Fright Manor (Indianapolis, IN)
“Do You Want Fries With That?”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
This season Fright Manor has moved to Southport Little League in Indianapolis, Indiana. The last time it was at this location was in 2010 and it’s definitely a welcome change. It’s a much more relaxed environment and seems like a place that would have a haunted attraction. Fright Manor is an old school haunt at heart. Before you enter, you’ll come across a sign. It reads “Halloween Special! Bodies Buried=$6, Bodies Buried Deep=$10. This gives you a good idea about the type of haunt Fright Manor is.
This is a downright scary haunt, but it does feature some dark humor. One of the newest characters you’ll meet this season is Rodney McDonald. He’s a twisted blood thirsty clown and the brother of Ronald McDonald. Whatever you do, please don’t try the McNasty. It’s made of human meat and it’s very rare. If you have a fear of clowns or what’s better known as Coulrophobia then you’re in for a treat at Fright Manor. The haunt isn’t full of clowns, but they do have a few that will definitely get your attention.
The fun duo of Twinkles and Chuckles will have you cracking up as they play a game of Hide and Go Seek. Twinkles is a female clown who wants to bash your head in and Chuckles is a playful male clown who wants to rip you to shreds. Twinkles hides in a ball pit as she waits for her next victim. Fright Manor consists of 3 attractions which are Camp Apocalypse, Chaos and Psychomanthium. We consider them themed areas that form one big attraction. We didn’t wait a minute as we moved from one to another.
Camp Apocalypse is full of military personnel that have become the living dead. They’re looking for a bite to eat. This is the weakest of the attractions at Fright Manor due to the set design and poor lighting. The actors do a good job portraying zombies as they walk slowly, grunt and get closer and closer. This is an attraction that could definitely benefit from some scary music. Fright Manor might be an old school haunt at heart, but it features plenty of high tech props. You’ll encounter a killer junkyard dog, a skeleton that shakes its metal cage, a blood thirsty werewolf, a tight claustrophobia tunnel, a vibrating bridge, and much more. You might even see sparks fly.
Fright Manor does an excellent job when it comes to dark hallways. There are numerous times where something or someone will pop out when you least expect it. One of my favorite effects features an actor who is chained up and lunges at customers as they walk by. You’ll encounter a few horror movie icons at Fright Manor. This includes Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Their Michael Myers is excellent and he definitely caught me off guard. One second I’m looking at a dummy of Michael Myers and the next second an actor emerges from the darkness. Fright Manor is one of the few haunts we tour that features the classic Jason mask room. You’ll enter a room full of glow in the dark Jason hockey masks. One is an actor who is waiting to scare you as they blend in with the darkness.
Fright Manor is a 20 minute haunted adventure and it has stood the test of time. They’ve been scaring customers with humor, frightening scenes and dedicated actors since 1982. There are certain things that could be improved. There are scenes that could benefit from a soundtrack including the Michael Myers scene. The theme from Halloween would definitely add to the tension. Some of the lighting could be improved as well. But with that being said, Fright Manor is pretty damn fun. You’ll experience everything from the church of the damned to a scarecrow infested cabin.
Tickets are $20 a piece. Members of FFA with a special code get in for only $10. November 2nd and 3rd, customers get in for $15 for Terror in the Dark (Lights Out) night. Fright Manor gives out free T-Shirts to the first 100 customers on October 5th and 12th. On September 28th and 29th Fright Manor gave away free tickets to those with ID for the Military, Police, Fire, EMT, Doctors, Nurses, Hospital and first responders. Proceeds from ticket sales go towards the maintenance of the Southport Little League. The exterior of the haunt has been improved. It includes a haunting façade with a small mural, an animatronic zombie and more. Please don’t forget to get your picture taken in front of their photo-op area which has some ghoulish characters. There’s even a fortune teller at Fright Manor. What does your future hold?
Fright Manor has found a new home and fear is here. Tell them City Blood sent you!
Length-9 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-7 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 7.8
http://www.frightmanor.com