Treading Through the House of Trepidation

The season of ghouls and treats has crept upon us once more. The specials are airing, candy prices have increased, and costumes are flying off the shelves all to prepare for Halloween. Those with nerves of steel, however, are planning to visit some local attractions. Some of these attractions are haunted houses, which have opened up since the beginning of October. Haunted houses are a live form of entertainment. They stimulate storylines typically around horror fiction through fearsome sets and characters. One of the most popular choices to venture in Indianapolis is the House of Trepidation.

The House of Trepidation will take you through the fictional story of Dr. Belle. In 1916, a man known as Dr. Eugene Irving Belle and his wife moved to the United States. During his life in America, he became notorious for his disturbing medical procedures. After looking into his past, the authorities quickly became suspicious. They discovered that Belle’s routine caused the death of patients.

Each attraction serves a purpose to ensure the visitors feel a sense of authenticity and understand the severity of Belle’s experiments. The first tour, House of Trepidation, will explain the origins of the clinic Dr. Belle created from an abandoned warehouse. Tourists can expect a range of startling scares, to moving pictures, and even creatures running through the walls and secret passages. Be on the lookout for the actors too as there is a split chance you might get touched for a scare.

It also offers a second tour, Crossroads of Carnage, which is the clinic Dr. Belle performed his experiments. The results of Belle’s experimental procedures and the spirits of his patients are found here. It is also known as Belle’s final resting place. Visitors can expect everything they would feel at a normal trip to the doctor’s office, but with an unsanitary, unsterile feel. The Crossroads lead to the third and final attraction, known as the Condemned. The Condemned is the abandoned building next to Belle’s former clinic. It houses the remains of Belle’s patients who became disfigured due to experimentation.

During my visit to the house, I interviewed some visitors. One of them I encountered, Kristine Leslie, had some mixed feelings as she is not a fan of horror. In the interview, she stated that she “freaked” out during the tour. Her arms were crossed as she was rubbing them back and forth.

Another visitor, Nicholas White turned out to be more enthusiastic. Nicholas is the second customer I interviewed after the tour. During an interview with him, his shirt with Jason Vorhees stood out to me, showing he was a fan of horror. A discovery from my interview with him reveals that he seems to be a veteran as this is not the first time he has visited.

One cofounder of the house, Ken Carter, gave some further insight in an interview with me through email.In the interview, Carter said, “Guests who visit House of Trepidation are likely in for the unique Haunted House experience they have had. Our scenes and sets provide a comforting but eerie atmosphere.”

When visiting the House of Trepidation, the experiences will be dynamically different. This is by design; it is the home of Eugene which offers a range of startle scares from moving pictures to creatures roaming behind walls and secret passageways. The different degrees of fear are likely to cause diverse reactions.

Carter said, “The environment will create the uneasiness within the guests that our actors are looking for, so once it is discovered that one guest is more than another, that starts the game and the actors feed off that energy.”

A haunted house’s main goal is to scare you. The House of Trepidation alarmed me in some areas during my trip there. The clinic still feels like a bad dream of going to the doctor for me seeing the actors in costumes running around looking as decaying corpses. Secret passages in the walls gave the actors more chances to catch me off guard. Maybe if I watched more horror movies, I would be better prepared for this.

“The more frightful you are, the more you can expect the ghouls to scare you” according to Carter, as we discussed our experiences.

Carter said, “You will hear the screams and energy travel through the attraction from room-to-room. I would say the more frightful a guest presents themselves, the more the Scream team is going to prey on them.”’

You should go to a haunted house if you are looking for a hair-raising activity to do by yourself or with friends and/or family during the Halloween season. Discover each other’s fears, explore different attractions, and make memories that you will surely laugh about. I would not suggest going if you are the type that is scared easily. Depending on the house, you might become one of the main targets.

The house is located on 1919 S. Meridian St. It’s open from Thursday from 7:00 pm-10 pm EST and on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 pm-Midnight. General admission prices start at $25.00 alongside a VIP Pass costing $35.00.