Lost Soul Asylum (Aurora, IN)
“Things Are Heating Up!”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Lost Soul Asylum is presented by the Aurora Fire Department. Park your car in the fire department’s parking lot and follow the lit path that takes you to a creepy haunted house. Lost Soul Asylum is an old school haunt with a variety of blood curdling scenes. This haunt doesn’t have a specific theme, but instead features typical haunt rooms.
Lost Soul Asylum is around 6 minutes long, but you would be surprised by how many scenes are packed into this small haunt. You’ll meet many horror movie icons that you’ll recognize from your favorite fright flicks. Samara, the creepy little girl from the Ring can be seen crawling out of a TV as a lifeless woman sits in a chair next to her. Leatherface can be seen cutting into his next victim with a hand saw. You’ll meet Freddy Krueger who jumps down from a platform. Unfortunately the background music was from Friday the 13th instead of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Some scenes could be improved. Michael Myers is one of the most well known horror movie villains, but he doesn’t really have his own room at Lost Souls Asylum. He just appears out of nowhere. A room resembling the Myers’ house would definitely make the boogeyman stand out more. Pinhead also makes his presence known, but you might miss him if you don’t look closely. He’s underneath plexiglass as you walk across the floor.
Lost Soul Asylum features some young cast members. They do a good job at jumping out at the right moment. You’re not going to encounter actors resorting to screaming in your face instead of trying to scare you. The standout character is Freddy Krueger. The actor does a convincing job portraying the Springwood Slasher. Don’t fall asleep. Lost Soul Asylum has many props including some that are animated. My favorite was the ghost girl on the moving swing. Most of the props are low budget, but they go well with the various scenes. These scenes include a clown house, haunted hospital and more. The zombies in the hospital did a good job making me think that they had an appetite for human flesh.
Lost Soul Asylum is $8 per ticket and the tour time is around 6 minutes. This makes it more than $1 a minute. The graveyard you exit out of adds a minute to the tour time, but there aren’t any actors. It’s mostly tombstones and various props. Kid’s night takes place on Saturday, October 28th from 7:30-8:30 pm and tickets are $5. The lights will be on and there won’t be any scares during that time period. Children will receive treats. Teams Heroes for Hope sells food and drinks at the concession stand and profits go to the 2017 Relay for Life event. Get yourself a cold soda, tasty hotdog and more. Having concessions after you exit the haunt would make more sense than having it near the haunt’s entrance. This might not be possible because of logistics.
Lost Soul Asylum is a short haunt, but tickets go towards helping the Aurora Fire Department. Yes, the acting could be improved, scenes could be more detailed and it could be scarier. It’s a fun experience though and you never know what to expect.
Length-5 Design-6 Props/Animatronics-6 Acting-6 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 6.0
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