Nightmare on Edgewood Review (2021)

With the ‘they will touch you’ understatement / disclaimer out of the way, we can get into what each of the haunts’ chaotic characters have to offer. Firstly, there are enough of them spread throughout the three haunts that there’s very little ‘dead space’ where we were left to wonder if anything was going to happen. SOME type of action was always guaranteed, with just enough spacing between them to realize when one scene was ending and another was beginning. The common overused phrases like,’get out,’ ‘fresh meat’ and ‘where are you going’ are absent here, and are instead replaced with more original scripts that usually specifically applied to the characters saying them.

In Edgewood Sanitarium, Dr. Schiz had us participate in a game of ‘trust your doctor,’ which we reluctantly (ironically) partook in. This was debatably the most chaotic haunt in the complex this year, with as many patients, nurses, and surgeons as there were grabbing us from multiple directions, constantly splitting up our group and rearranging our order, and screaming at us that we ‘need to calm down!’ while simultaneously injecting us with sedatives (simulated, of course’ we think). One of us was picked up about 2 feet off the ground up against a wall, almost given a swirly in a nasty toilet (not for their lack of trying), and asked if we’d ‘ever smelled death before?’ It was clear that this asylum was giving out some pretty good meds, and also the most well-staffed (with actors).

Despite stepping into a house with a similar design concept as previous seasons, the entire haunt has been completely rebuilt, and so have its actors. There’s no talk of Dr. Belle anymore, but the current inhabitants seem far more sinister and deadly’ not to mention territorial! Charlie is now the man of the house, and he doesn’t take kindly to strangers just walking right in uninvited. As we tried to find our way back out, we were threatened by him multiple times, which helped with the ‘can’t get away’ feeling that they’re going for, and the rest of his family wasn’t exactly ‘friendly’ with us either. One of them pushed us down onto her bed, another trapped us in her room and ‘played’ with us like we were her toys, a mechanic tried to bash our faces in with a sledgehammer, and that stingy wife of his wouldn’t let us have any of her wine. How rude! Charlie at least had the generosity to give us a head start as we tried to run away’ but he may not be as nice to you and your group, so beware!

We’d be lying if we said we weren’t excited to learn that the Conleys were back for another season in the Conley Farm. This family of mutated monsters also has a reputation with Edgewood’s fans of being the baddest redneck family on the block. If you’re lucky enough to make it out alive, then you’ll know why as well. Bubba and his cohorts were fully prepared to play a game of ‘sharp’ skill with us, and castrate or decapitate anyone that didn’t play along or win! We met several other members of the family, including Mama, one of her ‘friendlier’ sons (especially with the guys), and Jack, who had killed several prior siblings and was keeping them in his jack o’ lantern room.

Each of Edgewood’s assailants were properly dressed for the haunts and scenes we seen them in (see what we did there?). One bigger guy in the Sanitarium was shirtless except for a skin apron and, while some outfits were more layered and detailed than others, nearly everyone else was much more thoroughly clad. Makeup was mostly limited to faces during our visit, with several bare arms and bodies looking a bit odd when in brighter-lit rooms’ but we really had to work to make those kinds of observations with all of the ‘interaction’ going on.

The Sanitarium’s staff and patients wore obvious medical clothing. Ranging from scrubs and patient gowns to aforementioned aprons, surgical gear, a straight jacket and even those old-timey red cross nurse’s hats, we never knew if our next assailant was going to be bunking with us, giving us our meds, or cutting us open on the autopsy tables. We only noticed 1 mask in this haunt, and it was in a pitch-black hallway – extremely difficult to see except for when they followed us out into the light of the following scene (thank you!). Aside from some overall grunginess and blood splatters, the surgeon’s ‘splitting headache’ wound on top of his head was one of the better makeup looks of the haunt. We also noticed some colored contacts that helped convey just how looney these lunatics were!

House of Trepidation’s inhabitants trended towards much more normal looking clothing, with some of them being dated dresses to help convey the age of the house. Grandma had on a full-face mask, but it didn’t seem to fit very well, as it was tough to hear what she was shouting at us. Charlie’s tank top, the girls’ nightgown and toy outfit, and the mechanic’s work uniform helped make them easily identifiable. We also noticed some bloodied looks, darkened eyes and facial features, and a few other different masks that helped customize each of their appearances.

The Conley’s looks had clearly derived from their recent exposure to ‘all of those pesticides and hormones and such.’ Animal masks with multiple faces, others with realistic animal hair, a COVID mask with some awful-looking teeth attached to it, one with skin cut out into a jack o’lantern grin, and another with a hand doubling as a nose made each malicious miscreant more morbid and mutated than the next. Costuming included the stereotypical bib overalls, wide-brimmed hats, mechanic uniforms, and a variety of other hilljack shirts and pants to help convey their bumpkin behaviors. Some of the animal masks included a rabbit, pigs, a deer and a possum. This was another case of makeup being primarily applied to faces only, including some colored contacts, but some wilder hairdos and accessories may help take this family’s looks to the next level as well.

Due to current restrictions, Nightmare on Edgewood has not been given permission to utilize any type of signage near the road to direct their customers to their business. Our GPS did, however, take us directly to their building, and a parking attendant with a lighted vest guided us in. We had arrived later at night so he informed us that both of their lots were full. We asked where else he recommended we park and he wasn’t sure, so he told us to drive down the road a ways and look there. Long story short, arrive early so you can get the best chances of actually parking close to the building in a lot that they can secure. If possible, they highly recommend that you carpool. They do have some ideas in place for potential signage next year.

As soon as we spotted the NoE ticket trailer and giant grim reaper hearse, we knew we were at the right place! From this point, friendly staff members guided us on to where we needed to be. Navigating the waiting area was rather simple, and they’ve even got an outdoor section accessible from the main indoor waiting area with portable restrooms and a smoking section.

Inside the haunt, the heathens always kept us on the right path. There were a few uneven surfaces so do try to always be mindful of where you’re walking. Some of their props will get very close to you and some may flat out hit you or eat you if you’re standing too close to them. Yes, we said EAT you! We don’t recommend running in this attraction. The actors may also put their arms around you, try to pick you up, move you, tug or pull you to places, etc., so be mindful of that as well if you have issues with personal space. Many of them that got close to us or touched us had masks on that covered their mouths. An actor also made one of our group members smile and, in doing so, got some (gloved) fingers in their mouth… so don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Before entering the building, customers’ bags are checked and everyone will need to be wanded with a metal detector. You can make your life easier by leaving unnecessary items in the car’ you’ll appreciate the weight savings while you’re trying to escape the haunt anyway!

A large ‘Angel of Death’ hearse animatronic parned near the entrance to the haunt made it more obvious that we were at a haunted attraction. Other than that, there wasn’t really much going on outside the building except for the decorated NoE ticket booth. But, once we were inside, the atmosphere totally changed!

First, we entered a greenly-lit room with fog, a creepy carriage, and some other spooky decor. A sleeping ogre awakened to give us the rules and went from being about 8 foot tall to 12-15 foot tall right before us, so that was totally unexpected! From there, we were guided to the main area. The haunt now has more of a waiting ‘pit’ area with music where guests wait in line beneath a tall, towering facade of an abandoned hospital complete with a surrounding fence. Inside the fenced area were trees, and the giant asylum structure had boarded up windows, a balcony, and a low, uncovered window where waiting guests could look in for a sneak peek as other customers were checked into the hospital.

Outside of House of Trepidation, it was darker and a foreboding house facade greeted us. The waiting area to the Conley’s was also appropriately decorated like a barn complete with a few photo op pumpkins. Each of these decorated areas really helped set the ambiance for a haunted house. In the main area, we noticed one actress intermingling with guests before they entered.

Most haunts build solid walls, but Edgewood has a way of leaving sneak peaks in certain places, as well as some not-so-subtle details, that show you how big and intertwining some of their scenes are! We were amazed at some of their set design this season’ and just think, they built all of this in less than a year!

One of the first things we’d like to note are their animatronics and actormatronics. They utilize these props so well! They do get close to customers, but they result in unexpected scares when doing so. Each of these are also accompanied with appropriate and loud noises, and they were generally in unexpected places such as above us or from beneath a normal piece of furniture.

The Sanitarium was very realistic, complete with flickering lights, dingy walls, stacked hospital beds we had to walk beneath, authentic autopsy tables, exposed mechanics, and so much more. Just the sight of the hospital alone made it clear that any treatment provided here was likely inhumane.

A CGI patient hallway left our mouths gaping open while a realistic accidental elevator plunge left us holding onto the rails! Although the staff and patients encountered inside were very loud and provided their own sounds for most of the time, the only other sounds we could really hear accompanied the props and effects. There was some sound bleed from screams of other customers and other things going on in the haunt. This still seemed to fit with the chaotic hospital theme, but we aren’t sure how much they actually *added to it.

In House of Trepidation, not only did we enter through a house in an abnormal way, but, shortly after, we entered a room with a floor surprise. As we progressed, venturing inside and outside of the house’s actual walls added to the realism. At one point, we emerged from beneath the same stairwell we had previously viewed in a different area.

We noticed more sounds in the house than the hospital, but the inhabitants weren’t as chaotic (sounding) in this one. Some sinister footsteps created tension before we were released from a wall. Speaking of the wall, at times, it was very clear that we were INSIDE the actual slatted walls of an old house. We also noticed some slatted ceilings, tons of toys, a fireplace, a wine cellar, the sounds of a music box, hanging bodies, and a combination of effects that we’ll discuss below in the Scare Factor category due to their effectiveness.

The Conley Farm had quite a few sights to behold. We felt that this was the most detailed haunt, despite the more obvious open ceilings. However, lighting was added in ways that helped keep our attention focused down into the scenes. Overall, it had an genuine barnyard animal vibe, no offense to the Conleys. Please don’t sic Mama on us!

As we made our way through the wood-lined walls and stockades, we could hear many noises including turkeys, banjos, pig squeals, and lots of wildlife. The giant creatures always made noises too.

As we tiptoed our way through, we came across real water, a giant swamp, they showed us their oversized maggot, there were tools and common farm equipment all over, animal parts, and lots of cobwebs. Of course if there’s cobwebs’ there must be large spiders too! One room consisted of tons of custom-carved jack-o-lanterns.

In all, NoE offers a lot to look at for those that love detailed haunts and eye-candy. We’d be here for quite some time if we noted everything we saw inside, but you’ll have to go and see them for yourself to get the full experience.

A small segment to each attraction’s storyline can be found on their website. Even without knowing what the true stories are, the basics of each theme were pretty easy to understand; a haunted asylum, a haunted house, and a haunted farm.

The Edgewood Sanitarium returns, crazier than ever! This insane asylum was closed down over 40 years ago for medical malpractice’ or so everyone thought. Upon entering, a physician fiend warned that we would soon become his next patients. It was very clear that we were, in fact, in a sanitarium where experiments had clearly gone wrong. The medicine being distributed throughout was clearly some good stuff!

In House of Trepidation, the main theme from their website was hard to uncover. However, the house is now home to violent psychopaths and their victims. We didn’t encounter many inside that acted as victims so we’re assuming they meant us! When we entered the house, they did warn us with hints of what awaited ahead.

The Conley family did a great job of informing us what to expect in their family farm, and it matched the haunt’s website perfectly! We really appreciated the fact that they referred to their hogs and disfigurements as we encountered those inside. It was also clear they’d gone mad as we’re pretty sure they’ve started slaughtering humans as if they were their own livestock!

Holy crap, this was the scariest haunt our team has endured in a looong time. They managed to scare our whole team more than any of the others so far this year. Although there were only three of us, we feel that they did a great job of showing their scary shenanigans to each of us all the way through. Overall, the haunts were very loud, disorienting, and demanding at times. This haunt is not for the faint of heart.

Intensity? Check. Hard to predict? Check. Overall demanding environment? Check. Did they scare us? Double check.

In the Sanitarium, there was so much going on and attacking us that we had to do lots of double takes just to try and absorb what we were seeing. Many haunts resort to jump scares when it comes to types of frights, but Edgewood’s denizens and build team go way beyond that. Adding suspense to a haunt seems to be rather difficult, but in the hospital, a suspenseful window peeking into a room with at least 3 large brutes staring at us kept us from wanting to proceed into said room. We learned very quickly, to steer clear of the deranged staff members’ We also quickly learned that’ well’ you can’t – they will still find you and chase you down to give you their ‘treatment.’

As we barely made our way through, our group was separated on multiple occasions. We were also targeted by things quickly coming to life (some props, some not). There were quite a few staff members that provided distractions for one another and other tricks in the rooms. Just remember’ it’s not really the crazed patients you need to worry about this one. Eh, we kid, you need to worry about everything you see in this joint!

Not only did the House of Trepidation wind us through the inner walls of the house, but it thrust us right into the presence of some screwy sociopaths. Now why would they do that? Intimidating actors (and actresses) blocked our paths, some emerged from seemingly nowhere, we encountered total darkness, a table surprise, and a sledgehammer pop scare got each member of our group, one at a time.

We’d like to point out in this section that when great use of lighting, sounds, and props are orchestrated together, it can result in multiple types of scares in a single area! Although we don’t want to fully ruin any surprises, some of this can be experienced in the doll room, the dropping floor enclosure, and in a well-timed hallway that’s been dubbed ‘Hallway to Hell.’

At the finale to the house, a giant floating spectral being charged at us, sending us to the next waiting area.

The Conley’s had quite the pot of fright stew waiting for their vic’ visitors. The barn showcased more of a roller coaster of frights, per se, resulting in a larger variety than the other two attractions. A determined rodent sniffed us and made funny noises at us until she successfully creeped two of us out. Just when we thought we couldn’t fear a rabbit’ The farm proved us wrong! There were also some mighty good distractions to go around. We also noticed more of an emphasis on scares attacking from below.

As we passed the stockades, they turned a freak loose on us, they split us up and put one of us inside the stockades, they also threatened us, got uncomfortably close to us, and burly brutes tried to castrate and scalp one of us. Not to mention that every animal in this place seemed set on eating us, literally! Their guard dog WILL bite and its chain was MUCH longer than we thought; this one actually made one of our group members break the common haunt rule of ‘no running.’

Near the finale, the scares intensified the further we progressed. All we can tell you is watch out for the gator, and just when you think it’s over, you may be left trying to find your footing or your feet, depending on how quickly you can move.

It will cost $25.00 for your worst nightmares to come to life. For those in a hurry, Fast Passes are available for $40.00, but did seem limited in quantity as they were no longer offering them on-site when we arrived. As noted above, we recommend arriving at NoE early in the evening, closer to their opening time.

The doctors and nurses had their way with us for about 10 minutes, we experienced Trepidation for 6, and we witnessed some crazy shit on the Conley farm for another 10. Combined, that’s 26 minutes of pure insanity bringing their MPD (minutes of entertainment received per dollar spent) to 1.04. For a haunt of this caliber where there was little to no dead space with such a good crew and tons of detail, they offer an outstanding value.

When it comes to additional entertainment provided with the ticket price, NoE has plenty to take pictures of, a spooky atmosphere to keep the mind occupied, a monster telling the rules, and music playing across the waiting area. Right before guests entered, one believable actress greeted them.

It’s so amazing that this is their first season in this building. The giant facade that serves as the main entrance to the haunts alone shows how much these folks care about putting on one bad ass show for their customers. When it comes to effectively using their space, they’ve done it well.

As of this writing, we can confirm that this is Indiana’s most intense haunted event out of all of the ones we’ve visited thus far. Heck, as noted above, it’s the scariest one our team has endured all season!

Remember, if you scream too loud, they’ll think y’alls hogs and snatch you up!’