Don’t let the quaint brick facade in downtown Munfordville fool you. Behind those doors waits the Canibilly family, and they’re starving! After decades of lurking in the Appalachian hills, this crazed clan has moved into town, and the locals have already noticed something isn’t right. Livestock missing. Neighbors disappearing. Twisted shapes slinking through the streets at night.
We saw the sign out front telling us to “Meet the Family,” and that’s exactly what we did. South Dixie Nightmare may be one of Kentucky’s newest haunts, but they wasted no time throwing us headfirst into a relentless stew of scares! The Canibilly’s aren’t just looking for dinner – they’re looking for you!
This family feast is one invitation we regretted accepting. Were we about to become their next victims?
The Canibillies were a little too eager to show us some Southern hospitality that night. You could say we received quite the wicked welcome from this bunch! South Dixie is a smaller haunt, but they had quite a few dedicated actors, and we never had to wait too long before we found more members of the family… or they found us. Presiding over a blood-splattered kitchen, Mama was happy to set aside some dinner for her guests: “Well, look what we have here! Hungry, are ya? We got plenty to share…” After hearing a few unappetizing comments on how the meal was prepared, we passed on her generosity. She didn’t care for that. “Are you turnin’ yer nose up at my vittles?!” A silent character wearing a hat lurked behind a window – later reappearing in the house to catch us off-guard (one member of our group remarked, “He broke in from outside!”). Although many of the Canibillies wore what you’d expect of hillbilly-themed characters- grimy, bloody dresses, overalls, hats, and such- we did encounter a pale girl in a black dress with dark ichor leaking from a cut in her throat. No sooner had we spotted her than she ran ahead and vanished like a spirit! Where did she go?!
Another roamer in the second portion of the haunt constantly darted ahead of our group, lingering just long enough for us to catch a glimpse before he was off again, hootin’ and hollerin’ the entire time. We found at least two unlucky victims, one of whom was “got” so good she didn’t move a muscle! She almost looked like a prop! A few of the Canibillies offered us some ‘shine and “Canibilly Candy” (a.k.a. meth), but when their operation was busted, we soon found ourselves under attack! (June Bug, who we believe was their chainsaw maniac, was especially vicious. Watch out!) Although the family didn’t make it easy to survive our visit to their home, not all interactions were meant to be scary: we were pulled into a dance party before it was over. So much fun!
True to the story, most of the characters we met were Canibillies, and we would’ve liked to see just a little more variety among the cast. When multiple actors are working a scene, care should also be taken to avoid too much shouting over each other as it can overwhelm the group and make it hard to understand dialogue.
The Canibilly family’s look was a gruesome blend of backwoods grit and blood-soaked madness. Overalls and dirt-stained work clothes made them look like they’d just crawled out of a holler, only to roll straight into a slaughterhouse. Faces featured multi-colored smears and wounds like they’d been through something rough.
Some of the finer details stood out – grungy teeth (or lack thereof), colored contacts, stringy hair, pigtails, hats, and even accessories like weapons they wielded (and touched us with) helped flesh out the clan’s horrifying vibe. We appreciated how no two Cannibillys looked exactly alike, although we would like to see additional deviations in some of the costumes.
While the costuming fit the theme very well, a few members could benefit from more distressing and blood to really push the “feral cannibal” aesthetic over the top. Overall, though, the Canibilly crew looked convincing enough to make us believe they’d been lurking in the hills for decades, waiting for their next meal. A few standouts included Mama, the black and white lady that we had no idea was real, and the bushman who blended in absolutely perfectly!
South Dixie Nightmare is located in downtown Munfordville. Right away, we noticed a big illuminated sign above the haunt’s entrance. Parking was free on the street, and there may have been lots nearby where someone could park and walk over as well. A staff member waited at a podium to admit groups. Just a little further down the sidewalk was the ticket booth, which was clearly labeled and had an ATM right next to it. Tickets to South Dixie Nightmare were $25 and cash only. At the time of our visit, no Fast Pass option was available, and tickets could only be purchased on site. Although the sign was very noticeable, we would have liked to see more out front to hint that a haunted house was around.
In addition to basic information like the address, dates of operation, ticket price, and hours, South Dixie’s website had a short list of FAQs going over questions such as wheelchair accessibility and if there was an age limit. It was mentioned in the list of rules you can read before entering the house, but South Dixie Nightmare is a light contact attraction, and we recommend putting this on the site since it’s a question we hear often from haunt-goers. Other items that could be added are a weather policy (guests may not know this is a completely indoor haunted house), what forms of payment are accepted, where to park, etc.
We loved that photos from the attraction were displayed on the site, along with the story of the Canibilly family to prepare visitors for who- or what- they may meet when they arrive.
At first glance, South Dixie Nightmare looks more like a small-town family business than a haunted house. The black brick building blends right in with downtown Munfordville’s historic storefronts, but the large sign above the door and glowing ticket booth quickly confirmed we’d arrived at the right place.
From the moment we were told “the family is ready to meet you,” the theme clicked into place. The Canibillys made their presence known right away, and it was crystal clear what kind of “family” we were stepping in to visit. Between their ravenous stares, twisted dialogue, and backwoods vibes, it didn’t take long to realize this was no ordinary family gathering. This was a clan of cannibalistic hillbillies, and we were the main course.
Since this was the haunt’s first season, we expect the scenes to continue to evolve and fill out with more detail in the years ahead. A few areas were more bare, with stretches of black walls, and moving between two buildings, one of which left a lot to the imagination, which briefly broke the immersion. Still, the foundation is strong, and the potential here is undeniable.
From setting foot on the Canibillies’ property to fleeing out their back door at the end, South Dixie used several different props and special effects to bring their story to life. Mama’s kitchen scene, the bar, and the meth lab stood out as some of the more detailed spots in the house. We saw highly realistic bodies of less fortunate visitors, a farm-fresh feast of severed animal heads on the dining room table, jars upon jars of the family’s special moonshine, absolutely nasty plucked “pond ducks” hanging from the ceiling, and more.
Several air cannons were deployed for jump scares (one was so strong it rolled a group member’s pant leg up!), and we also struggled to maintain our footing on a vibrating floor. The grotesque odor of rotting flesh permeated the kitchen, and it was all some of us could do to avoid plugging our noses and further offending Mama. Fun music played in a dance party scene, and at one point, true to the theme, we heard a rooster crow from afar. Sirens went off in the meth lab (leading the family to accuse us of plotting against them – uh oh).
More sensory effects, like water and fog, would help with immersion. The haunt was also on the quieter side and could’ve used a small bump in volume for background audio.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 8.63
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9.25
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 8
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 7
South Dixie Nightmare came out swinging (literally) with excellent timing and relentless scares that left us screaming nearly the entire way through. From the moment we stepped inside, they kept the pressure on with a mix of phobias and psychological tricks, including spiders dangling overhead, sudden blasts of air, intimidation, and subtle touches that had us cringing at the thought of what might be crawling on us.
Actors stalked, stared, and blended seamlessly into their surroundings before striking at just the right moment. Loud bangs, disorienting darkness, sparks, and moments of entrapment cranked the tension even higher! One of the biggest surprises of the night was the result of an explosion, but not like one we’ve ever seen at a haunt before!
This is a light-touch haunt, but the family made sure to use that allowance sparingly and effectively, pushing just enough to keep us off balance without overdoing it. Between the psychological dread and sudden startles, South Dixie delivered a scare-heavy first season that already rivals more established haunts.
We spent time with the Canibillies for approximately 10 and a half minutes. With a base ticket price of $25, this brings the haunt’s MPD (Minutes Per Dollar) score to 0.42 – less than half a minute per dollar spent. This is pretty far below the typical full minute per dollar many haunts aim for. However, our whole group had an absolute blast. It was over 10 minutes of jumps, shrieks, screams, laughter, and even dancing – this family sure knew how to throw a hoedown!
South Dixie Nightmare put on a strong showing for their first season, and we’re excited to see how this haunt develops in the near future. If you’ve got the “guts”, c’mon down to Munfordville and mea- excuse us, meet- the family… they’d love to have you!
223 Main Street, Munfordville, Kentucky 42765
