This was the first year we've attended the HauntCon Convention. HauntCon was held in Louisville Kentucky this year and since we had relatives in the area we decided to make the trip.

The Haunt Tours: HauntCon does a LOT of haunt tours. There was a multi-day road-trip haunt tour before the conference, as well as a set of tours on Thursday night, Friday night, (Saturday night was the ball so no tours) and Sunday night. I attended the Thursday night tour by myself and the Friday night tour with Catherine.

The tours included some great haunts. I didn't realize the first night that there were no breaks for food and since I didn't eat before we left at 6:30, it was a long hungry evening by the time we got back to the hotel at almost 11pm. The tours were all lights-out; we didn't get a lights-on tour at any of the haunts like the National Haunters Convention does. There wasn't any singing on the buses either, though a few nice souls did sneak out for adult beverages between haunts. There were two buses of haunters each of the nights I attended plus some of the Zombie army folks in their own bus (see the Hearse pictures for shots of that cool ride).

(Thursday Night) Haunted Hotel:

Didn't get many pictures here; the skies opened up just as we were heading in; and inside there was so much fog and exhaust from the chainsaws that nothing came out. The old house also needs some roof work as the rain soaked us inside and out! Awesome actors though - and their "hellevator" was amazing!

(Thursday Night) Culbertson Mansion:

This restored mansion hosts an annual haunted attraction in the building out back. The old building adds quite a bit to the creep factor. Had to really watch your step as you went through though - which prevented me from getting any pictures inside.

(Friday Night) Industrial Nightmare:

An amazing haunt with a very impressive queue line area. Great details and a long two-attraction walk thru (apparently a 3rd section is being worked on). One of the coolest effects I'd ever seen used a laser horizon and the now very popular squeezing plastic walls to make you feel like you were walking down into a swamp.

Waiting outside:

The vignettes in the queue line area:

And now in we go. Gotta love the zombie pole-dancing girls:

Almost impossible to make out in all the fog, but the next 2 shots are a giant (15'+) animatronic monster you have to go past:

The old monster-jumps-out-from-the-bed trick. Well done.

In between the first and second sections of the haunt:

Very well done 3d section:

And back outside:

(Friday Night) Fear Fair:

These guys were awesome. I recognized some of the haunt areas from TV specials; easily the most original haunt scenes I'd ever seen - as well as a whole set of vignettes from most of the popular horror movies (Friday 13th, Scream, Halloween, Jeepers Creepers, and Saw) with some enthusiastic and talented actors. The opening scenes with the World War II zombies was amazing though - but we were rushed through there so fast I hardly got any pictures there! Sadly Catherine (wisely) opted out of this tour since her knees are still weak from her knee surgery and this place was chock full of tripping hazards. Does no one believe in little red lights or something to light up stairs and obstructions you can't see in the dark haunts?!?