The Children's Museum Hotel of Spells brings the fall fright
There are friendly monsters creeping and witches greeting this month at The Children’s Museum in Indianapolis: From now thru October 31st, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis "Hotel of Spells" Haunted House will be open to children and adults for some family-friendly scary Halloween fun.
Organized by The Children’s Museum Guild, this year is the Museum's 56th year to showcase the Haunted House and each year has a different theme. The Hotel of Spells is a fun and spooky hotel that takes you from check-in at the front desk to the banquet hall, rooms, lounge, and shops. And so much thought and detail has been put into each room. My favorite room features a Day of the Dead theme that looks like something out of the movie Coco {and who doesn't love Coco?}. It's complete with a skeleton bride and groom and a wedding cake.
From the Children's Museum website: Ring the front desk bell and check into the spooky Hotel of Spells, The Children's Museum Guild's 56th Annual Haunted House. The witch and her staff of Halloween haunters hope you enjoy your stay, but beware—at this hotel, the guests have left magic and mayhem behind!
So some amazing facts: The Haunted House is the biggest fundraiser of the year for The Children's Museum Guild, bringing in 65,000 visitors per year. Being a newer central Indiana transplant, it was my first time visiting the Haunted House and I will definitely be putting a visit to the Haunted House on my annual Fall bucket list.
Admission is just $9 for children and adults, and children 2 and under are free. {Note that children under the age of 13 need to be accompanied by an adult}. This is a separate fee from admission, but admission to the museum is not required if you are only visiting the Haunted House {and proceeds go to The Children's Museum Guild}.
Is the Lights-On or the Frightening Hours better for your family?
The Haunted House has separate hours for the little ones or those more prone to getting scared, and evening hours for those who like to be frightened. The Lights-On hours are recommended for younger kids and those who scare easily. The lights are on & friendly music plays while characters are visible, passing out candy and chatting with visitors.
SPEAKING OF FALL FUN, check out our list of top 50 Bucket List items.
The Frightening Hours are for older children and/or those who “dare to be scared.” The lights are dimmed, scarier music is played, and the monsters are looking to scare you. Characters do jump out at visitors during these hours, with the intent to scare.
Personally, as an adult I love the lights-on tour and would prefer this so I wouldn't put an age limit on either of the time frames. Our kids have different preferences - regardless of their ages - so I would suggest using your parental discretion per child when determining what hours to visit. OR, use this handy chart from the Children's Museum blog to help determine what's best for your crew:
MORE DETAILS: The Children's Museum Guild's Haunted House Hotel of Spells runs Oct. 11–31, 2019. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is located at 3000 North Meridian Street, near downtown Indianapolis. Tickets are $9/pp, and available at The Children's Museum Box Office. Members receive a 10% discount and discount tickets are also available at Indianapolis-area Old National Bank branches. Please note: Haunted House tickets are separate from museum admission. Museum admission is not included or required for entry to the Haunted House. Children under the age of 2 are free. Children age 13 and under must be accompanied through the Haunted House by a paying adult. Visit the Children's Museum website for additional details.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jamie Ward is the founder of the blog Cornfields and High Heels, and a social media manager. As a mom + stepmom, she writes frequently about her blended family. Jamie’s husband is a pastor so she also has a heart for ministry, family and volunteering. For fun Jamie is constantly in search of the best local coffee, ideas for date nights, and her next photography spot. Discover Jamie on Instagram.
