RECAP:  The adventure begins through two ancient, decrepit cellar doors, then descends down into into the City of Perpetual Darkness!  Following an animation that goes over some house rules, access to the queue line area exposes a handful of characters that work very hard to keep patrons occupied while waiting to enter the haunt itself.  Walking down a path overgrown with foliage guides the course into Sam Hain's Nightmare House, where old cabin walls hold skeletal remains, and emit ghostly projections as well as face-changing CGI portraits.  Various rooms of The Hain residence are explored, including a spooky library, unkept bedroom, toy room, roach-infested bathroom, and a blood-soaked  kitchen.  A crazed girl devours what's left of human flesh clinging to a large bone, while roasting decapitated skulls on a gas grill!   An old, iron fence surrounds the outdoor premises that consists of an elaborate cemetery adorned with coffins and majestic tombstones, then a claustrophobic passageway is discovered that heads into a room filled with glow-in-the-dark Jason Vorhees hockey masks, and the escape of Sam Hain's Nightmare House into the CarnEvil Midway area, where random games of chance can be enjoyed, and additional attractions are entered in no particular order.

LIZZY BORDEN'S DEAD & BREAKFAST:  Checking in doesn't mean you're going to live long enough to check back out!  Upon entrance, a demented concierge  assigns you to room 13 then contemptuously yells out, "All hallways lead to room 13!"  Winding corridors chaperone the path past windows that have been blown out by severe storms, and beyond a ghost-like apparition of Lizzy herself projected onto a nearby wall!  Time and time again, the seemingly endless hallways lead back to room 13, as bilateral attacks complicate progression that eventually leads through an unusual laundry room, where the living-dead pop up out of washing machines.  Forging ahead pushes the route onto a narrow ledge alongside a bottomless pit, then suddenly and unexpectedly, the floor begins shifting about beneath your feet nearly plunging you into a freefall down into the depths of the abyss!  Avoidance once again leads back to room 13, and onto a path-blocking conflict with an oversized, actortronic clown, then onto a spinning vortex finish back into the CarnEvil area of Necropolis!

ST. ADRIAN'S OUTBREAK HOSPITAL:  Diabolical Dr. Adrian and his wide range of mad experiments are explored, beginning with an immediate run-in with the former head of the NYC Lunatic Asylum armed with an enormous syringe!  Unnameable victims and test subjects of his failed studies reach and claw through crevices in walls in advance of a contemptible laboratory that houses a gas-masked individual attacking from within.  Dodging the confrontation through a spider web covered cage maze leads into a padded room, where a crazed patient sits next to a decomposing body, proudly calling it her "toy," then identifying it by saying, "She used to be my sister!"  Soon after, another insane psychotic is encountered, this one reaching out with an amputated human leg hitting passersby with it as they walk past, then another bloody creature comes sliding down a rolling conveyor belt, serving as a chase-out of the deplorable Outbreak Hospital!

BARON SAMEDI'S CEMETERY OF THE DAMNED:  Legend has it that Samedi in reality is a devil of the crossroads between life and death, spending his days and nights collecting souls in the invisible realm of voodoo spirits!  An immediate, captivating encounter with The Baron is imminent upon entering!  Seen carrying a live snake and an impressive staff, The Voodoo Priest's appearance, words, and mannerisms are mesmerizing to say the least - almost hypnotic!  He begins with some sort of a gibberish chant delivered while raising his arms (and the snake) high above his shoulders, casting an evil spell on those who dare set foot into his sacred cemetery!  His powers elicit the dead, causing them to arise from their graves, tombs, and unchained caskets!  Unforsaken, red-eyed creatures appear out of the darkness, skeletal remains are reanimated to life, as mysterious, iron gates violently shake attempting to restrain their escape, and continue holding them as eternal captives!  Forging onward soon discovers a cell block-like area imprisoning a blood-covered man exclaiming, "Wanna see my friend?"  Then as the lights begin flickering an electrocution begins that sends the path back out into the cemetery, where skull-lined walls of an impressive mausoleum tilt inwardly as if they're about to crash down on top of you!  Next up is an attack by a pumpkin-headed Kurbis monster that's narrowly evaded by ducking under a graveyard monument into the catacombs of the dead, where a wicked witch casts spells causing the walls to collapse towards the line of progression!  Lying in wait is a gigantic, skull-headed beast that awakens from its slumber just as visitors pass before him, then one final treacherous run-in with Baron Samedi precedes departure from The Cemetery of the Damned!

CARNIVALE (CARNEVIL) MIDWAY:  Test your skills at various games of chance including Raising Spirits, Spook the Murder, High Striker, and Heads will Roll.  Games are all winnable as OVH left with 2 prizes!  There's also Virtual Reality, a "Misfortune" Teller providing uncannily accurate Tarot Card readings, Spirit Photos of your group, an Escape Room, and concessions.  Attractions all cleverly exit into The Midway, and subsequent attractions after the initial Sam Hain's Nightmare House all enter from the centralized area as well.

ANALYSIS:  Unlike many nearby, weather-dependent haunts, this is an entirely indoor event!  Attractions are somewhat brief from an endurance perspective, but feature a variety of CGIs and projections, combining some of the latest technology and actortronics with some animated monsters and surprises.  Each haunt stays on theme for the most part creating variety, and making for a fun-filled experience!  Bottomless pit and the repeated focus on room 13 are appreciated at Lizzy Borden's, while atrocities leave memorable, lasting impressions in Outbreak Hospital.  Detailing is second to none in the original 14 - 15 minute house, which unfortunately has now been split up into two separate attractions (Hain's and Samedi's).  Elaborately realistic cemeteries, tombstones, mausoleums, etc. are among the best, most visually impressive you'll see anywhere!  But lighting is a bit too dark to fully appreciate those highly-decorated scenes, and the presence of a jail/electrocution in the midst of a spooky graveyard is questionable at best.

Dialogue could be improved upon practically across the board, as character interactions are mostly of the sudden startle variety, other than those specifically mentioned in the recaps above, and the ones relentlessly terrorizing the queue line.  Makeup is good throughout, although costuming is a bit basic at times other than these same, aforementioned "standouts."  Baron Samedi gave an Actor of the Year worthy performance, potentially earning himself an OVH year-end Award in the process!

Necropolis has always been the most elaborate attraction the Indianapolis area has to offer, thus ranking it arguably as the state's best, and solidifying its mainstay OVH Top 13 status!  As you may have already guessed, our personal, on-site favorite this year was Cemetery of the Damned, as Baron Samedi stole the show!  OVH highly recommends checking him out at The Midwest's Largest Indoor Haunted House!