During our rainy evening in the Peoria, Illinois, area, we found our way to visit some of the great people behind Aura Haunted House. The weather did not stop visitors from filling tents and walking the former grounds of the old Pollak Hospital for a night of frights. We have been getting reports of strange happenings from the current staff, even an occurrence that happened the night before our arrival. What more fun can there be than a haunted house in a potentially haunted building?
The queue line had a few actors; however, the house was full of actors. Even with dead space, actors traveled through scenes to make it feel fuller. A lot of the actors relied on startles, noisemakers, screams, growls, and pop-outs. These types of scares were effective. The wide spaces and low lighting throughout the show made good use of these types of scares.
The most interactive was a fan favorite, Scary Gary. He terrorized people in line with his long tongue and handed out bloody eyeballs. Scary Gary had a lot to say about his ex-wives while trying to find new ones. Nurse Ruby was very good when it came to discussing your procedures. Bernice was lovely as usual and wanted to talk about finding a new ex-husband to replace the others that had “accidents”. The doll room was particularly terrifying with its undead inhabitants begging for friends to play with. The house had everything from large bat creatures, undead possessed girls, hospital staff, patients, monsters, and countless other ghouls. A lot of the actors utilized hidey holes to jump out of and scare you and laugh at you. Some of the actors have props they wanted to show you. The actors in the houses were not huge on dialogue, utilized body movements, and worked the rooms.
The use of airbrush makeup is used here to successfully make the actors look disturbed and distressed. The costumes have a lived-in feel, as if these creatures have been cursed to roam around in the clothes they wore at their moment of passing.
Many costumes in general look like everyday wear, with a sense of sorrow due to the grim conditions inside the haunted house. The nurses pulled us into the infirmary. A least we think they were nurses because their dresses were evident, but there was something sinister about their faces.
There were a few actors who wore dark clothing to blend into the dark corners of some of the rooms, so some of the costumes were not visible. The notable costumes we did get to see are the ones in oversized stuffed animals. Thinking we were stumbling upon mannequins, turns out it was just a deception.
We bumped into Beatriz, a widow looking for her next ex-husband. She was wearing a slightly used fur coat, fancy layers of clothing that didn’t match, and roaches stuck to her face. It is safe to say that she is not a living being due to her distressed makeup.
Out in the queue line, we saw Scary Gary, who is a beloved character in the area. He is a zombie-looking creature with his brain exposed and blood dripping down his face and his long blue coat. A cast member with a furry bunny mask strolled around, wearing carrots on a keychain.
There is a large marquee with an Aura Haunted House on it, as well as a brightly lit search light that leads you to the parking area. This can be seen from miles away. There are staff members at the very front of the attraction to guide you into the parking lot. Outside of the attractions are queue line actors and Aura staff, and security. Radios and earpieces are highly visible, so security is taken very seriously. Inside the haunt, emergency exits are visible as well as arrows on some of the walls. There is also a lot of low lighting, fog machines, and strobes. The staff is extremely helpful and professional. From the moment you park and get out of your car and walk to the ticket booth, there is always someone to help. On the night we went, it was raining, and we were offered umbrellas till we walked to the covered tents. There are plenty of staff and queue vaults to entertain and inform us. Inside the haunt, some of the actors had flashlights to guide you in the right direction.
Aura has a large social media presence. Sponsored ads and even advertisements at local gas stations. They also have a coupon deal with other haunts if you plan on visiting participating haunts. Aura recently had an addition to their spooky family, in the form of a sister haunt! I mention this as the website provides information on both Aura and Vibe haunted houses. There are also ticket options that will gain guests admission to both attractions for an adjusted price.
It is no secret that this haunted house is… haunted! The building looks and feels quite old. The queue line starts at the right side of the building and wraps around to the main entrance, where the majority of the line is under a tent. The rain could not stop the customers from braving to witness Aura!
Our introduction into the building was met with a baby grand piano and an actor lurking to ensure we were sent on the right path. Throughout the walkthrough, multiple scenes were set up using the natural direction of the old hospital. Repurposed everyday items were used as props to complete the authenticity of the rooms to feel lived in by former patients. To create a sense of suspension, black flaps were used to separate scenes. An added touch was the use of black belts instead of black flaps. I’m sure this may have been taken from their lost and found box. Former or new? We will never know.
The last stop before leaving the attraction is the gift shop. A few photo ops can be used to commemorate your visit, which we did. Spooky-themed accessories can be bought along with their merch, which could have been helpful during this rainy weather. Scary Gary was seen interacting with the patrons as they walked out, offering to take a picture with them in various photo op stations.
Aura has some great scenes and special effects throughout its attraction. Given the backdrop of an old hospital, the first scene is creative and effective. The ambiance feels as though we have wandered into an old, forgotten hospital. The music playing sounds as though it’s coming from an old radio and helps set the tone through the awesome scenes we must venture through. Many of the details in the first rooms are antiques, including a baby casket.
Props throughout the attraction were high-end and mixed with practical items as well to create a great mix of everything. Lights and sound have a major effect in every scene, as most of the rooms have just enough lighting to create a creepy atmosphere. There is a great room covered with cameras and provides a flash of lights made to replicate pictures being taken when we entered. Another unique room is the Christmas room. It’s so unexpected to have an actual themed Christmas room, but it feels as though we were walking into a living room in the middle of the night. Bob, of course, made his way out to greet us in classy fashion as usual.
Fog is used throughout the attraction as well, in an effective way. One of the rooms we make our way through contains several caskets in a maze-like fashion. It’s difficult enough to make our way through here, but the added fog adds an extra layer of anxiety. When we made our way out of one area, we were able to see down the hallway of the building, showing almost an endless corridor. It appears there is plenty of extra unexplored space based on this view, and maybe visitors will have an opportunity to walk through in the upcoming seasons. There seems to be room for potential expansion here, and knowing the team at Aura, they’ll have some great tricks up their sleeves. Aura did an exceptional job of keeping things creepy inside this old hospital.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 8.4
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.6
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 8.45
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 8.55
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 8.05
Some of the attractions play on well-known fears by utilizing low lighting and sometimes even pitch blackness to play on sensory deprivation. One of the attractions plays on how well you would do alone in one of these environments. The actors were able to hit different parts of the group at random times. Some parts of the houses had multiple characters in a scene, whereas other rooms had dead space or had actors traveling through scenes.
The actors really utilized their spaces and body movements. The hidey hole pop-outs were very scary. The growls and statue-like scares were very effective. Some of the scares were predictable, but once you thought you knew what was going to happen, you’d be hit with a statue scare. Everyone in the group can get a good scare because the actors know their scenes and how to make sure everyone gets a scare. The end of the house will have you literally running into the gift shop. There you’ll find photo ops, aura merchandise, beverages, spooky gifts, and even some wandering queue actors.
Our walkthrough time for Aura was 15 minutes. With online tickets starting at $ 38.50, our Minute Per Dollar value is 0.39. This is on the lower side of the spectrum; however, it does not detract from how enjoyable this attraction is. They provide a solid show inside a creepy old hospital. Expansion may likely happen down the line, but so far, so good!
The team has special guest actors who join them for fun, including the infamous Scary Gary. Fellas, hide your wives. We are excited to see what this attraction has in store, considering the great team behind it.
4500 Enterprise Drive, Bartonville, Illinois 61607