Louisville’s classic haunt returns for another year of morgue fun. This is Baxter Avenue Morgue, one of the creepiest, bone chilling haunts Kentucky has to offer. If this haunt doesn’t put a chill down your spine, then you must be dead just like the rest of the characters inside The Baxter Avenue Morgue.
Length-8: Your tour through the basement of the haunted Baxter Avenue Morgue will take close to 15 minutes to complete depending on how frightened you are. This is one of those haunts that has you walking slowly anticipating what is going to happen next. There are very few areas where little is happening.
Design-8: Baxter Avenue Morgue is a very realistic haunt resembling an actual morgue. The sense of death and dread insults the senses as you go through its dark and twisted basement. Although this haunt doesn’t take place in an actual morgue you will feel as if you are traveling through its dark haunted corridors. Around 30% of the haunt has been renovated this year with new and frightening scenes I won’t dare to give away. Some of the returning favorites include the Spider’s Lair, the spooky graveyard, the body bag room, the caged prison and so much more.
You will feel as if you are stepping inside an actual haunted location instead of a haunted attraction. Sadly a few scenes have been removed such as the ghost victim’s scene which has one of the few pepper’s ghost effects used at any haunt in Kentucky, Ohio or Indiana for that matter. Another classic scene that is totally absent for ’09 is the haunted mirror room which involves a girl sitting on chair as she fixes her hair when suddenly a disfigured version of herself appears and proceeds to choke the living daylights out of her victim.
Many of the detailed scenes at Baxter Avenue Morgue are stunning and include old fashioned furniture, kitchen appliances and more. You will feel like you’ve been transported into another period in time. Baxter Avenue Morgue is a great haunt, but some areas that have made it standout over the years have been altered. This is the case with the Spider’s Lair. You will walk through a cave like room that is covered with spider webs when suddenly a spider glides across the ceiling above you. This may catch you off guard, but in years past an actual actor was used and it was a much more startling scene. For one reason or the other this scene was altered, but years ago this was a standout room that many people looked forward to.
Other areas that could use some improvement include the large graveyard you’ll wrap around. It’s detailed and realistic, but could use better lighting to highlight the various tombstones and props. The use of a fog machine and synchronized lighting and sound would also help create a more menacing atmosphere. While the majority of Baxter Avenue Morgue is timed correctly a few areas just didn’t seem to work perfectly. The scene that comes to mind is the room with the vault doors. When you enter this area the lights should shut off immediately as the doors shake and lights flash on and off. But the sensor seems to be off a bit making the scene go off as you leave.
Because Baxter Avenue uses very haunting music the whole haunt is that more frightening and realistic. This haunt doesn’t resort to using your typical Midnight Syndicate soundtrack or overused hard rock music. Overall the scenes seamlessly blend together creating a haunt that feels real instead of a haunt that is prefabricated. Yeah, there are some walls that are bare before major scenes, but this is a rare occurrence.
Props/Animatronics-8: The decor you’ll see at Baxter Avenue Morgue goes perfectly with the scenes it decorates. You’ll notice old documents, realistic tombstones, old vaults, a corpse with his eyes popping out, hanging body bags, 1950’s appliances and furniture and much much more. The designers of this haunt are trying to create a haunt as realistic as possible while still incorporating some fancy props and set pieces. Yes, Baxter Avenue Morgue could purchase some newer props such as a vortex tunnel, claustrophobia tunnel, fancy animatronics or even use CGI for that matter, but it wouldn’t make too much sense placed in the morgue setting.
Also the majority of today’s animatronics use loud air compressors and this may overpower the haunting soundtrack or drown out many of the actors dialogue. One major element that would make a big difference is the addition of scent dispensers. To be able to smell rotting flesh or a freshly dug grave would really freak people out. Overall the decor is nice and doesn’t need much improvement.
Acting-9: The cast of Baxter Avenue Morgue is very unique. The characters you’ll come across can be quite intimidating to say the least. When you first enter you will be greeted by the morgue’s owner Warren Vanderdark after you exit the funeral parlor. Warren talks about the investigation Louisville Paranormal Investigations (LPI) did a while back and what they found in the Baxter Avenue Morgue.
The actor who plays Warren is very creepy and seems like He is from another world just like many of the twisted creatures you’ll cross paths with at The Baxter Avenue Morgue. These include a girl in doll’s clothing, various actors who blend in with scenes, a twisted doctor and a variety of characters you’ll only see in nightmares. If you are one who doesn’t like to be touched you may get a little freaked out by how some of the actors interact with customers.
Scare Effect-9: Baxter Avenue Morgue is one of the most bone chilling, hair raising haunts around. Louisville is known for its haunts and this is one of the scariest you’ll encounter. The rooms you’ll go through are dark and twisted and you’ll really feel as if you are walking through an authentic morgue. If the actors don’t scare you, the spirits will.
Customer Service: Baxter Avenue Morgue has a dedicated staff that is willing to help in anyway they can. The parking is sufficient, but could be better. On busy nights you may have a difficult time finding a spot across the street. Either way it’s free. Make sure and purchase some Baxter Avenue Morgue apparel or grab a cold drink or something good to eat after you exit.
Fright Value: $20 is too high for a haunt of this caliber. Baxter Avenue Morgue is a classic haunt with a big cult following, but considering people’s budget these days $20 is a lot to swallow. A family of 5 would be paying $100 for less than 20 minutes of entertainment. Please make sure and print out a $5 coupon available at www.baxtermorgue.com.
Final Stab-8.4: Please don’t let the low score fool you. Baxter Avenue Morgue is a high quality haunt that is extremely unique. The way it’s been designed makes it feel like a real morgue and few haunts can duplicate that atmosphere. If you are in the area or want to experience a truly frightening haunt then make sure to head out to the one and only Baxter Avenue Morgue.