The American Horrorplex Review (2022)

This was one of the best groups of cast members we’ve seen so far this season! Nearly every part of the cemetery and institute had various beings or medical staff interacting with us. At times, multiple aggressors would attack in the same areas! They kept us on our toes with their relentless antics.

Luckily, we made it just in time for the ritual of the Antichrist as dead beings arose from their graves. We were sent off with an appropriate “To hell with you” as we were saved from the grave dwellers by Nurse Bubbles – or so we thought at the time. However, she plummeted us via hellavator into more devious confrontations. The nurse seems friendly and “bubbly,” but we believe it’s all an act to lure unsuspecting visitors inside.

An array of comedic and disturbing dialogues fluently filled the halls. The mixture of puns and aggression made for quite an unpredictable (and exciting!) tour. Several asked questions and they had quick, quirky comebacks when we responded to them. Stay away from Fred; he doesn’t follow commands very well.

Many of the characters delivered stand-out performances. For example, the proud Fleshlumpkin-delivering doctor was ecstatic with his new “baby.” But, he turned frantic when he realized he needed a new mother to deliver another (this one was dead as a doornail). At this moment, the only female in our group quickly made her way out of the delivery room. Meanwhile, a pregnant-bellied mother holding a freshly-delivered infant with severed limbs gut-wrenchingly exclaimed, “It was my baby! You can’t do this to us. I’m a person!” as she waved the poor infant around while grabbing at her blood-covered belly.

In addition, they demanded our spleens and other body parts. An aggressively-shocking lady showed us how to make some bacon (she was exceptional). One clearly-mental woman expressed how the medication didn’t help, a frantic psycho climbed the scenery, and when you get to the mother Lumpkin, don’t worry about what to feed her. They will help you find the best body part. But, of course, it will be one of yours! A few characters didn’t match the others in believability, but they were exceptions, not the norm.

The characters we encountered while waiting our turn in line were just as wild and interactive as those within the haunt, if not more. As they circled us, we didn’t know what to expect. They did everything from tracking us down with a hand saw to telling us, “It’s time to make you better!” (Uh, no thank you) to asking us to “Churn the butter” with a toilet plunger stuck to their chest! We also saw a variety of squealing chickens. Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, one must choke the chicken! There were a few actor surprises in the waiting line, but we won’t dare ruin them. Also, if you see Michael Myers out and about, he’s very “on-point” with his non-speaking role!

The costume creations at Horrorplex were just as unique as the characters. While many scareactors donned makeup applications, a few masks were mixed in as well.

We noticed an emphasis on stand-out makeup this season. In the past, it was challenging to see some of the details in the haunt’s lighting. However, they were much more noticeable this year. A colorful palette of toned skin, popping veins, glowing makeup, and areas of skin with extensive makeup coverings proved impressive. Nurse Bubble appeared to have tiny skin bubbles protruding from the side of her face. Others had large growths on their faces, and another nurse had so much going on it nearly disfigured her humanistic features. Most of the exposed skin we saw was well-covered, including under masks.

Medical staff, patients, and workers wore bloody, filthy, and grungy clothing appropriate for their characters. Their attire had varying layers and additions. The Collector remains a standout. This creature is unexplainably creepy as it lurks its way down the hallway. We also noticed a Lumpkin erupting from a spine, giant claws hanging from one’s chest, and claw-like hands. Other details, such as hairdos that appropriately fit the timeline when needed or raggedy at different times, colored contacts, hats, and small additions such as a cigarette in the mouth, helped bring them to life.

Multiple masks were utilized that we also haven’t seen, such as a large, boney, wolf-like creature, industrial face coverings, and bashed-in-looking faces. At one point, a lady with an exposed brain said, “You see what I’m thinkin?” Why yes, yes, we did! Outside, several skeletal heads seemingly appeared from dark areas of the cemetery.

The characters outside featured theme-appropriate costuming as well. A doctor’s skin appeared charred from his hands up to his arms and throughout his head and face. Another had a fully covered but exposed chest with a glistening, fresh-blood look (his shirt was open, but all makeup underneath). Lastly, the plunger man seemed to have gotten too excited as he had barfed green chunks all over his chest – or maybe he’d been plunged one too many times.

The customer service at American Horroplex is excellent. Finding the haunt and parking was easier this season. Parking is free in a nearby lot, and a friendly parking lot attendant walked us to a spot with a flashlight.

The haunt is in a sketchier part of town, but the multiple staff members nearby the parking lot and security at the front gate kept a watch on everything (along with others on the property). Before we could purchase tickets or enter, we were wanded to ensure we didn’t have any metal weapons on us.

Navigating the attraction itself was self-explanatory. The lines were marked and roped off. Aside from several signs that showed where to go, there were so many friendly staff members at the haunt that if they saw us looking around, they’d ask us if we needed help or point us in the right direction. Inside, we didn’t notice any significant trip hazards or head knockers. The haunt is also happy to help with ADA requests; just contact them in advance.

Before visiting, we checked out their website to see how easy it was to navigate and find information pertinent to visiting. We found tons of information within a few clicks, including the storyline, ticket and date information, directions, photos, warnings, and a complete FAQ section. So if you have a question before you visit, give that a look.

As we navigated towards the line, we had to walk past the haunt’s newly-designed concession stand that conveniently has two windows – one on each side! Don’t forget to stop at the counter in the gift shop to grab your group photo that was taken before you entered the museum.

Billowing fog, decor near the parking lot, colored lights blinking down the front of the building, a hearse, a large haunt banner, and Skeletor, the 12-foot skeleton wearing an American Horrorplex T-shirt, welcomed guests before the entrance into the complex. Side note: we must know what size shirt that skeleton wears!

Once inside the fence, creepy voices and popular hit music filled the air. Additional decor, interactive displays, and carnival-style lighting further immersed us in the haunted atmosphere. The line entertainers did a great job giving us a pre-haunt vibe, as did disturbing displays on the large projector screen that everyone waiting in line could see.

The haunt started with what we thought was a brief history lesson from one of Kentucky’s most historical haunt actors, but eventually, our intro took a turn. We won’t dare give the deets, but the Museum Curator did a great job of instilling the gist of the storyline into our heads. Inside, many scenes and staff helped bring the story to fruition; we felt as if we were genuinely walking through all the crazy things we had been warned about. However, we were a bit thrown off by the ritual in the cemetery.

We didn’t notice any major bottlenecks with the flow inside the haunt. Upon exiting, the haunt remains easy to navigate. The fun, atmospheric vibe continued through the gift shop and back to the entrance, past a live animal exhibit and various vendors. The American Horrorplex is the only haunt we’ve ever visited with live goats on-site!

We can’t wait to visit this grunge guzzler every season as we never know what we’ll come across inside. We haven’t seen such sights in any other hospital before. There was an unexplainable creature flopping its tentacle-like tongue at us, for haunt sakes! We guarantee you will find many new surprises within the Horrorplex; some that force their way into your nightmares, some you won’t be able to process, and definitely some you’ll never forget.

Flickering torches, industrial lighting, and multi-colored lights illuminated the scenes and the small features within them well. When it came to the sounds, we could hear a lot going on, as if the sound surrounded our group as we walked through. Some of the most realistic were alarms, vintage music, the elevator sounds as we hit different floors, what it sounds like to be inside a Fleshlumpkin, and the screams and cries of a confined monkey.

A jarring hellevator ride realistically landed us in Dr. Hart’s lab, where the chaos ensued. There was so much to look at and experience. Grungy walls, gory details, asylum doors, heavily decorated hospital rooms, and many different experiments gave us an eyegasm. At one point, we walked into the open mouth of a Fleshlumpkin to make our way through its breathing insides. How’s that for a mindf**k?

In addition, they’ve learned how to get a real ambulance into the building. A totem pole of body parts confirmed they liked to make art out of the dead, a metal walkway led us to a giant creature, we detonated something, and we fried a lady at one point!

The Horroplex is also host to a mixture of animatronics. Some seemed very old, but they fit perfectly with the dilapidated hospital. One was very fast-moving, catching us off-guard. We also noticed a variety of realistic medical tables, electrical equipment, different test confinements from cages, plexiglass, and a giant test tube. Several subjects had air running through them, bringing them to life, and effects were staged to create double-taps in multiple areas.

Make sure you smell the sloppy Joe when the chef offers him – err, “it;” it’s mighty ripe!

The cast was freakish, dementedly wild, and interactive, resulting in good opportunities for scares and distractions. Sudden blasts of air, fast-moving objects, and good hiding spots got multiple jumps out of us.

They have always had an effective, stand-out shovel scare, and now they have two! Not that we like being deceived, but at one point, when we were told to make it to “safety” quickly, that area turned out to be a very unsafe zone. Of course, we listened and hurried into the danger zone.

A variety of scare types targeted our group of three sufficiently. It was hard to predict from which direction the scares would come. If you’re afraid of tight spaces, heights, spiders, blood, elevators, or medical treatment, you’re in for it. Sudden blasts of air, a death by fog room, threatening dialogue, and loud sounds kept us on high alert.

Not only was there a double-tap surprise waiting for us, but they nailed us with a triple tap at one point! Those scares are very hard to time and execute properly; major kudos! Some creatures made our skin crawl just by looking at them, while grotesque scenes instilled a sense of “we’re not making it out alive.”

The finale required some force to push through, which resulted in an overhead surprise exit.

Regular tour prices to visit the Bracken-Hart Institute remain the same as last year at $25.00 per guest. VIP tickets have increased to $45.00, but this option includes a complimentary group photo. Finally, front-of-the-line admittance for those that want “fixed” faster will cost you $65.00, which also comes with a free group photo. The latter option has decreased in price from last year’s rates.

From the time our journey began with the storyline intro until we came crawling out the exit, our total time inside came out to 17 minutes. This time puts their MPD (minutes of entertainment received per dollar spent) at 0.68. Although this is lower than the average we see most often, it’s an increase from last season, and the entertainment experienced inside and while waiting is well worth the GA price.

American Horrorplex has made it a point to ensure guests are entertained while waiting. As noted above, the interactive queue entertainers, projector screen, and interactive story booths helped pass the wait at no additional cost. In addition, the other visitors we noticed on the property seemed engrossed in the variety of activities they offered.

Don’t forget to stick around after the haunt to partake in other amusements such as the playful goats, several games, vendors, and the beer garden. Although it wasn’t present on the night of our visit, they did inform us it would be there on other nights. They also have various items to purchase, from beverages and food to a large display of spooky Halloween gifts.

If you’re looking for a gut-wrenching good time, The American Horrorplex needs to be added to your list, stat! You know it’s time to make you better!