Day 32: The American Horrorplex 2022 in Louisville, KY

Tyler Proffet: What's going on, everybody? Tyler here at TheScareFactor.com. Today we are here at the American Horrorplex down in Louisville, KY, talking with owner Travis Boling. How's it going, Travis?

Travis Boling: You know, we're hanging in there, like a hair in a biscuit, we're doing OK.

Tyler Proffet: That's got to be hanging in there awful tight. So, for folks that haven't been to American Horrorplex yet, fill us in on what is American Horrorplex.

Travis Boling: Well, first of all, they must be the worst people if they haven't been here yet, but OK. So, the American Horrorplex is a 13,000-square haunted attraction, We've got live animal encounters outside in our midway, vendors, carnival games, we've got trivia going out in the queue line, and actors. It's kind of an all-encompassing experience when you come here, but the American Horrorplex Haunted house itself, that's our bread and butter. Basically, it's our own little urban legend that many people don't know about in the city of Louisville.

Tyler Proffet: Interesting. So, tell us a little bit about that urban legend.

Travis Boling: Well, if you look it up, Operation Paper Clip is a thing that really happened after World War II, and our building happened to be part of that in 1946 until 1966 when it burned to the ground, killing many, many patients and doctors inside. The things that you see inside are basically the spirits of the building itself and its inhabitants.

Tyler Proffet: So, I also noticed this year you started bringing the first part of the haunt outside of the building. So, that was really interesting, almost as you go into the museum curator area there, it's like that's the second that you're getting transported into the other world, you feel like you're stumbling upon the building, almost walking through the cemetery and that sort of thing. What inspired you to try to bring that approach on instead of just going straight into the building from the get-go?

Travis Boling: So, we rely extremely heavily on our story. There's nothing better growing up than hearing the old ghost stories, and you know, "is that really real? Did that really happen?" You make up your own mind about it. So, if we could make the story any better, that's what we try to do, and what would be in front of the old, dilapidated hospital? You'd have the cemetery where people would be buried because nobody else wanted them. So, we just try to make that storyline a whole lot better every year, and by creating that maze-like structure for our cemetery before you get in you get a little bit more of that. You see the actual tombstones, you know death awaits around every corner, and that's kind of why we did it.

Tyler Proffet: So, another unique aspect of your story is these flesh Lumpkins, and the way I'm gathering it, it's some kind of critter or biological something that they're putting into folks and they're trying to make super soldiers. But I'm just curious, what on Earth inspired you guys to come up with a flesh Lumpkin as the center of your plot?

Travis Boling: So, stepping away from the story itself, it comes down to what we like as creators of the haunted house. I'm a person who likes monsters, but if there's not a reason for a monster to be there, it doesn't make sense. So, what is something that grows in his monster and is real? Parasites, teratoma cells, all these things are real. So, imagine if they had been put on steroids. We were like, "well, we've only got doctors, we've only got patients, cafeteria workers, you know, janitors. What can make these people even more scary? Something that's inside of them that's coming out." That's how we came up with flesh Lumpkins.

Tyler Proffet: Tell us about these little orange boxes that you got out in the queue line.

Travis Boling: So again, story, story, story. We have historical markers, basically, throughout the queue line that will ask you a question, and if you've been paying attention to the projection on the big screen, you'll be able to answer some of those yourself, but if you don't know, you can look down and it will tell you the answer. Basically, what caused the building to go away was the fire, you know, and some of the items that may be in the museum or talked about outside in those historical markers. So, it's just a little bit more to get you into the story.

Travis Boling: I don't want to be that haunted house that people go to and, you know, yes, it's a haunted house, but what else can they take with you? I want people walking out of here going, "did this really happen? You know, is there enough evidence out there that it could have happened?" Maybe, maybe. 

Tyler Proffet: What kind of feedback are you getting from the customers that are coming through about all this story stuff?

Travis Boling: Oh, they love it. Everybody here, you know, there's a lot of people who just enjoy the show itself, awesome. You know, we really haven't gotten anything negative from folks, but they absolutely love the new take of a haunted house. They're so used to just kind of going to the building, getting scared, going home, then go to the next haunt. In this one they get to think a little bit, see, and question things, that's what it is. So, yeah, they really enjoy it.

Tyler Proffet: Real life horror stuff. Alright, well Travis, thanks for talking to us. I won't take any more of your time. Where can folks learn more about the American Horrorplex?

Travis Boling: Well, they can go to Facebook American Horrorplex, they can go to TikTok, Instagram, and we've got a great website, americanhorrorplex.com. We've got tickets available there. Any social media you can basically find us, and if not, you can always come to 2012 Northwestern Parkway and just find out for yourself.