Literally A Haunted House at Culbertson Mansion Review (2012)

There are usually around 50 volunteer actors in and around the Culbertson Mansion’s carriage house, which is plenty to fill each scene without anyone stepping on anyone else’s toes. Before the season starts, the cast go through orientation and training sessions and are coached by veteran actors and managers to make sure they fit their parts. Actors are also evaluated and given options on what scenes they are best suited for so that their personalities match their characters. Most of the characters were believable, but some of them didn’t match the haunt’s ‘demented toy’ theme. Examples are the zombies, the guy under the stairs and the skeleton mask because they didn’t really resemble toys at all. However, most of the actors were interactive and knew their parts very well! Just of few of these outstanding characters include the cymbal-banging monkey, zombie nurses, baby-face chainsaw guy, pregnant-with-demon lady, and the ‘Are you my Mommy?’ girl because of their originality.

Costumes are typically provided to actors by Culbertson Mansion and are usually found at local thrift stores. Later, they are modified, distressed and otherwise altered to make each character come to life! 3 to 4 airbrush artists are on-staff to make sure that each of the actors looks their best before each night begins. Masks are also typically purchased and later modified to help clarify what each character is supposed to be. Aside from the characters mentioned in the ‘Cast’ category, the rest of the crew matched the theme pretty well. Their costumes, makeup and masks were very well detailed, but some were better than others. Culbertson Mansion gets props for costuming originality and detail, but the score drops from last year due to the theme change and some of the old characters remaining in the cast.

If you don’t already know where the Culbertson Mansion is, it can be a little difficult to find. There aren’t many easily visible signs by the road and parking is located behind the property in a field across the railroad tracks. As you make your way up the sidewalk, a small set of stairs made more visible by rope lights will lead you to the ticket booth and two portable restrooms. A nice concession stand is located in the same tent as the ticket booth and friendly staff members offer customers t-shirts, souvenirs, snacks, drinks, hot food and warm beverages to help counteract the cold October nights. Customers are entertained by a life-size toy monkey that bashes cymbals at visitors that least expect it as well as ‘Spot,’ the haunt’s pet zombie. Once you reach the queue area, a chalkboard holds a count of ‘accidents’ that have occurred at the attraction for the last several years and a small TV shows live footage from one of the scenes inside the haunt. Stairs, low overhead beams and other hazards can be found throughout the tour, but most of these areas are amply lit and clearly marked with fluorescent paint and bright arrows to help guide customers through the carriage house. Be careful and watch your step while descending from the attic as our review team received multiple scares in this area! However, there were plenty of exits and we were informed that all actors and staff members are trained to deal with any emergency situation that may arise.

Most of the props and special effects at Culbertson Mansion are custom-made by some of the haunt’s very own crew members, but some of them have also been purchased from various haunt-related vendors. Many of the scenes are detailed well, but some rooms weren’t as elaborate as others. However, many of these original effects stood out to our review team: the demon emerging from the girl’s stomach, the barbed wire scene, the skeleton mother in the rocking chair, the casket ride, the rotating box, the entire floor being painted like an Ouija board, and the techniques used for other scene details like the blood-spattered walls.