Fear Fair-“Lights, Camera, Action”
Genre: Haunted House
Location: 800 A. Ave east
Seymour IN 47274
Runtime: 20-25 min
Website: www.fearfair.com
Seymour, Indiana is a small bustling town where every other radio station is playing a high school football game. Fear Fair may be somewhat in the middle of nowhere, but it’s one of those haunts that stands out among the rest. Its movie scenes are so real that you would swear you were entering your worst nightmare.
Has Fear Fair improved since 2009 or will it fail to make a splash? This is City Blood’s 2010 review of Fear Fear in Seymour, Indiana.
What’s Good About The Haunt?
Fear Fair is simply one of the best designed haunts in the industry. Few haunts can recreate classic horror movies and do them justice, but Fear Fair takes it to another level of fright. Fear Fair’s detailed sets are so impressive that you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a classic slasher flick or entered a twisted western village. The first portion of Fear Fair revolves around a western town where something has gone horribly wrong. You’ll travel on an old moving train with realistic movement, walk through an alley infested with zombie prostitues, enter a dark and sinister brothell and even get a buzz in the old fashioned whisky room.
After you are finished experiencing the wicked wild west, you can relax and find a seat at the Fear Fair Film Fest. This portion of the haunt starts off with you entering a dark and creepy movie theater complete with real theater seats and some startling actors who sit still in their seats waiting to attack when you least expect it. Don’t forget your popcorn! To transition into the next area of the haunt, you’ll need to walk through the projector screen which changes into two claustrophobia tunnels, one white and one black.
If you survived the first half of Fear Fair, you’ll be on your way to experience some killer horror movie scenes that look like they’re part of an actual movie set. For those who aren’t big horror movie buffs, don’t worry. Every scene has a clapperboard on the side of its structure explaining what movie they are trying to recreate. You’ll get detailed information such as the name of the movie, the date it was made and who directed the film. Every popular horror movie you could imagine is at Fear Fair. This includes Rob Zombie’s Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, Friday The 13th, Saw, Hellraiser, Jeepers Creepers 2, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and classics you’ve watched over the years.
Many of the movies Fear Fair recreates are classics in every sense of the word and the creators of this jaw dropping haunt know this. There’s so much detail packed into scenes that you would need to tour the haunt at least twice in order to really appreciate all the hard work that has gone into making these well known horror movies come to life. Camp Crystal Lake has real bunk beds with campers crying out for help. The mine shaft from My Bloody Valentine features a poor soul who has had a shovel crammed in their throat to the point where the jaw has been seperated from the rest of the mouth. Even Dr. Frakenstein’s Laboratory has a large tesla coil that looks like it was taken straight out of the 1931 Universal classic.
Fear Fair uses some great props to decorate scenes with very few that you’ll see at other haunts. I recognized an animated Frankenstein animatronic from Distortions Unlimited and a shovel death victim from Unit 70 Studios. There are also a couple other props from well known companies in the haunt industry, but for the most part there aren’t many animatronics or animated scares which is okay. It wouldn’t make sense to have them in recreations of horror movie scenes.
Every great haunt has a dedicated cast of actors. The actors at Fear Fair are intense beyond belief. I knew I was in for a wild ride when before I even entered the first scene I had a fake knife pressed up against my throat while in front of Richard’s Funeral Home. The characters you’ll come in contact with are insane. You’ll get touched, grabbed, pulled into a room and even have puss squirted on your face. Fear Fair is a very interactive experience. While some people may not enjoy being touched, I do. It makes the haunt more off the wall and unpredictable. I love it!
The most memorable characters of the night are the horror icons “Freddy Krueger” and “Jason Vorhees”. The actor portraying Freddy Krueger is about the same height as Robert Englund (5 “9) and he sounds just like him. The actor playing Jason Vorhees is massive and is intimidating. At one point Jason grabbed the person I came with into The Friday The 13th scene and I was left all alone for a few seconds having no clue what had just happened. This dedication to character is really appreciated.
What’s Bad About The Haunt?
There are too many areas of Fear Fair that can be a little dangerous. There were numerous times where I had to walk down steep steps, crawl through tight spaces, duck to enter a room and even walk on a narrow bridge without any railings on its sides. Some of the steps are lit, but it’s still pretty difficult walking up or down the stairs without almost tripping. These areas need to be altered.
Customer Service:
If it’s raining out there’s no need to worry because Fear Fair has a covered waiting area for everyone in line. The place was very easy to find because of the lit ghost inflatables that can be seen dancing on the roof. There aren’t many concessions except for a few pop machines on the side of the building.
Fear Fair has increased its price over the years, but it has also improved in a lot of areas. $15 isn’t a bad price for a haunt of this caliber. You’re getting what you pay for.
Final Thoughts:
Fear Fair is one of those haunts that you just have to experience. If you are a fan of classic and modern horror movies, you’ll be in heaven at this haunt. It’s just insane how real these scenes are and the actors who reside in them are intense beyond belief. Seymour, Indiana may be a small town, but Fear Fair is a big time haunt in every possible way. It has great set design, dedicated actors and some innovative scenes that I won’t dare ruin for you. If you are in Seymour, Indiana or just want to experience one of the most realistic haunts around, then head on down to Fear Fair. It’s well worth the drive.
Length-9 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-10 Scare Effect-10
Official Score – 9.4
Fun Facts:
*Owner Brett Hays plays Dr. Frankenstein in the laboratory.