The Haunting (Columbus, IN)
“The Headless Horseman Rides Again”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
This will be our first year touring this haunted trail. Halloween music played in the queue line as we waited to enter and everyone seemed excited about what they would soon experience. An actor dressed as a pirate wearing a Freddy Krueger mask interacted with the haunt goers. Would we get so scared that we walk away in pure panic or would we be disappointed? This is City Blood’s review of The Haunting at Shireman Homestead. Be afraid, be very afraid!
The Haunting is a family friendly haunt, but there are plenty of scares along the way. The Halloween spirit is alive and well at Shireman Homestead. Many of the scenes feature a skeleton that plays a certain character. There are a variety of scenes like an upside down room, chapel, mineshaft, a sewer, school classroom, fun house and more. The Ghost Town is pretty elaborate with detailed facades like the old saloon. Little details here and there make the haunt more impressive. The fun house featured fog that smelled like cotton candy.
I loved seeing the Headless Horseman. This was a real treat seeing a live horse instead of the usual animatronic. The Haunting is one of those haunts where it’s hard to predict what’s coming next. There were a few times I even jumped which isn’t typical for me. As I was walking past a bunch of bales of hay, a werewolf popped out of nowhere and startled me to no end. Now, this isn’t a perfect haunt by any means. The actors resort to typical lines like “where are you going?, get out and so forth. While many of the scenes are interesting, they also lack detail and resort to using Halloween lights for lighting.
Certain things don’t make sense either. Why is Darth Vader randomly in the haunt? This is a fun attraction even with its faults. Total tour time is 20 minutes. After the haunt is over, you’ll hop on a wagon with 2 skeletons attached. It will take you back to the line, so you can exit. General admission is $15. The Children’s friendly version of the haunt is from 4pm-6pm and tickets are just $5. There are concessions available such as hot chocolate and cider.
The Haunting at Shireman Homestead has its faults, but it’s one of those attractions that the entire family can enjoy together without having to go to therapy afterwards.
Length-9 Design-6 Props/Animatronics-6 Acting-7 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.0
www.shiremanhomestead.com