Hotel Holmes Preview
Considered America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes lured victims to his “Murder Castle,” a hotel that he constructed in 1893 for the Chicago World’s Fair. However, this was no ordinary hotel. Inside were gas chambers, trapdoors, secret hanging chambers, and other murderous devices intended to kill anyone unfortunate enough to be a guest at Holmes’ hotel.
Today that hotel has been brought back to life in historic Irvington with the creation of the pop-up haunted house “Hotel Holmes.” After Holmes escaped arrest in Chicago he fled to Irvington, where he murdered the son of his accomplice. This true story adds an additional element of fright to Irvington’s newest attraction, all organized by students in University of Indianapolis’ experience design class and the Bindy Agency.
“This is not a normal haunted house by any means,” Piper Voge, co-owner of the Bindy Agency, says. “Each person’s individual experience here will be different because they will have different experiences with the characters.”
Characters in Hotel Holmes are developed with unique back stories, and they interact freely with the guests. Participants will be led through eight different rooms, starting with Victorian style hotel rooms and eventually into Holmes’ deathly lair. Each room signifies a different part of Holmes’ journey.
Hotel Holmes is presented in conjunction with the Historic Irvington Halloween Festival, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year on October 22-29.
If you go:
Where: 5529 Bonna Ave., #10.
When: 3 to 11 p.m. Oct. 27, 3 p.m. to midnight Oct. 28, noon to midnight Oct. 29, and 3 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30-31.
Tickets: $10 online pre-sale, $15 at the door, $20 express pass.
For more information, visit hotelholmesindy.com.
