ALL HALLOWS EVE: Where to spend your Halloweekend

Kirsten Wamsley is a sophomore journalism major and writes "All Hallows Eve" for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Kirsten at kmwamsley@bsu.edu.

Kirsten Wamsley

If you are looking for something to do this Halloween weekend, definitely go to some of the haunted houses we have in our corner of Indiana. I had the privilege to go out to the attractions and see what just a few of them had to offer. 

The top scare: Indy Scream Park

In my years as a person who has gone to haunted houses her entire life, I have not once been scared. I enjoyed them, but not once did I actually scream or cry or jump more than being taken aback by a noise in my ear. However, this time I was defeated. Indy Scream Park is high up on the list of the most intense haunts in the U.S.

There are several attractions this year, two of which are optionally interactive: Zombieland Apocalypse and Pandemic. They remove people from their groups. I promise, you will eventually come back.

Monster Midway is not really an attraction as much as a beautiful large area for games, food, socializing and shopping. Not only that, but creative monsters come out to play and interact with the costumers.

Backwoods was an outdoors trail. I admit that I did scream once. But understanding that I have a fear of tall people and an 8-foot-man jumped in my face, I was a little scared.

Brickmore Asylum reminded me of a video game I once played. But this was solely in the artwork.

Then there was Rage 3D. Clearly by the name you can tell that the exhibit is in 3D. The artwork here was the most magnificent I have ever seen. You wear 3D glasses in the haunt and I promise, everything jumps out at you. This is where I was defeated. My fears were played against me and I lost it. Whether it's clowns you are afraid of, or movements that make you uncomfortable, you will love this attraction.

They are open every day of the week.

Second: Nightmare on Edgewood

If you are looking for the most intense haunt in Indiana or to live in your favorite horror movies, then Nightmare on Edgewood is the place for you. This interactive, hands-on haunt will leave you wanting more and enjoying every second of your visit with the monsters. While I rarely get scared, this was an intimidating haunt. 

Full disclosure — I challenged the actors upon entering. I wanted to be scared.  They would not leave me alone and fought hard to scare me and challenge my own fears. This is definitely not an exhibit for the faint of heart. If you do not enjoy being scared, do not come here. Also, if you do not enjoy being touched by the actors, I would not go either. You will be touched.

Third: Stillwell Manor

Stillwell Manor has a fabulous story. It's the home of three attractions. The first is Stillwell Manor, home to General Stillwell who came home from war to a slaughtered family. It's said the halls are haunted with the ghosts of the men and women he killed during the Civil War, as well as himself.

The next part is Isabella’s Beyond. Here, Isabella’s Beyond, we meet Isabella, a fortune teller who is the great granddaughter of General Stillwell. We see her with a traveling show of freaks. 

We finish in Tantibus. Tantibus will show you your worst nightmares, being that it is a nightmare itself. Every twist and turn has a new nightmare to be seen. In Tantibus, you face every nightmare you have ever had. Tight spaces. Clowns. Dark hallways. Spiders. Doctors. Zombies. You name it. To the faint of heart, this may scare you. You can get lost, you can take the wrong turn, or end up in a box you can’t get out of. Each actor was fabulous. My favorite characters were Cuddles, who is perhaps the best pet I have seen at any haunted house. And second, Giggles the clown. So interactive, and so hilarious. Unless you are afraid of clowns, of course! It is definitely a place to go, even if just to have fun.

Fourth: Scarevania

Scarevania was a cute, interesting haunt here in Muncie. The haunt featured both an indoor and outdoor attraction that are connected. Inside this year, you get to meet Jingles, a fabulous, terrifying clown that will scare the boots off of any person who fears clowns. 

After, you enter rooms with people who invade your space. My favorite was the satanic room. The actors moved in such a creepy way — I loved it. The best effect was the suicide room. You walk in thinking that there is just a weird laughing guy. When he asks if you “wanna see something cool”, you think he’s going to pull out a body part. Instead, it is something entirely different.

Once outside, it gets even more exciting. There are little lights, and the trail is rocky and confusing. It's dark, and easy to get lost. But that's the excitement! There are many places for monsters to hide. And let me tell you – they do.

You can also sing karaoke with a clown, or get your fortune told with real tarot cards! 

Least Favorite: Piney Acres After Dark

When I looked at Piney Acres haunted loft online, I was thrilled to enter the world and see the experiments the doctor had in store. There are three attractions — Haunted Loft, Haunted Trail and the Haunted Hayride — but I only visited the loft and trail. I usually am thrilled by some piece of the attractions at haunted houses. However, with Piney Acres, the story on the website was much more exciting to me than the attractions themselves. But if you fear clowns, and want to see some interesting skits, go on out.

Piney Acres has day events with a pumpkin patch in the fall and a Christmas tree farm for winter. The area is perhaps not the best known for a haunted attraction, and maybe the staff is just testing the waters on the idea of a night event. There is no fear factor, but perhaps a laugh.

So if you are looking for a treat, and a haunted evening, head out to these attractions. They can all be found online for more information. Each attraction is 5 minutes to an hour's drive away from Ball State. Happy Halloween. 

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