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One of very few haunt theme parks we've visited. |
Paul - Indy Scream Park (ISP) is a multi-attraction haunt in Anderson Indiana, about 45 minutes northeast of downtown Indianapolis. For one admission price you get access to 5 haunts and a large central area called the Monster Midway. The Midway has food, games, seating, souvenirs, and plenty of porta-potties. It's a really nice place to hang out between haunts.
The 5 different haunts give you a huge bang for your buck. There aren't many places where you have this many options to choose from, or where you can go through any attraction you want as many times as you want. Once you're in the park, you basically have unlimited access to any attractions you want.
On the night we went this year there were only 4 of 5 of the haunts open. There was really heavy wind that day and they had Back Woods shut down because of it. From what I remember of Back Woods from our visit several years ago, it was a really long trail through the woods where you walked through a bunch of pretty creepy houses and properties. It was my favorite attraction, so I was a little disappointed it was closed. I completely understand though because with the amount of trees in there, it could be super dangerous if a gust of wind kicked up and blew a branch (or even a tree) down.
I believe the wind may have even been giving ISP some power issues as well. There were several lights out in the Midway, and it seemed like a lot of Zombieland Unchained was missing lighting too. Speaking of Zombieland Unchained, it was the first haunt we went through. As you might expect, it's themed to a zombie outbreak and has a bit of an apocalyptic feel. The set was a combination of indoor and outdoor, and was pretty well-done. Lots of props are in there and a whole lot of zombies. There is an interactive option available for this haunt where the actors will touch you and involve you in the scenes a bit more. That was definitely the best part of Zombieland Unchained, so make sure you opt for that!
Next up was Pandemic Mutation. This and the following two attractions are completely indoors, so weather shouldn't ever be a concern for them. Pandemic is a laboratory gone wrong and has a chaotic movie-outbreak vibe to it. This is also interactive like Zombieland so if you opt for that the actors will make you a part of several of the scenes.
We then took a trek through Killgores 3D Circus. Killgores is a clown-themed attraction and was my favorite of the 4 we tried. There are some really good sets, a few good scares, and more actors than I ever thought I'd see in an area that size. You wear 3D glasses inside and there are a bunch of specially-painted portions of the attraction where things jump out at you from the 3D effect. It was pretty entertaining.
Finally we tried the newest ISP haunt: Nightmare Factory Blackout. This is a completely blacked-out maze that winds around inside and you'll occasionally wander into a scene of some kind. Most of it is jump-scare stuff, but there were a few pretty unique aspects to this haunt that I hadn't experienced in any other blacked-out attractions. First, the wall has a rope along it through the whole thing. It makes it much easier to feel your way through the darkness with that. And the second thing is a special prop at the end that was pretty spectacular.
I really wish we could have visited on a night where Back Woods was open as I'm sure it would have bumped ISP's score up a bit more, but sadly, we can't control the weather. Overall, ISP is a good place to go if you want to hang out for hours on end and get scared in the process. While none of the haunts we saw were world-class attractions, they were at least well-themed and did a decent job at scaring you. Killgores was definitely my favorite and is the one I'd consider their "must-see" attraction, but I did enjoy parts of all of them. There aren't many places that will be able to provide you with this much entertainment in one night, and it would likely be one of the better venues for large groups due to the Monster Midway being such a good place to set up.
ISP has been a destination haunt in Indiana for many years and it's easy to see why. There just isn't anything else like it in a pretty large radius. You'll laugh, you'll be scared, and you'll have fun!
The 5 different haunts give you a huge bang for your buck. There aren't many places where you have this many options to choose from, or where you can go through any attraction you want as many times as you want. Once you're in the park, you basically have unlimited access to any attractions you want.
On the night we went this year there were only 4 of 5 of the haunts open. There was really heavy wind that day and they had Back Woods shut down because of it. From what I remember of Back Woods from our visit several years ago, it was a really long trail through the woods where you walked through a bunch of pretty creepy houses and properties. It was my favorite attraction, so I was a little disappointed it was closed. I completely understand though because with the amount of trees in there, it could be super dangerous if a gust of wind kicked up and blew a branch (or even a tree) down.
I believe the wind may have even been giving ISP some power issues as well. There were several lights out in the Midway, and it seemed like a lot of Zombieland Unchained was missing lighting too. Speaking of Zombieland Unchained, it was the first haunt we went through. As you might expect, it's themed to a zombie outbreak and has a bit of an apocalyptic feel. The set was a combination of indoor and outdoor, and was pretty well-done. Lots of props are in there and a whole lot of zombies. There is an interactive option available for this haunt where the actors will touch you and involve you in the scenes a bit more. That was definitely the best part of Zombieland Unchained, so make sure you opt for that!
Next up was Pandemic Mutation. This and the following two attractions are completely indoors, so weather shouldn't ever be a concern for them. Pandemic is a laboratory gone wrong and has a chaotic movie-outbreak vibe to it. This is also interactive like Zombieland so if you opt for that the actors will make you a part of several of the scenes.
We then took a trek through Killgores 3D Circus. Killgores is a clown-themed attraction and was my favorite of the 4 we tried. There are some really good sets, a few good scares, and more actors than I ever thought I'd see in an area that size. You wear 3D glasses inside and there are a bunch of specially-painted portions of the attraction where things jump out at you from the 3D effect. It was pretty entertaining.
Finally we tried the newest ISP haunt: Nightmare Factory Blackout. This is a completely blacked-out maze that winds around inside and you'll occasionally wander into a scene of some kind. Most of it is jump-scare stuff, but there were a few pretty unique aspects to this haunt that I hadn't experienced in any other blacked-out attractions. First, the wall has a rope along it through the whole thing. It makes it much easier to feel your way through the darkness with that. And the second thing is a special prop at the end that was pretty spectacular.
I really wish we could have visited on a night where Back Woods was open as I'm sure it would have bumped ISP's score up a bit more, but sadly, we can't control the weather. Overall, ISP is a good place to go if you want to hang out for hours on end and get scared in the process. While none of the haunts we saw were world-class attractions, they were at least well-themed and did a decent job at scaring you. Killgores was definitely my favorite and is the one I'd consider their "must-see" attraction, but I did enjoy parts of all of them. There aren't many places that will be able to provide you with this much entertainment in one night, and it would likely be one of the better venues for large groups due to the Monster Midway being such a good place to set up.
ISP has been a destination haunt in Indiana for many years and it's easy to see why. There just isn't anything else like it in a pretty large radius. You'll laugh, you'll be scared, and you'll have fun!
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We entered this dark, foggy room full of clowns. FULL. OF. CLOWNS. The walls were lined with mirrors, and the light was on a slow strobe, so you could only see in brief pulses. You couldn't tell which clowns were real, which ones were props, and which ones were reflections. It was so disorienting and fun! |
Teresa - Indy Scream Park is a large haunted attraction located in Anderson, Indiana (less than an hour northeast of Indianapolis). There's a lot to take in here, so I'd recommend planning ahead by checking out the website for details on what to expect. You'll find some pretty great promotional videos there for each attraction. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Ticket prices are variable, and you can find discount tickets available through the website or social media. Also, tickets are cheaper if you buy them online, as opposed to on-site. This is a large park with 5 different haunted attractions plus the Monster Midway which has a bonfire (nice on a chilly night), lots of booths with hot food, drinks (including beer and wine), music, games (like zombie paintball), souvenirs, scare actors, photo ops, and porta-potties for those who manage to not pee themselves during the haunts. The Midway has this Old World carnival vibe and is a nice place to meet up with your friends between haunts. Also, the general admission ticket price includes unlimited admittance to all the attractions for the night, so you really can make a night of it. However, the VIP tickets only allow you to skip the line at each one once. And the lines can be formidable, so I'd recommend getting the general admission tickets, then going in and checking it out, then if you need or want to, you can head back to the ticket booth and upgrade to VIP if necessary. One last type of ticket is available...the Super VIP. This one allows unlimited skip the line, plus a $20 voucher for apparel. Note that one of the attractions, Back Woods, is a trail and may be closed due to weather, as it was on the night we went. So keep that in mind. Zombieland Unchained also has some outdoor elements, so be sure to dress for the weather! Included in the ticket price, as long as you are 18 or older, is the ability to "mark" yourself at two of the attractions. This means you are opting in for (in their words) "being grabbed, held back, pulled into hidden rooms, removed from your group, or forced to remain there". These two are Zombieland Unchained and Pandemic Mutation. We, of course, opted in. More about our experiences in a bit.
We started in Zombieland Unchained (one of the interactive haunts). Here, the formerly enslaved zombies have been freed and you find yourself in this post-apocalyptic zombie world, with wrecked cars, horns going off, an old gas station, a bus you have to get on and go through, fog, and lots of zombies and others trying to survive. I was pulled away from my group suddenly and "roughed up" a few times. Once they "buzzed off" all of my hair to keep me from spreading the infection. This was a cool effect! Once I got free, I had to hurry to try to catch up with my group. We were also attacked and hit with saws in this one. Being separated and going through these extra scenes (plus being touched) makes this experience way more personal and fun. I highly recommend "marking" yourselves!
Next was the other interactive haunt, Pandemic Mutation. Basically, Omni Labs Corporation has started experimenting with plant and animal DNA, splicing it with human DNA, at first for crop yield, but then for biological warfare. What could possibly go wrong? Well, you're about to find out! We found ourselves in mazes of medical equipment, labs, hospital rooms, lots of cardboard boxes, etc. Here again, we were split up quite a bit, being pulled away from the group to be examined or to have body parts removed. At one point, I was zipped into a body bag and left alone. I had no idea what was going on. Should I try to get out and escape? I waited and eventually someone rescued me and I continued on to the exit alone. My group had been waiting outside for several minutes, wondering what happened to me. So they really aren't joking about keeping you!
Then we visited Killgore's Circus. Who doesn't love a good 3D clown attraction?! You get 3D glasses on your way in and then comes the super-cool Day-Glo black light art and graffiti! i really liked the cool faces with Xs on the eyes. Lots of clowns were menacing and yet begged us to stay and play with them! There was a laser mirror tunnel, a moving wall (try not to flinch), and some really creepy mannequins. My favorite room was toward the end. We entered this dark, foggy room full of clowns. FULL. OF. CLOWNS. The walls were lined with mirrors, and the light was on a slow strobe, so you could only see in brief pulses. You couldn't tell which clowns were real, which ones were props, and which ones were reflections. It was so disorienting and fun! This was a really cool effect!
Our last attraction was the new one for 2019, Nightmare Factory Blackout. The gist here is that the power plant went dark several years ago, when something awful in the walls caused the reactor to shut down. Now, you get to go in and explore to try to solve the mystery! This is exactly what it sounds like. It is dark throughout. Having said that, there are ropes along both walls, so it is relatively easy to feel your way along. There were lots of noises in here, with voices taunting us, lots of drop panels outfitted with a strobe so you could only briefly see what was attacking you. There were lots of jump scares, including some huge animatronic props. The best part was walking into a spacious room in the dark, and feeling a huge adrenaline rush when you hear a giant Tesla coil crackling and popping with electricity and lightning zig-zagging all through the air above you. So cool to see!
As I mentioned in the beginning, the Back Woods trail was sadly closed the night we were there due to some pretty bad weather. It had mostly turned to wind by the time we got there, but the wind can be as bad as the rain for accidents. Anyway, my takeaway is to plan ahead! Get your tickets online. Upgrade if you need to there. And make a night of it! The Monster Midway has everything you'll need. And I heard that they're hoping to cover it for next year, so that would be amazing!
We started in Zombieland Unchained (one of the interactive haunts). Here, the formerly enslaved zombies have been freed and you find yourself in this post-apocalyptic zombie world, with wrecked cars, horns going off, an old gas station, a bus you have to get on and go through, fog, and lots of zombies and others trying to survive. I was pulled away from my group suddenly and "roughed up" a few times. Once they "buzzed off" all of my hair to keep me from spreading the infection. This was a cool effect! Once I got free, I had to hurry to try to catch up with my group. We were also attacked and hit with saws in this one. Being separated and going through these extra scenes (plus being touched) makes this experience way more personal and fun. I highly recommend "marking" yourselves!
Next was the other interactive haunt, Pandemic Mutation. Basically, Omni Labs Corporation has started experimenting with plant and animal DNA, splicing it with human DNA, at first for crop yield, but then for biological warfare. What could possibly go wrong? Well, you're about to find out! We found ourselves in mazes of medical equipment, labs, hospital rooms, lots of cardboard boxes, etc. Here again, we were split up quite a bit, being pulled away from the group to be examined or to have body parts removed. At one point, I was zipped into a body bag and left alone. I had no idea what was going on. Should I try to get out and escape? I waited and eventually someone rescued me and I continued on to the exit alone. My group had been waiting outside for several minutes, wondering what happened to me. So they really aren't joking about keeping you!
Then we visited Killgore's Circus. Who doesn't love a good 3D clown attraction?! You get 3D glasses on your way in and then comes the super-cool Day-Glo black light art and graffiti! i really liked the cool faces with Xs on the eyes. Lots of clowns were menacing and yet begged us to stay and play with them! There was a laser mirror tunnel, a moving wall (try not to flinch), and some really creepy mannequins. My favorite room was toward the end. We entered this dark, foggy room full of clowns. FULL. OF. CLOWNS. The walls were lined with mirrors, and the light was on a slow strobe, so you could only see in brief pulses. You couldn't tell which clowns were real, which ones were props, and which ones were reflections. It was so disorienting and fun! This was a really cool effect!
Our last attraction was the new one for 2019, Nightmare Factory Blackout. The gist here is that the power plant went dark several years ago, when something awful in the walls caused the reactor to shut down. Now, you get to go in and explore to try to solve the mystery! This is exactly what it sounds like. It is dark throughout. Having said that, there are ropes along both walls, so it is relatively easy to feel your way along. There were lots of noises in here, with voices taunting us, lots of drop panels outfitted with a strobe so you could only briefly see what was attacking you. There were lots of jump scares, including some huge animatronic props. The best part was walking into a spacious room in the dark, and feeling a huge adrenaline rush when you hear a giant Tesla coil crackling and popping with electricity and lightning zig-zagging all through the air above you. So cool to see!
As I mentioned in the beginning, the Back Woods trail was sadly closed the night we were there due to some pretty bad weather. It had mostly turned to wind by the time we got there, but the wind can be as bad as the rain for accidents. Anyway, my takeaway is to plan ahead! Get your tickets online. Upgrade if you need to there. And make a night of it! The Monster Midway has everything you'll need. And I heard that they're hoping to cover it for next year, so that would be amazing!