Screaming, darkness and erie noises are not typical qualities that I look for in entertainment. Let’s just say that I used to build a fortress of stuffed animals around my bed when I was a kid to protect me from whatever spookiness was out there.
When Doing Indy presented me with the opportunity to visit the Indy Scream Park in Anderson, I must say that at first I was very, very nervous! I did some research and took a look through their extensive website and read a review from Danielle Look, music editor of IndyMojo.com and haunted house aficionado, and realized that Indy Scream Park is much more than just a walk through a dark building with people staged to jump out at you.
To ensure my sanity I needed a partner in crime, so I approached fellow Doing Indy blogger Allison Carter. We agreed to meet up for dinner at The Roost off 116th in Fishers prior to our road trip north to Anderson. Allison grabbed a gooey patty melt while I took advantage of the dinner menu and ordered a Sunday feast.
Fried biscuits with apple butter, smokey rooster mac (a skillet filled with pork goodness from Smoking Goose Meatery) and perfectly cooked green beans helped calm my nerves prior to hopping in the car. The Roost is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves an amazing omelet, sandwich and hearty dinner menu.
We arrived at Indy Scream Park just before they opened at 7. After getting your tickets you walk straight into Monster Midway, where you can enjoy classic carnival goodies like elephant ears and play games with a haunted twist. Picnic tables and fire pits provide a nice resting point for those who are deciding which of the 5 attractions they want to head to next. Just be ready to get up close and personal with Jason or Freddie Krueger.
You can definitely understand the time and energy put into Indy Scream Park once you walk indoors, where booms, screams and sounds of chainsaws were all we could focus on as we walked up. There was a good crowd when we went on Sunday, but the size of the parking lot tells you that this place will be very busy come Halloween, so you may want to consider throwing a few extra bucks for VIP passes so you can skip the lines.
Bedlam was my favorite indoor attraction. You’re handed 3D glasses to wear as you walk through the psychedelic, brightly painted walls where camouflaged clowns are waiting to interrupt and confuse you with their bright faces and costumes. Kurayami is a stark contrast – the pitch black maze is full of nooks and crannies to get lost in. We didn’t know the other people in our group, but after all of the hand-holding through the close quarters, we developed a small Indy Scream Park bond with each other. Nachtmahr is full of deranged individuals stuck in an institution, waiting to pull you into their skewed view of reality and get you to lose your mind, too. Walking through the mock insane asylum was enough to make me practically hug the walls (and Allison) as I was approached by nurses and patients that made me scream too many times to count.
Unfortunately it started pouring down raining as we finished indoors, so we did not make it out to the 2 outdoor attractions, Infected and Backwoods. Just because they’re outdoors doesn’t mean you’ll get a lighter scare – just looking out onto the ominous corn fields and dark skies was enough to make me shudder.
Indy Scream Park is so much more than just getting spooked or startled by unexpected noises and people – all of your senses and emotions are used against you to provide a terrifying experience that challenges you physically and mentally. Think you have what it takes to make it through all 5 attractions? Leave a comment on this post telling us what spooks you the most and you’ll be entered to win 2 VIP passes to Indy Scream Park. 2 winners will be selected at random on Thursday, October 18 at noon EST and notified via email. If email is not returned within 24 hours another winner will be selected. Winner have been selected and notified – thanks again for participating!
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