The Women of The Children's Museum Haunted House
If you’re a seasoned local mama, it’s likely you’re familiar with the transformation that takes place within the halls of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis each Fall - the annual Haunted House! But you might be surprised to learn the Haunted House is not just a rotating exhibit like so many other offerings within The Museum. All credit for the imagining of this spook-tacular event from year to year goes to The Children’s Museum Guild, a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization created to support and promote The Museum through fundraising and volunteer assistance. Additionally, the Guild supports The Museum’s mission by “connecting children in the community with parts of The Museum.”
If you’ve never before wondered about the time and energy it takes to create this experience each year, get ready to be blown away - read on to meet the ladies (or WITCHES!) behind the magic…
The “witchy” women of The Children’s Museum Guild
Abby :: Marketing Committee Co-Chair
Involved with the Guild since 2019, Abby Hilbrich has haunted the halls within the Haunted House and worked on multiple related events including the Friendly Feast with the Witches, the outdoor Monster MASKarade, and Sports Spooktacular. This year she is serving as Marketing Co-Chair, working on several events to help promote the Haunted House - Sensory Sensitivity Day, Riley Day, and Social Influencer Day.
Marketing Committee Co-Chair Abby Hilbrich and family
Fave Haunted House memories :: “I love watching the Haunted House go from black walls to a magical Halloween experience in just a few weeks! It has been so fun watching people of all ages enjoy the details of the Haunted House, from the Lights-On experience to the lights out, Frightening experience.”
Spooky secrets :: Abby shares that this year’s Haunted House boasts a unique, COVID-friendly floor plan that will allow visitors to safely enjoy the experience. Her advice for first-time visitors is to take your time and pay attention to all the artistic details as you go through the Haunted House.
While you’re visiting The Children’s Museum :: Abby’s all-time favorite exhibit is The Power of Children: Making a Difference, and she also looks forward to the Yule slide each holiday season!
“Last year we were unable to have a traditional Haunted House due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, we were able to adapt and create some events to help the Indy community celebrate in all of the witchy ways they have come to expect from The Children’s Museum Guild. It wasn't our traditional Haunted House, but it was a safe way to bring some fun to the community during a difficult time,” shares LOOK Committee Co-Chair Molly Winkler.
Dominique :: LOOK Committee Co-Chair
After learning about the Guild in 2006 when her family moved to Indiana and visited the Haunted House for the first time, Dominique Parkinson became a member in 2017 and is very thankful to be a part of this amazing group of women. She started out on the Friendly Feast with the Witches Committee, a great event for younger kids who get to enjoy games, crafts, and singing and dancing along with the witches {the women of the Guild}. Dominique now shares the role of LOOK Committee Chair, helping to guide a committee of 17 that carries out all of the decorating and staging that happens over just five short weeks to get the Haunted House ready for visitors!
LOOK Committee Co-Chair Dominique Parkinson
Fave Haunted House memories :: “Each year, I think the Haunted House can’t get any better than the year before, but it does! They are all so different because we have the talents of Bart Simpson and Brian Sutherlin that have helped the Guild plan and build the haunted house for the last 27 years. Without them, the Haunted House wouldn’t be what it is today.”
Spooky secrets :: Dominique is thrilled to be welcoming a new artist, Carl Leck, on board to make this year’s Haunted House more amazing than ever before. She also shares that this year’s house is structured completely differently, with wide open spaces allowing visitors to meander through “Tombtown” versus the typical small rooms boasting different themes. She reminds first-time visitors to consider coming during the “Friendly Hours,” a great time to take in the small details that make clear how much hard work has gone into the creation of the Haunted House. Kids can also dress up and trick or treat their way through the Haunted House while the lights are a little brighter and the costumes aren’t so scary. But personally, Dominique loves haunting during the “Frightening Hours!”
While you’re visiting The Children’s Museum :: Dominique has loved watching her kids enjoy the Hot Wheels exhibit when it’s been at The Museum in the past.
Marketing Committee Co-Chair Kim Rumer shares, “ If you can believe it, we start working on things starting in February, so I pretty much have Halloween on my brain year round!”
Katie :: LOOK Committee Co-Chair
Katie Barbee has a long history with The Children’s Museum Guild, first as a teen haunter in the late 80s and early 90s while her mother served on the Guild and now in her seventh year as an extended active member of the Guild {and her own kids are teen haunters these days too!}. Katie has been involved on the Haunted House Sponsorship Team, Costumes Committee, and now co-chairing the LOOK Committee, channeling her creative side into the building and decorating of the house.
LOOK Committee Co-Chair Katie Barbee
Fave Haunted House memories :: “The Haunted House is different every year and I love to see how the gallery space is utilized to make a different experience in both the theme and layout. I loved the pirate ship in 2015, the creepy cabin in Wicked Woods, the wand shop in Hotel of Spells, and this year I’m not sure I could choose a favorite spot!”
Spooky secrets :: A split queue line this year allows for two sides of the Haunted House and wider spaces for visitors to spread out, and Katie shares that this also equals some great haunter spots! For those who dare to visit during Frightening Hours {which Katie assures us ARE scary}, consider also visiting during Lights-On Hours to fully enjoy the fantastic details of the house. Pro tip - you can purchase a “repeater” ticket in the BOOtique at a discounted rate.
While you’re visiting The Children’s Museum :: Katie and her family love the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience, and she is especially excited to learn more about Malala Yousafzai within the Power of Children: Making a Difference exhibit while at The Museum to check out the Haunted House.
CityMom Crystal and her daughter Quinn love visiting the annual Haunted House (although when asked, Quinn did note ‘the basketball exhibit’ is her favorite stop during warmer months.
Kim :: Marketing Committee Co-Chair
Kim Rumer’s love for serving others and affinity for the Haunted House were nurtured by a friend of her mother’s, who was a catalyst in her decision to join The Children’s Museum Guild in 2019. Her involvement has included work on the Friendly Feast with the Witches and the Monster MASKarade. This year she is Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee, working to promote this year’s Haunted House - Frightful Frontier - and related events like Sports Spooktacular and the Member Opening Party.
“Many people hear "Haunted House" and they immediately think it is going to be 'too scary.' But we offer AES Indiana Lights-On Hours for younger children, which is more of an interactive trick or treat type experience. My boys range in age from 2-7 years old and they absolutely love dressing up in their Halloween costumes and trick or treating their way through the house and trying to show me 'the scariest thing'!”
Fave Haunted House memories :: “I love that each year the Guild {with the help of our amazing artists and designers} designs and builds a brand new, never-before-seen house with a different theme. So you could come year after year and you are always going to see something completely different! The witches spend hours and hours creating all of the spookiness that you see as you go through the house.”
Spooky secrets :: The Marketing Committee works to put on several special events, including partnering with Damar ABA Autism Services to offer the inaugural Sensory Sensitivity Day - a sensory friendly walk through this year’s Haunted House, the Frightful Frontier. Kim also shares that the “Riley Bot” will be taking a guided tour of the Haunted House to then be shared with patients and their families at Riley Children’s Hospital, complete with goody bags and costumes dropped off by the Guild Witches. Also for the first time this year, Guild members have the opportunity to provide a fun and spooky night to families in the community by donating Sports Spooktacular tickets to families in the The Mid-North Promise Program.
While you’re visiting The Children’s Museum :: Another vote for the Power of Children: Making a Difference exhibit! Kim loves the way kids are inspired by other young people while being encouraged to learn in an interactive way, and she shares that she herself learns something new with each visit to this exhibit!
Molly :: LOOK Committee Co-Chair
Encouraged by close friends on the Guild to join, believing she would appreciate the volunteerism component AND the opportunity for creativity, Molly Winkler signed on as a Guild member in 2018. She explains that as a Guild member, she serves on one Haunted House committee and one other committee supporting The Museum each year. Molly has enjoyed her work on the Starpoint Literacy Committee, providing programming for The Museum’s summer camp. She exercises her creativity through her Haunted House committee involvement, first on the Costumes Committee and now as LOOK Committee Co-Chair, dedicating loooong days to the hands-on creation of the Haunted House.
LOOK Committee Co-Chair Molly Winkler
Fave Haunted House memories :: “Getting to be part of the creation and building of the Haunted House is, for me, the most exciting part. As the weeks go on, we move from a series of walls painted black to rooms and spaces that take on depth and definition; we choose decor and get the chance to come up with creative solutions to make things just the right amount of spooky and fun. Working on the house each year absolutely puts me in the spirit of the Halloween season, which is definitely my favorite!”
Spooky secrets :: Molly shares her pro tips, including making a day of your trip to The Children’s Museum - check out amazing exhibits, get some exercise outside by visiting the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience, and take a spin on the Carousel before visiting the Haunted House.
While you’re visiting The Children’s Museum :: Molly shares others’ love for the Power of Children: Making a Difference exhibit and also can’t miss the Egyptian tomb in Treasures of the Earth.
MORE INFO: These impressive ladies deserve a month-long nap in November, don’t you think? We at theCityMoms can’t thank The Children’s Museum Guild enough for the experience they create each year for our kiddos {and for us - hello, Halloween After Dark and spooky, 21+ fun!} Frightful Frontier - The Children’s Museum Guild’s 57th Annual Haunted House - is open October 9 through Halloween. You can find details including cost, operating dates, and Lights-On and Frightening hours here.
