Indiana Fear Farm Review (2021)

After our previous visit in 2018, staff members informed us that the Fear Farm members were volunteers. Some of them really expressed some deadication! One of the creepiest villains of the night was a lady dressed in all black that sinisterly stared at us outside the large barn.

Although the actors didn’t board the wagon, about three got super close to interact with us. But in most scenes, the cast members portrayed their roles from a distance. They intimidatingly stared at us, lip-synced to their soundtracks, danced, and attacked the wagon with a chainsaw at one point. Zombies also lunged out at us, growling ferociously, and asylum patients showed us how nuts they were. For the most part, the crew here made some vocal sounds, but they didn’t utilize much dialogue to interact with the wagon riders directly.

In the barn, we were much closer to the creatures. So close, they were able to touch us, and they did. But, other than an occasional, ‘Let’s go!’ ‘Get in there!’ or ‘Go on, get!’ there wasn’t much talking inside either. At one point, we did come across the mother from Stranger Things who was looking for her son, Will. However, in contrast, other residents within creepily stared or reached out to us. The confusion about whether to stay or go added an obscure element to the experience.

There were a lot of different ensembles and outfits to admire on the hayride. The characters matched their scenes very well, from black and white striped attire, wigs, and rotten skin to a red-jacketed Michael Jackson outfit, hospital garb, and paled-out faces.

We noticed that those who came close to the wagon had makeup that extended down through their arms and hands. In addition, several of the characters wielded weapons, which enhanced their looks. The stand-out look of the night, though, had to be the headless horseman. He rode in on an actual horse, cape flowing in the wind while waving an authentic-looking sword!

In the barn, the looks were a bit more varied. The characters started in tattered hillbilly attire that progressed to those that one might expect to see in a clown area. Although it was hard to see the clothing of those hiding within the walls, of the ones we did see, darkened eyes and bloody makeup gave them a more sinister appearance. Some facial features stood out more as they appeared to be using airbrush techniques. We also noted a lady that seemingly didn’t have any makeup on at all (Will’s mom). This actress appeared very young for her character, so we felt that adding some ‘age’ to her skin may help increase her believability as she calls out for her son.

At one point, we ended up in a Demogorgon chamber with a creature sporting an interesting Demogorgon–style mask and morph suit. We also noticed some distressed clothing, an apron, and possibly a chainsaw Andy (a nickname we’ve dubbed to Fear Farm’s iteration of Raggedy Andy). We will say, we weren’t expecting that one to come running at us with a gas-guzzling machine, but, alas, he did!

We would also like to note that we saw at least three roaming monsters in the midway: a sharp-toothed clown, a monster that resembled Jeepers Creepers, and the lady in all-black. All of these characters were fully decked out in costumes from head to toe!

Our Google Maps app brought us directly to the entrance of Indiana Fear Farm. They offer tons of free parking in their fields and have friendly folks to guide you into a good spot. Unfortunately, it had been raining on the night of our visit, so their fields were plagued with mud. As Murphy’s Law would have it, we got our vehicle stuck. Luckily, an officer and farmhand were happy to jump out and help push our car out of the mud! Thank you, fellas! They informed us we weren’t the only ones that had gotten stuck that night. The mud was also very slick to walk in, so be careful, and bring a 4×4 vehicle if you have the option.

Granted, the rainy weather and muddy conditions are likely beyond the haunt’s control, as we’re assuming the fields are used for crops during the summer months. That said, they probably don’t have the luxury of parking customers in a gravel or paved lot. Therefore, we’re purely mentioning it here as a ‘heads-up’ to future customers as to what conditions may be present when they arrive and try to get parked.

The property is pretty easy to navigate if you look at your surroundings and read signs. The ticket booth was easy to spot, and the staff inside helped us secure our tickets quickly. There is a ramp to get up to the loading dock for the hayride with small ledges to reduce slipping hazards. There’s also a significant step down to get into the wagon. However, several staff members were nearby, helping customers in and out of the wagon as needed. The short-legged member in our group was much appreciative of this!

The wagon warns passengers to keep their body parts tucked inside the wagon at all times. In addition, there’s another ramp to navigate inside the barn; do be mindful of where you’re walking.

Finding information on their website for attending was very easy. There are photos, discount information, and more on their site. They also had a custom t-shirt airbrushing booth on-site, concessions, and a nice merch booth, so be sure to visit those!

The atmosphere felt somewhat like an ordinary farm, that is until we heard horns, screams, and noticed several spooky stalkers sauntering around. The large barn, makeshift silo, bonfire, and decorated midway create a fun but creepy atmosphere.

Each time the haywagon would take off, the passengers would scream in delight, increasing our anticipation for our turn. Hard rock music played in the queue area, and we watched a sneaky clown scare customers as they took selfies with her.

For this attraction, we believe the atmosphere extends past just the general waiting area. On the hayride, rules are given to the passengers by a ghoulish voice. In addition, a fun version of Ghostbusters blasts through the woods before the real spooks begin. In the barn, each group enters a fully enclosed holding cell, much as one might expect in an actual slaughter barn. The confinement, rule video, and final warning that ‘you are food’ really added to the experience before entering.

The hayride offered some very unique and larger-than-life-sized effects! While we felt the weather may have taken its toll on a few items, overall, we were constantly looking around, trying not to miss any of the details!

Unlike some of the other hayrides we’ve encountered, this one has constant sound playing on the wagon, which we love to hear! These sounds also changed from scene to scene to something more fitting for each one. In addition, there were also authentic sounds coming from the scenes, including fire blasts, cannon shots, and a chainsaw!

We’re not sure how the wagon triggers the sets, but the timing was good for most aboard to enjoy each creature! They weren’t kidding when they said the scenes were tight! The wagon took us between giant pirate ships, well-decorated buildings, beneath an attacking spider, in front of a vehicle pursuit, a Purge announcement, and through an exploding gas station! Near the end, the actual horse ridden by its headless rider was a rare sight to behold!

In the barn, we noted a few more effective sounds. We heard something that sounded like realistic wind gusts, which left us wondering if the rainy weather had started getting worse outside! (Luckily, it had not.) Lighting was also used well in spots, specifically in the Demogorgon nest that featured dangling, glowing eggs!

In the beginning, the barn represented a place of slaughter showcasing wooden pens and walkways, a meat conveyor system, hanging meats and guts on tables. In addition, it eventually traversed through a shack with a spewing toilet, then out to a swamp, and then through a clown collection. Along the way, we encountered some tight, dark transition zones.

The hayride didn’t follow a storyline. Instead, guests can expect to see a variety of scenes, from pirates and zombies to the dancing dead, giant creatures, and more! The ride focuses on providing a variety of monsters and explosions suitable for all ages, and we feel that they do a great job of that!

Before entering the barn, we watched a video introduction that warned us of what may happen inside the facility. In the barn, evil lurked around the corners. It was clear that it was a barn upon entering, but we quickly made our way into darker settings. Some of these include a shack, a house where people were actively missing, dark corridors, through a Stranger Things scene, eventually facing Demogorgons, and, finally, a clown area. Given the ‘Slaughter Barn’ name and the similar-themed content of the intro video, we felt that some of these areas seemed out of place for a barn/slaughter theme.

The hayride intends to be more of a family-friendly attraction. But that’s not to say that there weren’t any scares in the woods because we’re here to tell you, even we jumped a few times!

Some of the loud and sudden blasts would be hard for anyone to pick out! In addition, the scares worked well to attack guests on both sides of the wagon at once. A few distractions led to scares, a few common fears, and a suspenseful pursuit! When a chainsaw got close to the wagon, quite a commotion stirred, but the whole wagon was caught off-guard by an unsuspecting plunge right over our heads!

Overall, the barn was darker and more confined, but we felt we were actually frightened on the hayride more this time around. Still, there are plenty of fears lingering within! Be sure to watch out for the walls, prepare to roam through dark areas where you can’t see your hand in front of your face, through tight spaces, and near a chainsaw, clowns, and more! As mentioned above, the lurkers within could reach out and touch us, and sometimes when they did, it was unexpected. But, most of the time, we saw their arms reaching out from the walls before walking into them (i.e., they touched us).

Currently, the Farm offers separate general admission tickets to each haunt or a combo special. We did not see any VIP ticketing options.

At the time of our visit, hayride adult tickets were $17.00 or $15.00 per child (8 and under). Slaughter Barn tickets were $15.00 per any age. Combo tickets for both were available for $28.00 per adult and $26.00 for children 8 and under.

It took us approximately 11 minutes on the hayride, counting from the time the music turned at the head of the woods, and it took us an additional 6.5 minutes to make our way through the barn for a combined total of 17.5 minutes. This brings the MPD (minutes of entertainment received per dollar spent) to 0.63, which is lower than the average of 1.25 we’ve seen this season. Therefore, when figuring in the atmosphere and additional queue entertainment provided while waiting, we recommend going ahead and checking out each attraction when possible to get the maximum value!

They also have special pricing on their website, including discount nights for military, college, and large groups, so be sure to check out their ticketing page before visiting.

Indiana Fear Farm is an enjoyable place to visit, and if you have littles that want to experience their first haunted attraction, their hayride may be a good one to start with!

Their website says they’re celebrating 19 years of fear. So if you’re looking for a bit of hayride fun and dodging a barn full of slaughterers sounds like it’s right up your alley, then visit Indiana Fear Farm during the Halloween season!