The 7th Street Haunt (Louisville, KY)
“Witches Reign Supreme”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
The 7th Street Haunt in Louisville, Kentucky is 25,000 square foot of pure terror. When we pulled up, we could hear actors singing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin. It was unseasonably warm, but we were ready to get scared to death. This is City Blood’s review of The 7th street Haunt.
The 7th Street Haunt has a brand new queue line carnival attraction. Meet some clowns, freaks and weirdos. You might even see an oddity or two on display. I was greeted by the bearded lady and the iconic character known as Nana. Nana is an old lady who loves to show you her T Ts and does some pole dancing. Watch out for her invisible chainsaw. The carnival is a nice addition to The 7th Street Haunt and adds more value to the overall experience.
The 7th Street Haunt begins as you take a seat in Ft. Harmony’s Theater. You and a group of people will watch a short film that explains the backstory of Ft. Harmony’s Revenge and Unit 732. This is a unique way to start a haunt, but the movies could be slightly shorter and a black curtain on the side would block out light and sound from the other room. The theater seats are from a local theater that was undergoing renovation. The usher was pretty entertaining as she told Halloween jokes and asked for crowd participation.
You’ll meet the curator played by the talented Lucian Tomes Jr. The curator of the Ft. Harmony Historical Society was at first, an average citizen of the town. He led a vengeful mob that burned one of the local witches at the stake. This was following the unholy sacrifice of a newborn child to a demon that was summoned. Unlike the rest of the populace, he’s maintained his sanity. He’s aware that he can never leave the town, no matter how hard he tries. He warns visitors of what awaits them upon crossing the town’s borders.
Ft. Harmony’s Revenge is a very theatrical haunt with good set design. It’s obvious that a lot of hard work went into making scenes stand out. You’ll explore areas such as the haunted mine shaft, a zombie filled graveyard, a live seance, the burning of a witch, a human puppet show, the swamp and much more. There are some talented actors that make this attraction come alive. The addition of Abigail the witch hunter makes Ft. Harmony’s Revenge more interactive. The schoolhouse features an evil nun who takes her anger out on a poor student named Timothy. The costumes are superb. There are also some cool effects that you’ll definitely notice. Who doesn’t love foam that falls from the sky? Total tour time is around 20 minutes.
People had the chance to vote on what they thought The 7th Street Haunt’s new haunt should be named. Unit 732 was the winner. This haunt replaces last year’s “The Experiment”. The name Unit 732 is based on Unit 731 which was a covert Japanese biological and chemical research unit that conducted illegal human experiments during World War 2. Humans were injected with various bacteria such as the bubonic plague, tuberculosis and other goodies. I don’t want to spoil this new attraction, but what I can say is that it’s very chaotic which makes it an intense experience.
Unit 732 is dark and mysterious and focuses on evil experiments, pure insanity and it’s pretty actor driven. One of the issues I have with Unit 732 is some of the scenes could be lit better to show off some of the detail. This is a fast paced haunt where there always seems to be an actor that’s up close and personal. We were in and out in 12 minutes, but it could be longer depending on your interaction with the characters.
Tickets are $28 per person and it includes Ft. Harmony’s Revenge and Unit 732. Click here to fill out a form to receive a coupon. Last year tickets were $20 per attraction and $28 for a combo ticket. VIP tickets are $40 and allows you to skip the regular line. The casket ride simulator is $5 a person. On Sunday nights in October you can experience the Institutionalized Challenge for just five additional dollars. Take a ride on a custom made wheelchair as you navigate through the town of Ft. Harmony. Please visit www.7thstreethaunt.com/special-events/ for information on special events. There are concessions available such as food, drinks, makeup, candy, T-Shirts and more. Before entering the movie theater, you’ll have your picture taken at their photo op station. I got to hold a freshly severed head as I smiled for the camera.
The 7th Street Haunt includes two quality haunts that compliment each other very well. The new Unit 732 is a wild haunt with insane actors. Ft. Harmony’s Revenge has elements of an old school haunt, but has great set design and some damn good actors. We’re looking forward to seeing how Unit 732 evolves over time and we highly recommend The 7th Street Haunt.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Ft. Harmony’s Revenge: Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-9 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.4
Unit 732: Length-7 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-7 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 7.4
www.7thstreethaunt.com