Corpse Manor (Indianapolis, IN)
“Where The Living Meet The Dead”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Corpse Manor is in its third year of operation, but you would never guess that by how impressive it is. Corpse Manor is located in the Post Town Recreation center and features 3 different attractions. These include Corpse Manor, Night Shadows and Sinister Woods.
Their flagship attraction is of course Corpse Manor which eventually transitions into Night Shadows. Corpse Manor is a highly detailed haunt with some of the best actors around. The first scene involves a horse drawn carriage in the woods during a lightning storm. You’ll then enter the haunted manor. A creepy servant tells the tale of Lord Calvert. She has a case of Tuberculosis and coughs into a napkin which reveals blood.
You’ll meet Lord Calvert a few minutes later as he busts out of a portrait and screams at the top of his lungs. The only way out is through a hidden bookcase that the servant pries open. This is a very clever haunt and it feels like a genuine haunted house. It’s like entering an old black and white horror movie and you’ve been cast for the lead role. The ceilings have deteriorated and monsters and ghouls are hiding everywhere.
You’ll come face to face with a monster that resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon and you’ll enter many spooky areas of the manor like the wine cellar and a hall or portraits. Corpse Manor has lighting that slowly dims and some rooms use LED spotlights to give just the right amount of light. LED lighting is best utilized in the wine cellar. The blue lights give the scene a scary glow. Corpse Manor has great props and effects. My favorite is the falling chandelier. Some props are even hidden above the broken ceiling. Look up and you might get a surprise.
The actor playing the lowly servant is incredible and the rest of the cast at Corpse Manor does an amazing job as well. Corpse Manor uses actors who have experience in theater. They’re well trained and a few might call out your name.
Corpse Manor eventually transitions into Night shadows. This is a very dark and sinister haunt. It’s hard to consider it a separate attraction since most of it takes place in the dark and it’s rather short. There aren’t too many scenes to speak of, but it can be quite scary trying to find your way out of the shadows.
Total tour time for Corpse Manor and Night Shadows is 13 minutes. After you exit Corpse Manor, you’ll enter Sinister Woods. Sinister Woods is a haunted trail of a different breed. You’re given a flashlight to help you navigate through the darkness. Eventually it goes dead and you’re left all alone in the deep dark woods.
This is where the fun begins. You’ll meet some rather intimidating characters like a murderous ghoul who is digging a grave, a demonic scarecrow and other characters you wouldn’t want to meet in real life. The haunt is around 6 minutes long and the highlight is the German Soldier you’ll meet at the beginning of your journey. He has problems with his mother and stays in character the entire time.
The attractions at Corpse Manor are great and the actors are what standout the most. Without great actors, a haunt will fail. Corpse Manor has some of the best actors in the state of Indiana and features some unique scenes that really shine. Tickets for Corpse Manor and Night Shadows are $15. A combo ticket for Corpse Manor, Night Shadows and Sinister Woods is $20. You can skip the line for an additional $8. Click here for a valuable coupon. It gets you $2 off a combo ticket. Military, firefighters and police receive $3 off admission when using the coupon and showing valid ID.
Final Stab For Each Haunt:
Corpse Manor and Night Shadows: Length-7 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-9 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 8.4
Sinister Woods: Length-5 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-6 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 6.4
www.corpsemanor.com