The halls have been decked with green and (a lot of) red, and Christmas spirits roam the dark and winding passageways. It’s Christmas at the Haunted Hotel!
Merry Christmas, my little haunted humbugs, it’s the Phantom of the Ville coming to you from that drafty, ramshackle abode at 3000 South 4th Street called the Haunted Hotel. It seems that current management has decided to open the doors to guests looking for a Christmas weekend getaway to relieve holiday stress. Normally closed during the blustery cold of the winter season, the VACANCY sign suddenly lit up in the window this past Saturday night, December 14th, so I decided to brave the icy South Louisville landscape to investigate.
I’m probably not the only one who passed the Haunted Hotel on Saturday night to find it odd that the building was decked out in Christmas lights with an icy fog rolling along the front lawn and morbid Christmas music playing from somewhere inside.
When I entered the front parlor I was greeted by the usual touchy-feely desk clerk who was festively dressed head-to-toe in holiday attire. He escorted a small group of us into the elevator where Gustav, the elevator operator, reminded us quickly that this ain’t Holiday World. It’s the Haunted freakin’ Hotel, and if you’re crazy enough to have come here for the holidays, he’s going to make sure to give you a ride you won’t soon forget.
Just because it’s Christmas, doesn’t mean the creeps in the Haunted Hotel are going to go easy on you. In fact, the pretty girl in our group got grabbed up by a Christmas creep and carried off in one scene!
For those of you that are curious how this holiday version of the Haunted Hotel compares to the Halloween version, let me just say that you’ll get the full Haunted Hotel experience, including all of the rooms and the extended backyard area that was closed off during the recent “Lights Out” event. The hotel is fully staffed, and in fact, is likely even more chock full of creepy characters than during the regular season because it has been cast with many of the best actors usually busy working at other haunts during the spooky season.
Each and every room has been decorated for the Christmas holidays, and the music pumping through the halls ranges from creepy winter dirges to heavy metal music for Black Friday Masses. Along the way, you’ll encounter a series of new chilly Christmas characters created specifically for this event. You’ll be haunted by the Ghost of Christmas Present. You’ll face the icy grip of Jack Frost. If you’ve been naughty this year, prepare to face the wrath of the Christmas Krampus. Finally, you’ll come face to face with the jolly old elf himself, Chainsaw Santa, and his buzz saw wielding gang of evil Christmas elves!
Sadly, the legendary Yeti was missing from Saturday’s Christmas party. Owner/operator, Kevin Stitch, says the Yeti escaped his cage during the recent snowstorm and was only recaptured this morning, found wandering in the field behind Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. This is good news, however, for anyone planning to come visit the Haunted Hotel next Saturday, December 21, because the elusive Abominable Snowman will certainly be there, lurking somewhere inside those dark hallways.
Saturday night was something of a family Christmas party for those of us in the horror business. I ran into the gang from Team Zombillies, actors from haunts all across town and a gaggle of faithful Louisville Halloween readers. Brett Hays, owner/operator of Fear Fair in Seymour, IN, brought a bus full of Fear Fair freaks to the Haunted Hotel in the Rock n Roll Fear Fair Tour Bus.
Patrons running out the exit were raving about the experience, or were just plain raving mad. It’s hard to tell. I have to agree, the Haunted Hotel has really put the “slay” in the sleigh bells this season and delivered a unique creepy Christmas experience.
The Haunted Hotel will be open for “Bloody X-Mas” on Saturday, December 21st, from 8PM until Midnight. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance at http://thehauntedhotel.ticketleap.com/tickets/dates/Dec-21-2013_at_0800PM or at the door. Season’s Greetings and Happy Haunted Holidays from your friends at Louisville Halloween!
