House of Anguish at the Culbertson Mansion Review (2026)

Finding House of Anguish can be a little tricky if you aren’t familiar with the Culbertson Mansion. They did have a lit-up sign on the front yard, but it was a bit hard to see from the road – moving this closer would help. However, the mansion itself is immense, yellow, and brightly-lit, so you should be able to locate the haunt using that description. Parking is free; there are limited spots out front, or you can park on a nearby street and walk over.

Navigating the property was super easy. Signs directed arriving guests to the back, with more signs pointing out which of the two yellow tents was for tickets,, and which was for waiting in line. General Admission is the only option here and it was $20.00. While we waited, some spooky music played in the tent, three waterlogged monsters roamed about messing with folks in line, and they had some decor up, including a board of newspaper clippings related to this season’s storyline and the always entertaining “Spooky Oopsies” board.

Prior to our visit, we gave the HoA website a look over and it had loads of information on it for any prospective customers. Pretty much any question a guest might have was on there, and they even included some fun media of their monsters from past seasons.

The House’s theme for 2026 revolved around a flood that had taken place nearly a century ago, and the cult that spawned from those who were touched by- and even drank- the contaminated waters, spurring them to follow a mysterious half-fish creature they would only call “The Prophet”. This theme was carried well from the tent outside, all the way to a frightful chainsaw chase-out at the end! In addition to the newspaper clippings displayed in the queue, we noticed washed-up caskets- some still “occupied”- and a mountain of stuffed bags in the opening cemetery. (The bags were intriguing: an attempt to keep the water at bay, or hide the bodies left in its wake?) Crudely-painted signs bore messages reading “FLOOD ZONE” and “WASH AWAY OUR ANGUISH”, the latter being a little nod to the haunt’s usual icon character.

In the carriage house, we found multiple altars dedicated to The Prophet. They went heavy on the nautical details throughout, draping kelp and seaweed over set pieces and adding water damage and barnacles to walls. We also spotted a spinning ship’s wheel in at least one scene. The haunt struck a good balance between their chosen theme for the year, while still acknowledging we were in the mansion’s carriage house. By the time we reached the finale, we might’ve even found ourselves “submerged”!

Ominous music, along with the ringing of a wharf bell and the news reports in line, got us in the mood to brave the flood waters – and whatever beasts might be lurking in the deep. Once we got inside the house, we noticed many set details and props that did well to match every room. House of Anguish, being a fundraiser haunt, has a limited budget; as a result, there wasn’t a lot by way of high-tech effects. They did convert their actor-operated puppet to match the show theme, though, which we thought was awesome!

Other effects used included copious amounts of fog in the cemetery, water (we just knew we weren’t getting out of this one dry!), an unstable bridge that bounced beneath our feet, floors that had gone slippery from the flood, appropriate mood lighting tailored to each scene, and UV-reactive paint up in the attic. We can’t spoil these as they’re part of the finale, but let’s just say they added a couple of elements that require groups to interact directly with the house, too!

House of Anguish’s characters weren’t quite alive and well, but they were active! They began haunting us as soon as we approached the ticket booth. The first creature was bending, folding, and twisting herself into dramatic poses, while keeping her big black eyes locked in with our group during each deadly move. There was a bushman lurking among the shadows, suddenly appearing to startle patrons while they stood in line. You couldn’t miss the chompers on his face, not even from a distance, but he still made sure we saw them up close and personal!

Actors were ready to tell us about the terrifying flood, and spoke of The Prophet as we walked toward and through the carriage house. I could not tell if they were apparitions or truly there, for many had a white glow over their skin, dead eyes, and appeared to be stuck in a time from long ago. Their dialogue kept us in the moment; stories were told with enthusiasm, and surprise appearances were timed well. Most wore ratty clothing, to be expected after surviving a catastrophe; others were in robes, prosthetics, glowing eyes, painted on makeup, and mesh face coverings. Don’t worry – if you come here, you’ll definitely recognize The Prophet if you’re lucky enough to reach her.

While the actors did well overall, there was a bit too much general shouting and wailing going on in some scenes, and it made it hard to tell what the characters were actually saying amidst all the vocal collisions. The cast also included some interaction with our group and each other, but we didn’t see as much with the sets they were in.

We enjoyed the rather aggressive entertainment by the ticket booth and in the queue. Jump scares were experienced mere seconds after stepping foot onto the dark path that led us through the cemetery to the carriage house, and while they weren’t the most intense scares, they continued throughout the haunt. This cast had creative hiding spots, and they gave everyday stalkers a run for their money.

Hearing about The Prophet from nearly every character assisted in making us anxious to meet them. Where was this Prophet, why was she waiting on us, and what were her intentions? The dark, cold, and wet atmosphere in the house added to our fear of the unknown. There are eyes on you in the carriage house, and it’s not just the actors.

There was at least one actor simply walking the other direction without interaction once we were in their area, but that incident aside, scares were properly delivered and felt by most of our group – and we loved every second!

The love and care that its volunteers pour into House of Anguish makes this experience a wonderful value! Tickets are $20 each, for an approximate 13-minute experience, giving the haunt an MPD (Minutes Per Dollar) rating of 0.65.

While that is considerably lower than the full minute per dollar we typically seek in haunts, it’s important to remember that every ticket goes toward the restoration of the Culbertson Mansion, helping to keep an important part of New Albany history alive. This may be a shorter experience, but it packs a punch in the scare department. Come on out to the House of Anguish for a night of fun and frights – all in support of a great cause.