Fear. The dictionary defines it as a distressing emotion that is aroused by impending danger. But if you look in the synonyms, you are likely to stumble upon the words Haunted Hotel and Industrial Nightmare, two of the premiere haunted houses in Louisville and southern Indiana run by the Haunted Network.
Under co-owners and visionaries Todd Moore and Terry Campbell, the Haunted Network came to life a decade ago. Utilizing their twisted imaginations and their ambitions for success, they have created two sinister masterpieces that are well worth your time.
They have assembled a team about 70 strong, made up of actors, builders, designers, supervisors, audio, make up, mechanics, etc.
But Moore and Campbell are very hands-on when it comes to the houses, and they personally help design the sets in order to make sure that they’re what they want and feel will scare the audience.
“The hardest part of my job is to give a good show, which is scary but safe,” Campbell said.
Haunted Hotel was the attraction that started it all.
If you’re looking for heart-pounding, gut-wrenching and “very intense,” scares, according to Campbell, then the Hotel should be on your top 10 lists of things to do every October.
Beware of the upstairs, where a harmless room and an innocent nursery rhyme might just turn into your worst nightmare in a matter of seconds.
If you’re looking for something that is still scary but also cool to look at, then “Industrial Nightmare” is for you.
The Nightmare is composed of three parts: the actual Industrial Nightmare, which is a swampy, foggy setting filled with death-dealing machines and deep-wading water.
Pitch Black is a treacherous maze consumed in total darkness that will have your mind playing tricks on you.
Lastly, Dementions includes scenes varying from a pig butcher that slaughters humans to an ax-toting Santa Claus that has mounted his trophy of Rudolph’s head on the wall.
Not everyone is terrified by the visits, however.
Junior Spencer Cockerell wasn’t convinced that the Industrial Nightmare was worth his $20.
He said it “wasn’t scary, except one part--the chain saw guy.”