our tickets (like we were children) which after the second time just became annoying. That being said, the haunt is a good one but could be a great one with a few more surprises. We did love the illusion of having to take a “leap of faith” across a very deep drop off and having to walk across a rickety bridge with steep drop offs on either side. Well done!

Overall score: 2.67 Skulls (Average)

Visit their web site at www.darkarmies.com/necropolis-haunted-house/

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Stillwell Manor: Indianapolis, IN

Stillwell Manor Haunted House

Todd
Stillwell Manor is a unique haunt in that it resides within an abandoned movie theater. The architecture of the building adds a unique element to the haunt because the sets are laid out on the still-slanted floor that was used for the theater seating. This gives navigation a bit of a funhouse effect. There were a few times where I almost tripped so tread with care.

The actors are masters of camouflage. There were a number of times that they could not be seen AT ALL. We would almost run into them, step on them (beware the flood in foggy areas), etc.

The rooms have been built up well and most of the time you cannot see what remains of the theaters. However, there are numerous parts where the 1980s neon spotted theater carpet is still present. Perhaps as the haunt grows, more fitting flooring will be installed.

One of the most noticeable vacancies in this haunt was the sound. This was the quietest haunt I’ve ever been to. I’m not sure if this is intentional or not. The owner explained to us that each room has a custom soundtrack, however I only recollect hearing a soundtrack in 2 or 3 areas. Otherwise you could hear a pin drop. It didn’t necessarily make anything eerie, just a tad awkward.

Andy
I enjoyed this haunt. The dark and quiet was different. Made it pretty spooky actually. The room with the fog and laser lights where really neat and different. We got lost a ton! Good time.

Tammy
Favorite part was what appeared to be a swamp area – the use of lasers and fog was awesome and like nothing I’ve ever seen – an actor as “moss man” was great!. This haunt seemed more quiet than most which almost made it more spooky and creepy.

Frightmaster
This haunt was a really fun experience, both scary and exciting. It was a truely old fashioned haunted house with each room decorated in period furnishings. You felt like you were trapped in “House on the Haunted Hill” movie. Very creative use of lazers, bridges, hidden creatures, background music and just all around surprises throughout the haunt. There is one surprise even I didn’t see coming. I won’t ruin it for you but you’ll want to run back to the line and go through this haunt again and again after you go through the first time. MUST SEE in Indianapolis!!!!

Tantibus

Todd
To get to Tantibus, you walk through a storeroom for the theater, passing cleaning products, vacuum cleaners etc. No it’s not part of the haunt. Hopefully in the future there is a more formal entry way. Tantibus also starts upstairs and I get that the stairways are where they are, but in my opinion, backstage should not be exposed.

This haunt is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It has clowns, zombies..a little bit of everything, which is fine as long as it’s effective. The upstairs portion of this haunt felt very bare bones. Much of the area was hallways of the former theater, with very little haunt transformation.

Once you’re back downstairs, it gets a little better. You’re back into more decorated sets that feel like a haunt, not the back office.

Tantibus has one major redeeming item – the slide! I mentioned you start upstairs and wind up downstairs. Steps? Psh. There’s a 40 foot slide…and it’s FAST. At the foot, there’s a mattress on the floor and another on the facing wall. Good thing too because the sheer velocity actually threw me into it.

The slide was fun as hell. I really wanted to do that again. Otherwise Tantibus was a little underwhelming and felt lacking in environment, especially compared it its predecessor.

Andy
The zombies were awesome!! The opening scene with the girl zombie eating the person was great. The slide was super cool. I really enjoyed Tantibus.

Tammy
The slide!! What an awesome and creative feature!! Loved it! I liked the zombies – one that stands out was a zombie girl eating a body and throws what you think is blood on you.

Frightmaster
Tantibus was a bit darker than the Stillwell Manor Haunt. It was scary and full of surprises around every turn. Nice change of pace from the haunted house. Great actors.

Overall

Todd
Overall – it’s worth a stop. The theater makes for an interesting location for a haunt. It’s supposedly haunted too (for real). Oddly enough, as we were filming the interview, my camera light that has never once even moved on my flash mount somehow came loose and crashed to the floor – all while the supposed haunting was being discussed. Very curious…

Tantibus feels like it’s not quite ready. It needs more added to the environment. I found I couldn’t get out of the mindset that I was simply in the upstairs hall of the theater.

That slide though….now that was fun.

Andy
Overall great haunt. Lots of good props, the actors stayed in character, and the slide was a blast. Would definitely go back.

Tammy
Great haunt! All the staff very friendly and the actors did a great job! Lot of originality and just an overall different feel than most haunts. The entrance to the building has room for improvement and in the entrance where you wait – one positive is that most of your waiting time is indoors so it makes it nice when it’s cold outside!

Kelly
I feel this was the best haunt of the night. Great details in each of the rooms, just the right amount of lighting so you could see all the props. The actors really played their part. My favorite part was the slide you had to go down – I would want to go back thru just for that. The exits to each room was a little hard to find but I feel that made it even better because if you were scared you just couldn’t run out the door. I have never been in a haunted house that was so quiet. Moss Man and laser lights were great. Definitely would recommend this one.

Frightmaster
For just being a fairly new haunt, Stillwell Manor really impressed us with their attention to detail and knowledge of what it takes to really set up a good haunt. Very well run from beginning to end, great background music, creative scenes (best “surprise” we’ve seen in any haunt!), good actors, great haunt! My only suggestion to make this haunt a Frightmaster award competitor would be to invest in some exterior facade to eliminate the cinema duplex look of the building and make it appear to be more of a haunted house. I still felt like I was entering a movie theater when I walked inside even though there was scary animatronics and coffins in the entry hall. A few strobe lights outside, some speakers with scary music (or thunder and screams?) would do wonders for this haunt. Maybe some boarded up windows and ghouls walking around in the parking lot? This is a really good haunt that, with a little more curb appeal, could be one of the best in the tri-state!

Overall score: 4.13 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at stillwellmanor.com

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Fright Manor: Indianapolis, IN

Zombie Alley

Todd
Equipped with a battery powered rifle, one fearless leader of your party will lead you through a zombie infested maze. The rifle itself appears to be nothing but a noisemaker (I didn’t see any sort of sensors on the actors), but there’s a crude satisfaction in “shooting” the zombies. No true accuracy is required and the actors respect your efforts by feigning death after a shot or two.

Unfortunately you do not get to keep the gun throughout the entire haunt, but it’s fun and different while it lasts.

Tammy
Great creative feature of letting someone actually shoot at the zombies – one person is handed a backpack and shot gun and leads the group while shooting the zombies – interaction was awesome!! The sound was good but the lighting could have been a little more in order to highlight some of the sets.

Andy
The use of the gun was awesome! Very original. This was by far one of my favorite features of Fright Manor.

Frightmaster
This is a new addition to the Fright Manor haunt that was both fun and scary at the same time. A person in the group has what appears to be a sawed off shotgun that has a laser beam that “pops” when you shoot it. You walk through a dark maze with zombies jumping out at you from above, below and in between. The scare factor is heightened because you can’t kill the zombies with just one shot! What a thrill to be in your own actual walking dead show! The actors are enthusiastic and believable. The maze is intimidating and scary. You really forget sometimes that it’s just actors in a haunted house. Well done!

Southside Sanitarium

Todd
Since this haunt is a string of themed areas back to back, it’s hard to recollect and distinguish one from the other. However, the actors are not only top notch, but spry as well. Unlike most haunts, actors may come from above, not just the sides.

Tammy
The medical aspect/theme was creepy and provided good scares – lighting was better in this section

Andy
One of the things that caught my eye was how fright manor was keeping up in current events. The Ebola sign fit the seen great!

Frightmaster
This haunt was pretty normal sanatorium gone wild except for the actors which put it up a notch. They were very believable and really went out of their way to get those scares and screams out of you. I would have liked just a couple of unexpected surprises in here to make it an unforgettable haunt.

13 Nightmares

Todd
There was an interesting concept behind this one – taking common fears and turning it into a theme. One of the more effective rooms included a large number of glowing hockey masks (a la Jason) on either wall, that is otherwise dark. Naturally, not all of them are stationary. At least one is attached to a face hidden in the darkness.

Tammy
Great section – good set design; liked leather face in the kitchen.

Frightmaster
This was one of my favorite haunts at Fright Manor this year because it really played to your “worst fears”. Everything from a visit to the demented dentist to a real nightmare, clowns, cemeteries, walking dead, spiders, everything that makes you go “AHHHHHHHHH” is in this haunt. Excellent creativity!

Purgatory Prison

Todd
Again, since these haunts are stringed together without any obvious stop and start I am assuming this is the last section which is primarily an outdoor maze.

There isn’t much going on in this last part. It was pretty much just a narrow (yet somewhat open) maze where you’ll find yourself more focused on finding the exit than being scared by the few actors that occupied it. This was definitely the lull of the haunt.

Tammy
Best part here was the man in the electric chair that completely looked fake – we stopped to watch when all of the sudden the man jumped up after us – great scare – great prop and actor!

Andy
The guy in the electric chair got me! I totally thought he was fake, then he jumped up! Awesome!!!! Hands down my favorite part of this haunt.

Frightmaster
This was a fun maze to go through although I really didn’t feel “lost” at any moment, the actors were believable and intimidating and I was happy at times that there were bars separating us!

Psychomanthium

Tammy
Lighting and sound were very good through here.

Frightmaster
Psychomanthium is one of the original haunts at Fright Manor but has changed over the years. I felt a sense of disorientation mixed with not knowing what to expect next. The scenes are not themed at all which was a fresh change from other haunts that have just one theme running throughout the whole haunt. We never knew what was waiting around the corner or in the next room. The haunt itself felt really long but was only around 15 min. Great actors, maybe could use a few more here but the overall effect was a good scare and a lot of fun.

Overall

Todd
Overall, the haunt is good! I was really impressed by the number of props. They fill the space well – not cluttered, but not too sparse. The actors were fantastic – very into what they were doing. There was a high level of energy throughout the entire haunt.

There are a few surprises that caught be off guard that I have not experience in other haunts this year.

The exterior can be misleading. I honestly did not expect as good of a haunt as I experienced, judging the book from the cover. Do not let it dissuade you!

My only criticisms are:
1) Again, the haunts are strung back to back with nothing more than some text on the walls to let you know you’re leaving one haunt and entering the other. Trying to rate each area separately was especially challenging because for the most part, I can’t recall which rooms were in which areas. This is of course mostly inconsequential for the average attendee.

2) At one point you’ll have to crawl through a small space on your hands and knees. The surface is very hard. Anyone with even a minor handicap may have trouble with this. I’m not sure if there’s an alternate route to get around this or not, but it would be advisable to provide one if not.

Tammy
All in all, Fright Manor is a great Haunt; the owner was very hospitable and provides a great haunt. I liked while waiting in line there were DJs providing music. Overall worth the trip!

Andy
Great haunt! Lots of creativity, lots of surprises. All the actors did great and stayed in character. The location was good. The DJ’s sounded good as well. Great time!

Kelly
Great idea with shooting the zombies – I have never seen that before. The rooms were a little too dark to see everything. Great idea to have a live DJ outside for entertainment while you waited. This was a really fun haunted house.

Frightmaster
Our good friend Tom has been hosting Fright Manor for longer than any other haunt in the tri-state. It’s grown from operating in a high school auditorium to five spine-chilling haunts taking up an entire building and then some. The actors are trained for months ahead of time and are some of the best we’ve seen anywhere! The creativity and value is excellent – where some haunts are charging up to $20 for just one haunt – Tom only charges $20 for all five! That’s $4 a haunt, people! This place is a must see if you live anywhere near Indianapolis. I won’t spoil the surprises for anyone so my suggestion is just go! You won’t regret it! IF you live through it…..

Overall score: 3.75 Skulls (Good)

Visit their web site at www.frightmanor.com