8640 Lake Hills Drive, St. John, Indiana
year: 2013
Lake Hills Haunted House is always one of our most anticipated haunts each year. It's one of those haunts that just drips with atmosphere, both inside and out. Housed in a disused clubhouse, the haunt appears somewhat creepy from the outside alone, with its boarded up windows and eerie lighting, not to mention the full blown cemetery recreation outside. Added to this is that Mike Myers is often stalking people in the parking lot as well as those waiting in line, creating a spooky atmosphere (and freaking people out) before they even enter the haunt.
The inside of the haunt continues the theme of abandonment and desolation. It really does appear like the building hasn't been occupied in years, and visitors are walking through the remnants of another time, albeit occupied by various ghouls and crazy people. The sets are highly detailed, from period furniture to dil;apidated walls and ceilings, to old wooden floors that creak and groan with every step, each room is a sight to behold. Each year also brings some changes to the inside of the haunt. One of the cool additions this year was a large set of chained double doors with "dead inside" spray painted on the front (a nod to the first episode of The Walking Dead. The doors were moving as if whatever was behind was struggling to get out, which made for a nice addition to the hospital and morgue sets that form the first portion of the haunt. Other new additions included a corridor with large steam pipes on each side, out of which various live actors popped, and a cool setup featuring the Saw guy on a tricycle and a moving giant dog prop, both of which served as distractions that allowed a live actor with a hockey mask and chainsaw to sneak up on visitors. Good stuff! Another excellent room was the funeral scene, which featured a creepy hooded actor beckoning visitors to get inside a coffin, as well as a zombie in the pews who followed visitors until they headed to the next area. We've seen this type of scene done before, but this one was done very well - no in your face acting, no loud noises, no dialogue at all. Just a couple of silently creepy live actors creating an unsettling atmosphere. Another thing that's always fun about Lake Hills is that once visitors exit they have to walk through a cemetery setup to get to the parking lot. Usually visitors think they are done but are often surprised by a live actor (usually a very effective Mike Myers) which adds one more unsettling element to the mix. Overall, there is a lot to see at Lake Hills and at about 25 minutes it's worth the price of admission. It is often crowded, and on some nights it closes early, so be sure to get there when they open if you want to avoid the lines. The haunt has gotten better and better each year, and we highly recommend it for those fans of haunts with good atmosphere. However, we would like to see Mike Myers inside the haunt in future years as in the past couple he has primarily been outside. Otherwise, though, it's well worth it! |
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