8640 Lake Hills Drive, St. John, INDIANA
years: 2010-2012
One of the newer haunted houses that has quickly become a favorite for the Tourers is the Lake Hills Haunted House in St. John, Indiana. While the
Tourers usually focus on Illinois haunts, we sometimes venture into neighboring states to check out potentially good ones, and Lake Hills in
St. John is one that we keep coming back to year after year.
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Although the haunt is a bit pricey at $15, it does offer a great use of space, a lot of scenes on multiple levels, and some really high actor enthusiasm. The haunt is located in a disused fieldhouse and as such it not only offers the ability to craft excellent sets, but it also provides an actual structure to walk through as opposed to a temporary one. The fact that the building is not used for anything else and is actually old adds to the effect, much like the old school building used for St. Pat’s Haunted House in Kankakee.
Wait entertainment is usually provided by various actors, but special mention must be made of the actor playing Michael Meyers. For the past several years that we have visited, it seems as though the same person has been playing Michael Meyers
and he is excellent. While Michael Meyers is a staple at many haunts, there are also many variations – some simply wear the mask, others wear the mask from the Halloween remakes, while still others do the full costume. Very few actually do
the full costume and all of the mannerisms, but the actor at Lake Hills does. When we visited in 2012, he was in the parking lot, simply walking around. Occasionally he would stop and stare at people, much like Michael Meyers did to Lori Strode in the original movie. He also would patrol the cemetery setup that was outside of the haunt, so visitors exiting would have to pass him once more. His steely silence and stilted movements were every evocative of the character, and put visitors in the right mood for this haunted house.
Upon entering, visitors walk through a series of elaborate sets, most of which are interesting enough in and of themselves, even without live actors. But there are many live actors as well, lest you think you might get away without being
accosted by them! Some of the many scenes include a morgue, a Victorian living room, a very bloody bathroom, and nursery full of demonic babies that jump out at you. Much use is made of the existing building structure, with its dark walls, heavy wooden doors, and old wooden staircases, all of which makes the haunt most atmospheric. And unlike a lot of haunts where visitors are forced to crawl or walk through tight spaces in the dark, Lake Hills makes effective use of the wide open spaces inside the field house, allowing for more elaborate room setups and many more live actors. The open feel provides visitors the opportunity to examine the sets in detail, and also ups the “creepy” factor when exploring rooms without any live actors, as there are many places from which they can jump out, and not knowing if and when they will just adds to the
tension.
Another really fun thing about this particular haunt is the fact that Michael Meyers is not simply one of the actors entertaining people waiting to get in. He also finds his way into the house itself. Not only that, but the haunt is set up in such a way that he, or any live actor, can appear in front of visitors in one room, disappear, and then suddenly wind up in front of the same visitors in another room. One our 2012 visit, the Michael Meyers actor wound up appearing in practically every room – sometimes following up silently, sometimes appearing directly in front of us, despite the fact that he had been behind us just a moment prior. It was extremely effective, and kept us on our toes, particularly when we found ourselves in a seemingly empty
room.
One thing this particular Michael Meyers did which really set him apart from others we have seen was what he did when we came upon the nursery with the demon children in it. He had been following us through a couple of rooms – always
lagging a bit behind but enough so that we could still see him – and then suddenly, when we passed the nursery, he stopped following us and stared, seemingly fascinated, at the babies, slowly cocking his head to one side as if perplexed as to what he was seeing. It was most reminiscent of the real Michael Meyers and a very nice character touch. There was no reason for him to actually do this, so it goes to show just how in character this particular actor was.
Overall, Lake Hills has a lot to see and lasts between 20-30 minutes, depending on how badly you want to get out of there! There are detailed scenes multiple floors, and just when you think you’re finished you wind up going upstairs or downstairs
and entering another location. To top it off, upon exiting, visitors have to walk through a graveyard setup, and the actor who plays Michael Meyers often stands in the graveyard, waiting for visitors. Seeing his tall figure surrounded by tombstones and fog, and knowing he is there but not knowing what he will do or whom he will follow just keeps the scare factor going until the very end.
Lake Hills is one of those haunts that is not high on gore or “in your face” actors, but rather one that relies on more elaborate sets and an expanded experience. It is small touches like this that make it a standout haunt, and one that we look
forward to every year.
Wait entertainment is usually provided by various actors, but special mention must be made of the actor playing Michael Meyers. For the past several years that we have visited, it seems as though the same person has been playing Michael Meyers
and he is excellent. While Michael Meyers is a staple at many haunts, there are also many variations – some simply wear the mask, others wear the mask from the Halloween remakes, while still others do the full costume. Very few actually do
the full costume and all of the mannerisms, but the actor at Lake Hills does. When we visited in 2012, he was in the parking lot, simply walking around. Occasionally he would stop and stare at people, much like Michael Meyers did to Lori Strode in the original movie. He also would patrol the cemetery setup that was outside of the haunt, so visitors exiting would have to pass him once more. His steely silence and stilted movements were every evocative of the character, and put visitors in the right mood for this haunted house.
Upon entering, visitors walk through a series of elaborate sets, most of which are interesting enough in and of themselves, even without live actors. But there are many live actors as well, lest you think you might get away without being
accosted by them! Some of the many scenes include a morgue, a Victorian living room, a very bloody bathroom, and nursery full of demonic babies that jump out at you. Much use is made of the existing building structure, with its dark walls, heavy wooden doors, and old wooden staircases, all of which makes the haunt most atmospheric. And unlike a lot of haunts where visitors are forced to crawl or walk through tight spaces in the dark, Lake Hills makes effective use of the wide open spaces inside the field house, allowing for more elaborate room setups and many more live actors. The open feel provides visitors the opportunity to examine the sets in detail, and also ups the “creepy” factor when exploring rooms without any live actors, as there are many places from which they can jump out, and not knowing if and when they will just adds to the
tension.
Another really fun thing about this particular haunt is the fact that Michael Meyers is not simply one of the actors entertaining people waiting to get in. He also finds his way into the house itself. Not only that, but the haunt is set up in such a way that he, or any live actor, can appear in front of visitors in one room, disappear, and then suddenly wind up in front of the same visitors in another room. One our 2012 visit, the Michael Meyers actor wound up appearing in practically every room – sometimes following up silently, sometimes appearing directly in front of us, despite the fact that he had been behind us just a moment prior. It was extremely effective, and kept us on our toes, particularly when we found ourselves in a seemingly empty
room.
One thing this particular Michael Meyers did which really set him apart from others we have seen was what he did when we came upon the nursery with the demon children in it. He had been following us through a couple of rooms – always
lagging a bit behind but enough so that we could still see him – and then suddenly, when we passed the nursery, he stopped following us and stared, seemingly fascinated, at the babies, slowly cocking his head to one side as if perplexed as to what he was seeing. It was most reminiscent of the real Michael Meyers and a very nice character touch. There was no reason for him to actually do this, so it goes to show just how in character this particular actor was.
Overall, Lake Hills has a lot to see and lasts between 20-30 minutes, depending on how badly you want to get out of there! There are detailed scenes multiple floors, and just when you think you’re finished you wind up going upstairs or downstairs
and entering another location. To top it off, upon exiting, visitors have to walk through a graveyard setup, and the actor who plays Michael Meyers often stands in the graveyard, waiting for visitors. Seeing his tall figure surrounded by tombstones and fog, and knowing he is there but not knowing what he will do or whom he will follow just keeps the scare factor going until the very end.
Lake Hills is one of those haunts that is not high on gore or “in your face” actors, but rather one that relies on more elaborate sets and an expanded experience. It is small touches like this that make it a standout haunt, and one that we look
forward to every year.