Don’t let the small town charm fool you; what awaits you in the basement of this haunted opera house is far from neighborly and charming.
Going on their 14th scare season, Celebration’s Haunted Opera House is a permanent haunt with 1,200 square feet of scare space that changes every year. It’s a family-owned and operated haunt with the majority of the staff and scare actors being family or friends. While it remains a low-budget haunt, the funds go back into the haunt for next year and to maintain the opera house.
This haunt doesn’t contain any gore, nudity, or excessively foul language, making it a great option for families or younger haunters. It’s also a shorter haunt with shorter wait lines, making it a perfect choice for beginners or those who need a quick haunt fix.
There are stairs leading into and out of the haunt, as well as fog and flashing lights for haunters who might be sensitive to those things.
The backbone of this haunt is its scare actors and room decoration. I was told there were about 15 scare actors this year, and it seemed to be a perfect amount for this haunt. Since there are few special effects and no room to make elaborate room sets, actors are needed to keep the energy up, and these guys did just that.
The majority of the cast seemed to be clowns or clown-related, but it wasn’t the only characters you’ll find. Swamp creatures, Leatherface, and a doll on a swing also await you. There may have been some other famous movie characters, but I couldn’t tell if they were actually people or just statues.
There’s not much in the way of conversation, with very little talking and no scripts or real dialogue. I heard my name called out at least once, so yell out the name of one of your group members and they might repeat it! I heard a few “Get Out’s,” screamers and crazy laughers, but that was about it. I did ask a clown for his name and he said it was Bobo, so say hi to Bobo if you go!
I didn’t really notice any custom or specialized behavior between the individual clowns. There was a room where a clown was stomping on balloons to make them pop and it gave the clown the impression of being angry or evil, which did add to the character. Some of the other characters, like the doll and swamp creatures, were more still and stalking, versus the clowns’ high energy. Leatherface seemed as crazy and chainsaw-wielding as in the movies. So there wasn’t a lot of individualism, but there were some differences between the character groups.
The creatures were popping in and out so fast that it was hard to really focus on the costumes. Out of the ones I did notice, they seemed to be detailed or have some effort put into them.
The clowns were mostly full-face masks and with detailed body costumes. I couldn’t see the swamp creatures costumes due to the laser swamp, but the full face masks had a scarecrow or woodland look to them, which was rather unique. There was an impressive doll costume with a mask and a doll-style dress.
I didn’t notice any blood cover or super gory costumes. As far as accessories, one character had a bat, Leatherface had a small chainsaw, and one clown had a leaf blower.
To find information about this haunt, check out their Facebook page. They accept cash & Venmo, but they don’t take credit cards. It looked like there was a bank across the street with a drive-thru ATM, but it would be better to just come prepared.
There is no dedicated parking lot, but there is plenty of nearby street parking and street lights, so you shouldn’t have an issue parking or finding your way. There is also a porta-potty outside near the entrance.
For signage, they have the permanent sign high up on the side of the building, an A-frame sign with information on the sidewalk, and a feather flag sign out front. There wasn’t any indication of the actual entrance, but I saw on Facebook to go to the red door, which was, in fact, the main door.
The staff was very kind and informative. They offered a small lockbox for phones or small items so you don’t lose them in the haunt. They also offered a stuffed animal “rent-a-friend” where, for $1, a kid or someone who was scared could borrow a stuffed toy to help them make it through the haunt.
This haunt is located inside a two-story, yellow stone building with an interesting past. The building was originally known as the Leach Opera House and was built in 1881. It was later sold and used as a funeral home from 1920 until 1998, when the building was sold again. The haunt was created in 2012, so when it comes to a spooky building and vibes, this place has a jump start. Heck, it even sits on Elm Street, you might see Freddy Krueger walking down the road!
It started with a small line outside and some light entertainment with an actor in a priest costume and a microphone roasting people with clean humor as they signed a guest book. He did make some people speak into a microphone, so if you have a fear of public speaking, this might be an added scare.
They broke the groups up into 4 or less, and sent them upstairs into the opera house main room, where you pay for your ticket and wait for your turn to enter the haunt. Due to the size of the haunt, smaller group sizes are recommended. They give you a group number so you can walk around, sit and watch the movie they were playing (which was Phantom of the Opera), and take photos in the photo op areas. Basically, you don’t have to stand there in line waiting, which was nice.
When it was your group’s turn, they announced your group number, go over a small list of rules, and then send you down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, you wait (with another staff member) for a music cue to enter. Once you go in, they close the door behind you, and you are instantly immersed in non-stop scares. We never ran into another group inside, so the timing was perfect.
The hallways are pretty narrow, you’re walking single file, and you weave in and out of small rooms and makeshift hallways. The rooms were small and short, but themed, and decorated floor to ceiling. There were lots of room dividers that prevented you from seeing too far into the rooms, mostly tattered plastic sheets or cloth, but they looked aged and worn to match the theme. If you’re easily claustrophobic, this haunt might test that.
There’s no overall storyline or theme but they have special themed areas. For example, a swamp, dolls and figurines, spider webs, several clowns, and even Leatherface with a small chainsaw, just to name a few.
The haunt exits outside to the side of the building and onto the sidewalk. There was a staff member out there to greet you, but nothing else.
As soon as you walk in, there is key lighting and some music is playing in the background. There were moments when there was no sound or music, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. You only had a few moments before the next scare, so you really don’t notice it that much.
Some standard special effects were used, such as strobe lights, fog, lasers, and there was even a colorful disco light for a clown party room.
This haunt also used some special effects that I wasn’t expecting! One of the effects that caught me off guard was the leaf blower! Between the sudden sound that I first thought was a chainsaw and the sensation of movement around my feet, it definitely made me jump.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 7
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 7
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 6
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 4
There were a lot of scares and interactions the entire time. For the small crew they had, none of them were standing still for very long unless that was the act. The actors were mostly engaged in jump scares, intimidation, and distractions.
There were several rooms with stuff hanging from the ceiling, creating sensory stimulation and blocking your view of what was coming. My favorite example was when we were walking through the sheets and all of a sudden, mannequins or scare actors were suddenly right there.
The finale and ending were a little abrupt. When we reached the end we were a little unsure if we were supposed to go through the door or if we had taken a wrong turn. We were correct, though, and the door was the end where you exit onto the street.
This is a very short haunt, only lasting 5-7 minutes, depending on how fast you can run, but it’s action-packed. At $10 a person, it’s a reasonable price considering that it also helps support the theatre.
If you’re traveling a great distance, it might not justify traveling to this one on its own, but it makes a great addition to any haunt travel night. We were traveling from Topeka on our way to another haunt, and swung by this one on the way. It was our first stop and a perfect way to start the night. If a second haunt isn’t an option, consider going, then grab some dinner at one of the locally-owned restaurants in town for a fun night.
Overall, it’s a fun, small haunt that’s worth the visit and support.
901 5th Street, Wamego, Kansas 66547
