House of Trepidation (Indianapolis, IN)
“Dr. Belle Will See You”
By Noah Wullkotte:jollypumpkin@aol.com
Welcome my friends to Central Park where a horse drawn carriage leads the way to an overgrown cemetery. Skeletons from those who’ve passed away are seen guarding over headstones, caskets, coffins and tombs. A spooky owl is perched on top of a lamp post. Vines, trees, shrubs, a bleeding fountain and more decorate the rest of this elaborate queue line. Enter doors with stone lion heads that have glowing read eyes. Escape to a world where you’re part of a ghost story that never ends. This is House of Trepidation.
House of Trepidation celebrates their fifth year of fear. It’s one of Indiana’s most theatrical haunts and one of its most detailed as well. You’ll experience 3 attractions. They’re House of Trepidation, Crossroads of Carnage and Condemned. This was our first time touring House of Trepidation since 2015. It’s easy to say that they’ve improved a lot in more ways than one.
House of Trepidation is one of the most intricate and realistically themed haunts we’ve experienced all season. The lighting is beautiful and it makes the haunt look like something Universal Studios would create. We were very impressed. The walls are cracked, stained and there are large holes where corpses are hiding. Pictures magically move and the floorboards are uneven. It resembled an old Victorian mansion that’s been invaded by spirits that don’t want visitors disturbing them. One awesome special effect that stopped us in our tracks was a fog curtain with an image of a skull. You have to see this for yourself. It almost looks like a waterfall of fog. The young man in front of us was a little reluctant to walk through it and I don’t blame him.
You can almost smell the decay and mildew in the mansion. It’s an old dusty place filled with some angry spirits. There’s just about any type of room you would find in a hospital and a haunted mansion. When I was a little kid I was always scared of my grandma’s closet in her guest room. House of Trepidation has a closet just like that and there are hands inside that will grab at your legs. It brought back some twisted nightmares I used to have growing up. There’s a lot to look at inside House of Trepidation and many cool props that serve as distractions. An aquarium is full of what looks like the skeletons of piranhas. There’s something lurking in that room. So, be on the lookout for a creature.
The trophy room has animal heads mounted on the wall. One is a human head that begins to talk. Watch out for the vicious werewolf that’s waiting. This is a very actor driven haunt where you might be asked to assist some of the characters. I was asked to put my hand inside a cadaver before being allowed to leave. The costumes are great. There’s no way I could forget the massive bat that lunged at me. I would bet my life savings that he was carrying rabies. I could just tell by the look in his eyes.
House of Trepidation is a haunt for those who appreciate intricate scenes and great acting. It’s a haunt that tries to leave no stone unturned when it comes to dynamic lighting and realistic set design. We really appreciated all the time and effort that must have went into creating a haunt that’s full of dread and horror. This is something special. Total tour time was around 20 minutes when you include the outside attraction that features a junkyard, chainsaw maniacs, fire and more. It’s pure pandemonium. Both House of Trepidation and Nightmare on Edgewood share this area.
Tickets are $25, VIP is $35 and a combo ticket for House of Trepidation and Nightmare on Edgewood is $40. They both occupy the same building and we suggest that you tour both. Make it a true night of fright. Please click here for information on their Group VIP Cancun Trip Pass and to sign up for some coupons. Click here for a $2 off coupon. There are also coupons available at Spirit Halloween and Cricket Wireless locations. There are concessions available including House of Trepidation memorabilia, popcorn, soda, various snacks and more. Black Out is on November 9th and Belle’s Christmas Nightmare Cont’d is on December 13th and 14th. Check their website for details on their special events. This includes pricing, dates, hours and more.
House of Trepidation is one of the best haunts Indiana has to offer and they know how to capture someone’s imagination. It’s spooky, scary and a ghoulishly good time. It’s very detailed and very fun.
Length-9 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-9 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 8.8
www.houseoftrepidation.com