2001-going back to 1998

CINCINNATI'S FIRST AND BEST HAUNTED HOUSE NEWS AND REVIEWS PAGE

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They're here! Ratings, interviews, and reviews for all of Cincinnati's best haunted houses!
DR. FRIGHT'S HAUNTED HOUSE OPENS FOR JULY 2001 FESTIVAL
Now that Night Of Fright has sadly passed away, what can local haunt fans do to get their dose of horror during the summer months? Fear not (or maybe you better, as the case may be)! Dr. Fright reports that his haunted house will be open at the annual IHM Festival on July 6, 7, and 8. The location will be on the grounds of the Immaculate Heart Of Mary Church at 5876 Veterans Way in Burlington, Kentucky (about 5 minutes from Florence Mall). More info as we get it!

LYNTON HARRIS NO LONGER INVOLVED WITH FEARFEST
Lynton Harris, the man behind Madison Scare Garden and the supplier of 5 of the 6 haunts (and the short film) seen at Kings Island FEARFEST in 2000 will not be involved with this years event. As of this writing Mr. Harris will be using 2 of his haunts (THE MUMMY'S REVENGE and THE FREEZER) at a springtime event near Cleveland.
FIRE AT THE NIGHT OF FRIGHT!

In the early morning hours of Friday, November 17 the Night Of Fright haunted house was broken into and set ablaze. Damage was heavy to the roof and attic level of the haunt. Then the arsonists struck again on Sunday morning, reducing the structure to little more than chimneys and a few first floor walls. Please go to the Night Of Fright page here at the House Of DOOM!!! for more details.

As the 2000 season wraps up, it will be remembered as the season that FearFest put Cincinnati on the national haunt map. All of the existing houses both big and small rose to the challenge and put on great shows. Of the 16 haunts I toured only a couple were disappointing and some were greatly improved over last year. 2001 looks to be even better!
Special thanks go out to the following:

Allen Rizzo and Tim Eversole at USS Nightmare
Lynton V Harris and Jeffrey Siebert at Kings Island FearFest
Frank Sester and Dave Bloom at Night Of Fright
Don & Amy Thornton and Randy Patterson at Nightmare Estates
Steve Haverkos and Angela Frith at St Rita's
Betty Hancock at Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall
Larry Steele and all his creatures at Dr. Fright's Haunted House
Bill Hunter and Daniel "Damien Reaper" Ruwan at Dungeons Of Delhi
Extra special thanks to everyone leaving a message in the Book Of DOOM!!! or that emailed!

 

 

Dr. Fright's Legion Of Doom! Wishes You A Happy Halloween!

 

 

Feature Articles On Cincinnati's Best Haunt Spots!

• NIGHT OF FRIGHT-The House Of Fear!

• NIGHTMARE ESTATES-The Haunt They Could Not Kill!

• KINGS ISLAND FEARFEST-Feel The Fear!

• USS NIGHTMARE II 2000-Millenium Cruise To Hell!

• ST RITA'S-The House On Haunted Hill!

• MT HEALTHY'S HAUNTED HALL-Dressed To Kill In The New Millenium!

 

 

 

Dungeons Of Delhi Actor...

Daniel "Damien Reaper" Ruwan!

 

 

About Our Hauntingly Good Ratings System

The ratings are based on a system I have developed for scoring haunted houses based on a weighted average for 14 different categories including outside appearance, quality of make up and costumes, lighting, sound, enthusiasm and readiness of guides and actors, length of tour and number of rooms, quality of room detailing, and more (for complete details, see Fright Times #10). It is based on the grading system used by most schools-0 to 100%.
Since some of the attractions are so close in quality, I did not feel it was right to rate one over the other in some cases. Sometimes the position order will vary depending on whether the show is having a good or bad night. So, this year the ratings look like this:
1)Legendary-5 stars-anything over 95%. Anything on this level is something you will remember for years...it will be strong in all areas.
2)Excellent-4 stars-anything between 90-95%. Something that is a "must see". A terrifyingly good time that will impress you. A slight shortcoming in one area (usually acting) keeps it from being legendary.
3)Good-3 stars-anything between 80-89%. These attractions are worth your time. They are entertaining and will usually have one major shortcoming (usually location) or a couple of minor ones.
4)Average-2 stars-anything between 70-79%. Worth going to if you're bored or in the neighborhood. Not really worth a long trip or high admission price. They can be fun but come up short in several areas, usually graphics and actors.
5)The Pit Of Hell-1 or No stars-anything below 70%. Don't bother. These attractions take your money and deliver little in return. Short tour times, empty rooms, and few and lousy actors earmark these abominations.

 

 

2000 Cincinnati Area Haunt Ratings

• WKRQ-Kings Island FearFest-5 stars-Legendary!

• WKFS-USS Nightmare II-5 stars-Legendary!

• WEBN-THE Haunted House-5 stars-Legendary!

• Night Of Fright-5 stars-Legendary!

• Nightmare Estates-5 stars-Legendary!

• WIZF-Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 stars-Excellent!

• St Rita's-4 stars-Excellent!

• WOFX-Middletown Haunted Trail & Chamber Of Horrors-3 stars-Good

• Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-3 stars-Good

• WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi-3 stars-Good

• Thomas More College Haunted House-3 stars-Good

• Starlite Drive-In Trail Of Terror-3 stars-Good

• Dr Fright's Haunted House-3 stars-Good

• Jillian's-Covington Jaycees Haunted House-3 stars-Good

• WNKR-Terror At Turfway-3 stars-Good

• WVMX-Hamilton's Haunted Trail 2000-2 stars-Average

• The Pit Of Hell...failed to claim a victim this year!

 

 

 

LET'S CHECK OUT THE BEST HAUNTS FOR 2000!

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These are listed in the order I attended them. The numbers are just there to provide convenient visual cut off points and are NOT rankings. I did try to hit the best haunts early in the month, though.
1)WKFS-USS Nightmare II:Let's start off with the negatives for this event. Well...there are none! This is one of the best haunts put on in Cincinnati in the last 30 years. The shipbuilders addressed the one major flaw of the Nightmare last year (no change in the rooms or path) and totally redid entire sections (new areas include the Crypt and Brig) and radically changed the path. Much more attention was paid to costuming and character makeup as well. Both are excellent across the board. There are some great new effects (including an interactive haunt station where people in line can control an animation that scares customers inside) and the best of the old ones were kept. Room detailing is meticulous, lighting is varied (not just all strobe lights), sound is great and customized to each area, and there are over 50 scenes and even running through would take a half hour to complete. Start your haunt tour of Cincinnati here! (For more info, see my feature article on the Nightmare!)

2)WOFX-Middletown Haunted Trail & Chamber Of Horrors:I reviewed these together since they are run on the same grounds by the same group. I was somewhat disappointed by this attraction. It is quite expensive ($12 for both attractions, plus they soak you for $2 in parking...that's ridiculous!) and the product doesn't justify the price. It's tough to find too (they did put up very helpful signs from I-75 to the attraction...never would have gotten there without them!). The Trail is by far the better of the two. It takes about 20 minutes to walk and has a few good scenes (the best by far being the monster that emerges from a pond...it was one of the best scenes I've ever witnessed!). Lighting is of the strobe and black light variety, sound is pretty basic as well. The creatures were continually breaking character to flirt with girls and chat with their friends in the crowd. All in all, a solid effort, which is more than can be said for the Chamber Of Horrors. Basically, it is a dark maze built out of warehouse pallets with very little decoration (the best scenery is in the tunnel where you wait in line). Nice Freddy furnace room is about it (the design for this room leads me to believe the people who did the old Horror Hotel at City Center Mall built this). The Trail is worth the $7 but I suggest skipping the Chamber. I will say they had a very large crowd and everyone seemed happy!

3)WKRQ-Kings Island FearFest:There's so much to say a short review can't do it justice, so go to my article on it! 6 haunts, 5 great rides, a splatter dance hall, and a twisted stage show/movie added up to an entire night of entertainment that I greatly enjoyed. There are also costumed characters roaming the park lest you think there is safety outside the attractions. Lighting, sound, costuming, and makeup are all top qualtiy. Nowhere else in Cincinnati will you see 3-D houses, and KI has 2! Each haunt has its own unique flavor that sets it apart. From the bloody Eiffel tower to the colorful Pirate Jack, the labyrinth of the Mummy, the animations of the Museum Of Horrors, the chaos of the freezer and the bizarre Giger-esque Sewer there is a new experience to be had at every turn. While the $20 admission might seem high, you will get an entire evening of entertainment and it is a great value. Don't miss it!

4)WEBN-THE Haunted House:For over 20 years THE Haunted House has put on a top quality show and this year is no exception. While many of the rooms remain the same from years past the many new rooms have detail that is absolutely stunning in its execution. For example, the coffin warehouse has an alley full of derelicts leading into it, a vortex-like shaking tunnel full of suspended coffins and skeletons, and the warehouse itself. There is also a new eerie mausoleum located in the center of the graveyard. Costuming, makeup, and room details are first rate and sound is good as well. As in years past the monsters are more apt to speak with the customers and engage them in bizarre and twisted conversations than jump out and scream at you. They have personality! While I like this, many people don't so be aware of this before you go. They also had another celebrity appearance-Don Shanks from Halloween 5...a great (and great big!) guy. Another innovation is the Haunted survivor murder game set for inside the house Sunday October 29. You can also go to webn.com to see the haunted house cam...live shots from inside the house every 15 seconds. THE Haunted House is a great charity haunt and should be on your go-to list.

5)St Rita's Haunted House-This haunt weighs in at 25 years of operation and is better than ever! The rooms this year feature much more detailing than in years past. There are many rooms with impressive effects such as the Black Hole (everyone knows what this is by now), the Chamber Of Motion (the whole room shakes with spiders, coffins, and skeletons dangling from the ceiling), the electric chair (bug zapper, anyone?), the head hunter (half the man they used to be), and The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (look out below!). These are made more impressive by the fact that they were all made in house and not bought. Lighting is very good, and the house features lots of actors in adequate make up and costuming. There are all sorts of outside activities planned for those waiting in line (the line moves fast) along with roaming creatures. At $5 it is one of, if not THE, biggest bargain among Cincinnati haunts. I love St Rita's and you probably will too! (See my article elsewhere for more info!)

6)WIZF-Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall-another fantastic charity haunt. They are in year 11 of operation and have gotten bigger every year. This year they have the hall, 4 tents, and a vortex tunnel. Lots of rooms and things to look at, including my annual favorite the Bug Room. They have the best masks in Cincinnati. Like St Rita's, they have lots of actors in all shapes and sizes...they make sure each actor is given an appropriate part (like no 4' tall Dracula or victims that tower over their tormentors). I did miss seeing The Bride Of Frankenstein (or witch) that normally works the front door, but she'll be back this week. Be aware you need a little agility to navigate parts of this haunt (low tunnels in a few places, and you don't always know they're there before you hit them) and if you're scared of the dark you may want to skip the black maze at the end (right, Khryss?). A good deal at $6 too. (See my article elsewhere for more info!)

7)Night Of Fright-if you like to be scared...I mean REALLY scared...this is the haunt for you. Night Of Fright has the most in your face, big, tall, hard core, talented group of actors around. From start to finish the crew was always prepared, hit their marks, and never broke character. They were helped out this year by greatly improved costuming, make up, and masks. Several dead spots in the house (like the chain link fence maze) were removed and replaced with cool rooms like a double sided graveyard (split by a fence...you visit both sides). Nice use of sound and lighting as well. While I was there people literally were so freaked out after the first room they had to leave. Some props were imported from last year's Planet Scream house as well. Follow the screams and check out my feature article for more info!

8)Dr Fright's Haunted House-Dr Fright's is much improved over last year. There are a couple of extra rooms and the themes are different. The only knock against this attraction is length...it has a very short tour time but is priced accordingly. There is a lot of attention to detail here-whether it is costuming, masks, makeup, or room decoration. Costuming is very good and has a lot of details you may not notice at first. Masks and makeup are equally as good, with a nice mix between the two. The rooms are also well done and each has a different feel to them, although I liked the impressionistic graveyard at the beginning best. The actors really do a good job, too...they don't fall out of character, they don't ignore the customer, they are always ready to hit their marks, and they are ENTHUSIASTIC! While a group shot of the actors was being taken, one looked longingly at his chainsaw and said "I LOVE this thing!" This sums it up best...a lot of enthusiasm and love went into this haunt, and I'd like to see what Dr Fright could do if given the money to make the attraction bigger! Plus, it's the only haunt in town with its own comic...the always twisted, incomprehensible (but great) Frightful Tale ("from the man you love to hate")!

9)Nightmare Estates-You will not believe how large Nightmare Estates is! Looking at it from outside, it looks medium sized but upon entering the twists and turns of the path turn it into a 20-25 minute tour (more if you're the nervous type!). There are many holdover areas from last year and a few new ones, all with great attention to detail-they look like something you could run into in real life. There is a nice mix of effects, live actors, dead actors (dummies), and spots where nature does the job-you will literally be walking through tunnels formed by foilage in many places. The Estates puts a lot of emphasis on their actors and they have some standouts (Rick (Bonehead-the first room ghoul), Freddy on the bus, Bludzo the clown, and Leatherface among others) to show for it. Great lightning and thunder in the cemetery, too! Highly recommended, especially if you've never been through before.

10)WNKR-Terror At Turfway-the Boone County Jaycees have a new home at Turfway Park and while it has no atmosphere at all, the product inside is much improved. Lots of very dark and stylized sets that are very spooky looking. Again this year it seems that most of the actors were teenage girls but they do a great job! Only teenagers can scream all night and never lose their voices. The actors are very good at distracting you so their hidden friends can come at you from behind. And I have to say, some of the younger actors were very creepy...a 3 ft tall skeleton with a knife is so bizarre you have to look twice! They have also improved on their biggest shortcoming over the years-the line. In years past 10 people in front of you could be a half hour wait, and 50 people would put you on social security. Now 10 people takes less than 5 minutes. Medium length tour (about 13 rooms, 5 minutes) with no animatronics or special effects-just good old fashioned scares. It's worth going to.

11)WVMX-Hamilton's Haunted Trail 2000-I paid $7 for this? A step down from last year's haunted trail (and it wasn't all that good then). You know you're in for trouble when the first thing they do is have you sign a (legally unenforcable, by the way) statement that you will not sue the Haunted Trail or any actors for any reason. About 15 minutes long, the tour consists of a series of ramshackle huts and mazes interspaced by long stretches of empty trail with little to no decoration. What few good scenes they have are not used correctly (the monsters on crosses scene was not staffed, for example). There was a decided lack of enthusiasm among the actors. I walked in several huts to see bored monsters with their masks off who just looked at me without even trying to get into character. One actor even asked me when they were going to get a break. The only thing that saves this attraction from the pit of hell is the final scene (ripped off from Nightmare Estates, Freddy in the school bus, but with a cool twist at the end), and a few good actors were to be found. If this was $4 or $5 I might say go if you're in the neighborhood, but not at $7.

12)Thomas More College Haunted House-well, not a whole lot to say here that's new. Everything is pretty much the same as it was last year (new body bags in the Blair Witch room and the water was running in the sewer room were the only differences). A mixed bag of costumes, masks, and actors are to be found inside. I did like the fact they all used different scare techniques. Some of them launched themselves from bushes and foilage and went tearing past me waving a chainsaw. Others would sneak up on you in the darkness and just suddenly stick their face next to yours. Others just followed you around. Extra kudos to the guy with the chainsaw that was doing the "silly walk" with it! Some nice rooms...the Cave/Mine, flooded room, beam room, and throne room were all nice. Be advised it's very dark (including the path to the house) and stairs inside are not lit. I also found it funny that their flyer advised obese people not to go through (tight squeeze in places)! Even my tiny 18 year old guide had to turn all of her 100 lbs sideways to get through some spots. If you've never been here, it's worth the trip, otherwise you're not missing anything.

13)Starlite Drive-In Trail Of Terror-Good news and bad news-the trail is better, but the price has been jacked up from last year to $10, so it is not the fantastic value it once was (still a good one...2 movies and a decent haunted trail for $10). Really, any night I spend at the drive-in is great, I just love 'em! The only thing that sucked is that while Lost Souls was the second feature, Remember The Titans was the first...what's up with that? Should've been a horror film! Oh well, I should consider myself lucky as last week's first feature was Bring It On. So I spent most of the first movie talking to Kathryn. The trail starts off with a TV room showing a short video clip that ties in with the action...this was neat! Otherwise, it was pretty much exactly the same as last year with some new scenes added, including one where a crazed ghoul goes zooming by overhead-very well done! Good looking corn stalk maze, spider room, and room of many doors. Average masks, costumes, sound, and lighting. It's worth going to for everyone who wants a whole night of haunted fun without having to wait in line for 4 hours (but next year have 2 horror movies, not just one!).

14)Jillian's-Covington Jaycees Haunted House-How many of you knew about this one? No TV, no radio, no newspaper, no websites (besides mine)...only a mention on the Jillian's message board. Also very tough to find even if you know it's at Jillian's (around back in their warehouse). I didn't know until I took Kathryn there for dinner and saw a sign (her reaction:"Does this haunted stuff follow you around or something?"). The same folks put on the excellent haunted orphanage last year. This year, since it was built in a hurry it is very short (9 rooms) but all the rooms are top quality. You will see (and feel) some nice effects that no else in the Cincinnati area does. I don't really want to ruin them for you so just be ready for anything. You'll see the living room, the bar, the operating room, the woods, the black maze, the claustrophobia room, and others. Great use of sound in this house, one of the best as far as that goes. Hopefully next year they can expand and get the word out. Worth it if you're nearby.

15)Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-Not really a haunt but still a great event in the best place for a spooky event in Cincinnati. The fire marshall had wanted the castle to install a sprinkler system (even though the castle is 95% stone) to allow them to run a haunt. The castle won their case in court and will likely return to a regular haunt next year, but had no time to construct one this year. Instead, we get the Scary Knight Tour. A Knight takes you through each room of the castle, explaining both the history of the room involved and what it would be used for in "the days of old when knights were bold". Each room also usually has some sort of ghoulish effect or costumed character as well. Very educational and interesting, the castle is truly magnificent and not to be missed. Don't go looking for scares, though, because you'll be disappointed.

16)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi-Once again a haunt that looks as good as USS Nightmare or WEBN but that is stuck in the world's worst location (the rear of a Thriftway store). The lab has a multitude of cool machines, the lobby looks real, and there are many nice basic effects. In addition to having great rooms and detailing the acting is better than in years past as well. I only saw about two rooms where the actors just stared at me as I went past. Everywhere else it was great! The actors in the black maze, funeral parlor, cemetery, morgue, kitchen, and especially the room of doors were particularly good. The path through was the same as last year and there were only 2-3 rooms changed, but it did have a lot of rooms for a charity haunt (20 +). My favorite part of this haunt, however, is the guy that's dressed as Herman Munster outside that works the line. He is easily worth 5 bucks all by himself. Whether he's performing magic tricks, escorting female patrons, or ragging people who decide not to go in he is hilarious and is just another thing that makes the Dungeon well worth a visit.

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 1999

• 1)WVMX-Nightmare Estates 96.55

• 2)WKFS-Night Of Fright 96.34

• 3)WKRQ-USS Nightmare 96.30

• 4)WEBN-THE Haunted House 96.29

• 5)Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall 89.55

• 6)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi 88.4

• 7)WLW-St Rita's Haunted House 88.39

• 8)WGRR-Haunted Loveland Castle 88.04

• 9)Diocesan Catholic Childrens Home Haunted House 84.92

• 10)WNKR-Boone County Jaycees 82.25

 

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Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 1998

• 1)WKRQ-USS Nightmare 96.85

• 2)WEBN-THE Haunted House 95.95

• 3)WKFS-Night Of Fright 93.95

• 4)Acres Of Agony 90.89

• 5)Mt Healthy's Hall Of Horror 90.81

• 6)WGRR-Loveland Castle 88.16

• 7)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi 86.6

• 8)WLW-St Rita's 85.2

• 9)WUBE-Dr Fright House Of Horror 81.64

• 10)WVMX-Boone County Jaycees 77.00

 

 

 

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CINCINNATI'S 2006 HAUNTED HOUSE NEWS AND REVIEWS PAGE

2006 HAUNT AWARDS
2006 saw some encouraging developments among Cincinnati area haunts. Cincy Haunts was formed, bringing together several of the area's better haunts, and had an overall successful first year despite some growing pains. 1031 Productions brought the Dent Schoolhouse back to its position of preeminence. Sandyland Acres gave the immediate area an impressive outdoor event with lots of room for expansion in the years to come. The Nightmare pumped up its already impressive production values and added a quality extra event, The Pickled Bros Sideshow. The Dungeons Of Delhi, Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall, and St. Rita's continued to deliver the best in charity haunting. While most everything about the year was positive, things ended on a sour note when the Chambers Of Horror continued to be plagued by small minded frightened vandals and saboteurs.
2006 HOUSE OF DOOM!!! Haunt Award Winners
Best Overall Haunt-See the article below!
Best Family Haunted Event-Paramount's Kings Island FearFest
Best Outdoor Event-Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Best Upcharged Event-The Pickled Brothers Sideshow at the USS Nightmare
Moodiest Location-Loveland Castle
Best Sets-The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Crew Of Actors-Tough call between Dent and USS Nightmare, but overall it goes to the Nightmare
Best Individual Actor-Bludzo
Best Individual Actors Not Named Bludzo-Leatherface at Sandyland Acres, the Butchers and Leatherface at the Chambers Of Horror, Vampire Overlord and his Pet at the USS Nightmare
HOD's Favorite Haunt Character-Damien Reaper, Dungeons Of Delhi
Best Costuming-St. Rita's
Best Masks-Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Best Character Makeup-USS Nightmare
Best Sound-USS Nightmare
Best Lighting-Dungeons Of Delhi
Best Line Entertainment-School Bus and The Janitor at the Dent Schoolhouse
Best Sinister Atmosphere-The Chambers Of Horror
Most Improved Event-The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Value-Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall
Most Overpriced-Land Of Illusion
Best Room-Uncle Charlie's Lair in the basement of the Dent Schoolhouse
Biggest Rip Off-Haunts that charge for parking
Best Haunt Website-The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Publicity Stunts-The Dent Schoolhouse
Best T-Shirts-Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall
Scariest-2 more years of the Shrub!
And, as always, we'd like to thank our friends in the haunt community...
Allen & Glenna Rizzo, Brian Robbe, and Steve Schreibeis at USS Nightmare
Betty Hancock and Greg Hancock (along with our favorite board poster, Bug Boy) at Mt. Healthy's Haunted Hall
Dan Ruwan, Cecil & Jake Rouse, John Colletta IV, and the cast and crew at the Dungeons Of Delhi
Ed Short along with his great mom & dad at The Chambers Of Horror
Steve Haverkos and Tom Flege at St. Rita's
Maureen Kaiser at Paramount's Kings Island
Josh Wells, Bud Stoss, Chuck Stoss, Bludzo, Mr. Grim, Granny, and everyone else at the Dent Schoolhouse  
Gene, his family, and the crew of Sandyland Acres
Bludzo, for the terrific job he's done on The Mouth Of Madness columns
Crystal, the best webmistress who ever was lusted over by skeletons…
and on the HOD Message Board, Pacifier Chones (author of a hilarious and informative series of haunt reviews), Steven (also with lots of helpful info and reviews), Mayor McSpooky, Damien Reaper, Frank Sester, the Captain, Knightmare, the Janitor, Bludzo, and the guys from Haunted Cincinnati, Ohio Valley Haunts, and City Blood
THE CINCINNATI HAUNTED HOUSE HALL OF FAME
The 2006 Inductee is…The Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall (1990-?)! In an age where charity haunts are dying out, the Hall continuously delivers a high quality event at the best price in town. It's keeping the old school style of haunting alive. The event's signature dark maze and Bug Boy will hopefully be vexing area hauntgoers for years to come!
2005 Inductee-1996-? Nightmare On Glenway/Nightmare Estates
2004 Inductee-1979-? THE Haunted House In Dent
2003 Inductee-1993-? USS Nightmare
2002 Inductee-1990's Night Of Fright
2001 Inductee-1970-76 WSAI/Sycamore-Deer Park Jaycees Haunted House
2000 Inductee-1978-? St. Rita's Haunted House
1999 Inductee-1978-1982 Hamilton/Fairfield Jaycees House On The Hill
 

 

 

 

Feature Articles On Cincinnati's Best Haunt Spots!

• VINTAGE HAUNTS FROM CINCINNATI'S PAST

• THE DENT SCHOOLHOUSE-A Learning Experience!

• USS NIGHTMARE-Cargo Hold Of Freaks!

• ST RITA'S HAUNTED HOUSE-Crawling From The Woodwork!

• MT HEALTHY'S HAUNTED HALL-We Forsee...Death!

• DUNGEONS OF DELHI-Terror Hits The Road!

• SANDYLAND ACRES HAUNTED HAYRIDE-We Brake For Monsters!

• KINGS ISLAND FEARFEST-A Very Scary Christmas!

• THE CHAMBERS OF HORROR-Bringing Evil Home!

 

 

 

About Our Hauntingly Good Ratings System

The ratings are based on a system I have developed for scoring haunted houses based on a weighted average for 14 different categories including outside appearance, quality of make up and costumes, lighting, sound, enthusiasm and readiness of guides and actors, length of tour and number of rooms, quality of room detailing, and more (for complete details, see Fright Times #10). It is based on the grading system used by most schools-0 to 100%.
Since some of the attractions are so close in quality, I did not feel it was right to rate one over the other in some cases. Sometimes the position order will vary depending on whether the show is having a good or bad night. So, this year the ratings look like this:
1)Legendary-5 stars-anything over 95%. Anything on this level is something you will remember for years...it will be strong in all areas.
2)Excellent-4 stars-anything between 90-95%. Something that is a "must see". A terrifyingly good time that will impress you. A slight shortcoming in one area (usually acting) keeps it from being legendary.
3)Good-3 stars-anything between 80-89%. These attractions are worth your time. They are entertaining and will usually have one major shortcoming (usually location) or a couple of minor ones.
4)Average-2 stars-anything between 70-79%. Worth going to if you're bored or in the neighborhood. Not really worth a long trip or high admission price. They can be fun but come up short in several areas, usually graphics and actors.
5)The Pit Of Hell-1 or No stars-anything below 70%. Don't bother. These attractions take your money and deliver little in return. Short tour times, empty rooms, and few and lousy actors earmark these abominations.

 

 

LET'S CHECK OUT THE BEST HAUNTS FOR 2006!

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As always, these are listed in the order I reviewed them. The numbers are simply that order and do NOT represent rankings-you'll see a ranking list below.

1)THE DENT SCHOLHOUSE (AKA THE Haunted House)-5 Stars-This classic attraction is under new ownership (1031 Productions) and was completely gutted and redone in the offseason. It features strong theming, especially in the schoolhouse proper. It also has an underworld area entered after the house's basement that shows the twisted landscapes that have grown up around the schoolhouse. This attraction is excellent in all phases of operation, top to bottom. Room detail is outstanding, with some areas such as Uncle Charlie's Lair and The Egyptian Tomb being showstoppers. They're actor intensive and don't rely on animatronics to carry the show (although they do have them). Many of Cincinnati's most notorious haunt actors are here, including The Janitor, Bludzo, Jester, Schizo, Granny, Mr. Grimm, and you might even see actors from other events (like The Dungeons Of Delhi's Damien Reaper and Fatso The Clown). Costuming, makeup, lighting, and particularly sound are very well thought out and executed. Tour time runs anywhere from 20-30 minutes, depending on how freaked out your group gets. There's much more to say about this haunt, and you can read more at our feature article elsewhere on the site. Highest reccomendation.

2)KINGS ISLAND FEARFEST-4 Stars-KI once again puts forth a quality attraction where the emphasis is squarely on entertainment. This year, Psycho Path, Circus Of Horrors, Massacre Manor and Headless Hollow have returned with virtually no changes. Well, Circus Of Horrors changed its location and Massacre Manor its name (it was R.L. Stine's Fear Street last year). Cowboy Carnage is Massacre Manor from last year with the theming changed from the Headless Horseman to the Old West (although the breathing wall is gone). Maze Of Madness is now known as The Asylum-no changes here either, although they have reversed the path from last season. There are now three Fearzones ones-the holdover Cornstalkers (the most moody and scariest of the three), Holiday Horror (by far the funniest and most entertaining-it's the ultimate Mall Christmas Santa attraction gone wrong), and The Worksite (which is neither scary or entertaining). Acting at the attraction was spottier than last season-although the key actors at each attraction are excellent. The actors at KI tend to actually ACT rather than just growl, scream, and shamble around which always makes for a good show. In addition to the six haunts and three Fearzones, there's also four shows being featured-FearFest Hauntcert Series with local bands, The Heckle & Howl Monster Improv Show, Monster Bash stage show, and Elvira's Superstition 3-D ride simulator. There's also the themed FearFeast diner, FearFest Souvenir Trailer, and FearFest Photos. While long lines are always a concern at this attraction, there's plenty to do and see, and it scores big on the enjoyability and fun meter. You can read a more detailed breakdown of the event in our feature article located elsewhere on the site. Recommended.

3)SANDYLAND ACRES HAUNTED HAYRIDE-4 1/2 Stars-this actually was a fraction of a point below 4 1/2, but since our ratings system is rough on hayrides, we bumped it up. This was a very entertaining and fun half-hour ride through the cornfields and woods of Sandyland Acres. While many outdoor haunts make the mistake of trying to put 'indoor' rooms outside, Sandyland sticks to scenes that conform to the outdoor environment. They make excellent use of the terrain and features as well, putting in scenes that take full advantage of their surroundings. For example, the farm's corn cribs are used as werewolf cages (these huge structures look like old-fashioned cages at a zoo). The barn houses Leatherface's workshop. The woods have creatures flying overhead from tree to tree. Large open patches feature the hay wagons being chased by the Death Truck from Jeepers Creepers, the Headless Horseman on his black stallion, and on some nights the Sandyland Cemetery Hearse. The event uses lots of nice looking masks and the makeup/masks of the creatures milling about the queue line are extremely well done. Overall, acting was solid, although there were a couple of spots where the actors seemed a little unmotivated. The event has a great Leatherface-the best I've seen, and they feature a huge 'Deliverance' Jason as well. Sandyland is a very entertaining, old-school style hayride that is a welcome addition to the Cincinnati haunt scene. Unlike some events in the country, it's easy to find as well and there are signs posted along the route. You can read lots more about it in our feature article located elsewhere on the site.

4)ST RITA'S HAUNTED HOUSE-4 1/2 Stars-Another well done production from Cincinnati's longest running attraction. This year the old farmhouse is crawling with actors-some rooms had as many as five, and no room has less than two. The enthusiasm of the volunteer monsters was markedly up as well-very energetic and in your face. While many of the actors are small, the sheer numbers help to disguise this, and there are quite a few huge, hulking actors around. Costuming is exceptionally good as always, and the makeup solidly done air brush jobs for the most part. We were disappointed by the fact that many of the rooms were not changed this year, but the path through has been completely reworked. Some rooms are even entered twice and you leave the house midway through to go outdoors, and afterwards reenter the house. The second floor features most of the new areas, including the Hellraiser Bedroom, Electric Chair, Mad Scientist Lab, and Phantom Of The Opera. Many nicely done basic special effects and as always, every square inch of the old farmhouse is used to full effect (except for a closet housing equipment). You can read more about the attraction and what's inside in our feature article elsewhere on the site. Recommended!

5)MT HEALTHY HAUNTED HALL-4 1/2-Old school haunting remains alive and well at the 17th Annual Hall. This year, the event has three tents, a shed, the black maze, and outside areas in addition to the Hall building itself. An entertaining touch is the Fortune Teller that does a card reading for each group before entering. The Hall repeats many of the same themes from year to year, but always in a different place and a different twist. The adult actors have the most visible positions with the younger volunteers being put where their size isn't an obvious drawback. We were happy to see the HOD!!!'s favorite haunt character, Bug Boy, back holding court inside the house in his favorite sl-easy chair. Satan returned again as well. Some very nice new touches were there such as an outdoor hall of puppets, a thrashing hanging, and an absolutely HUGE Frankenstein rising up from an operating table. There's also a new twist on the old drop panel, and the black maze is changed around weekly just to keep everyone from getting complacent. Lots of good looking masks allow the Hall to feature truly monsterous visaged characters. You can read more about this haunt in the feature article elsewhere on the site. Recommended!

6)USS NIGHTMARE-5 Stars-Another fantastic year for this event. What sets it apart from years past is the emphasis on acting this year along with more elaborate makeups on the icon characters. The Vampire Overlord and his minions are particlar standouts, along with the actors infesting the new cargo hold area (who are crawling on the floor, dangling from overhead, and emerging from the maze of machinery). While many of the scenes are holdovers from last year, the new path through gives them an entirely new look. The level of room detail, sound, and lighting are the same high quality that has come to be expected from the Nightmare. New for this year is the Pickled Brothers Sideshow, which is held in a tent by the Nightmare's entrance. It's an extra $5 with a Nightmare ticket purchase and is worth three or for times that. Lots of sideshow stunts including sword swallowing, fire eating, mousetrap tounging, bed of nails with dancing guy on top, balloon through the nostrils, Madagascar roach munching, axe and machete juggling, nails being hammered into the nose, straight jacket escape, and more. There's also many cool freak show items, including my favorite, a piece of wood from Ed Gein's barn (he was the real-life killer upon which Psycho, Deranged, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more were based on). A great half hour show, and the Nightmare tour itself runs about that long as well. You can read more in our feature article located elsewhere on the site. Highly recommended!

7)LOVELAND CASTLE-4 Stars-About the only new thing at the castle is the restoration of the tent at the end of the event, the return of the flame thrower, and two rooms in the main part of the castle are no longer used. The French Ballroom (the 'Grisley Banquet') and Harry's Bedroom are no longer used (joining the Dungeon as rooms now off limits), although the Grisley Banquet itself was moved to the Round Room. Otherwise, things are pretty much the same. Loads of very young actors with varying degrees of enthusiasm (the little girl in the Round Room was excellent-she stayed in character no matter what else was going on). They have a nice 'mirror to window' effect on the bottom floor, along with the return of the eerie 'carved Jack-O-Lantern' room. The outside tunnel is probably the best part of the event-strobe lit with some actors that really know how to work that angle. The 'flame thrower' comes some time after this. To their credit, they began to make better use of the dark nooks of the castle-one of the most effective rooms is a darkened area where you just hear heavy, demonic breathing coming from somewhere in the room. The real star of the event, of course, is the castle and its grounds-they would be cool and spooky without any enhancement at all. However, at $8 the event is overpriced for such a short tour (just over 6 minutes) and they do two things that just drive me NUTS-an upcharge for parking (only $1, but still...), and a completely out of place Monty Python skit at the beginning of the tour along with a promo for the Castle's gift stand (although they do have some very nice items!). But, your money couldn't be going to a better place-Loveland Castle is an excellent venue run by some really great people. The Castle is quite the sleeper in the Cincinnati haunt scene-it's been running for about 25 years now! With the spooky ride down the hill and the ambience of the location, there's no place better for getting in the Halloween mood.

8)THE CHAMBERS OF HORROR-4 1/2 Stars-the Chambers has become a testament to perserverance and the fact that you don't need a big budget to put on a solid event. It's heavy on setting a mood and capitalizing on its strong cadre of adult actors. While the rooms have had a few things added here and there, there haven't been any changes to the themes of the rooms or the path from last year. Since the Chambers is not an 'eye candy' haunt, this really isn't as big a problem as you might think. The rooms still carry a wallop with the standouts being the Freezers (this year, the city allowed the doors to be put back on), the Myers house, Six Doors To Death, the Chainsaw family, the Boiler Room, and the Hellevator. There's many well down effects that you won't see anywhere else in the area-but you'll have to discover those on your own! There's a nice mix of masks and makeup, and no actors under 17. There's also the coolest exit room in the local haunt scene, with a Halloween shop, hologram projector, comfy seating, and a comprehensive Haunted Attraction bulletin board with lots of other events posted. We were there for an hour or so, and all the people exiting were raving about the place. You can read more about the Chambers in the feature article located elsewhere on the site. Recommended!

9)DUNGEONS OF DELHI-4 1/2 Stars-once again, the only thing keeping the Dungeons from being a 5 star event is the featureless, bland location (although it's not as bad now that Thriftway is gone and gives it a nice, deserted front)...but they're working on that! There were many more changes to the interior of the haunt than we were expecting, and as always the detailing and lighting are top notch. The Dungeons was one of the first area haunts to feature a recurring original character and now boasts several of them. While most of the characters are played by younger actors, they do an outstanding job and are among the most persistant creatures found in area haunts. And there's lots of them-even on a slow night after a Bengals game, there were likely 50 or more. Several of this this year's featured rooms are the Scare Shop (Monster Garage), Damien Reaper's Lair (check out the wall for all of his looks over the years), Freddy's Boiler Room, Hannibal's Cage, and Clown Alley. Solid makeup jobs, sporadic use of effective masks, and good costuming complete the event. As always, this is a charity haunt with professional haunt production values. You can read more about the Dungeons in the feature article located elsewhere on the site. Recommended!

 

 

2006 Cincinnati Area Haunt Ratings

• 1)USS Nightmare-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 2)The Dent Schoolhouse-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)Mt Healthy Haunted Hall-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent!

• 4)St Rita's Haunted House-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent!

• 5)Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent!

• 6)The Dungeons Of Delhi-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent!

• 7)The Chambers Of Horror-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent!

• 8)Kings Island FearFest-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 9)Loveland Castle-4 Stars-Excellent!

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 2005

• 1)The USS Nightmare-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 2)The Baxter Avenue Morgue-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)Nightmare Manor & Majestic Nightmare-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 4)Middletown's Land Of Illusion-4 1/2 Stars Plus-Almost Legendary!

• 5)Mt. Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 6)St. Rita's Haunted House-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 7)Kings Island Fearfest-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 8)Dungeons Of Delhi-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 9)The Chambers Of Horror-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 10)THE Haunted House (Dent Schoolhouse)-4 Stars-Excellent!

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 9 Best Haunts For 2004

• 1)USS Nightmare-5 Stars And More-Legendary!

• 2)Nightmare (Estates) At The Beach-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)THE Haunted House (Dent Schoolhouse)-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 4)Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 5)Dungeons Of Delhi-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 6)The Chambers Of Horror-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 7)Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 8)St. Rita's Haunted House-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 9)Kings Island Fearfest-4 Stars (Incomplete)-Excellent!

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 8 Best Haunts For 2003

• 1)USS Nightmare-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 2)Kings Island Fearfest-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)Nightmare Estates-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 4)St Rita's-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 5)THE Haunted House (Dent Schoolhouse)-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 6)Dungeons Of Delhi-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 7)Mount Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 1/2 Stars-Excellent Plus!

• 8)Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-4 Stars-Excellent!

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 8 Best Haunts For 2002

• 1)THE Haunted House In Dent-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 2)USS Nightmare-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)Nightmare Estates-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 4)WEBN-Kings Island Fearfest-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 5)St. Rita's Haunted House-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 6)Mount Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 7)Dungeons Of Delhi-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 8)Loveland Castle Scary Night Tours-3 Stars-Good!

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 2001

• 1)Kings Island Fearfest-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 2)USS Nightmare Festival Of Fear-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 3)Nightmare Estates-5 Stars-Legendary!

• 4)WEBN-THE Haunted House-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 5)St Rita's Haunted House-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 6)Dungeons Of Delhi-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 7)Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 Stars-Excellent!

• 8)Middletown's Haunted Trail-3 Stars-Good

• 9)Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-3 Stars-Good

• 10)Hamilton's Haunted Trail-3 Stars-Good

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 2000

• 1)WKRQ-Kings Island FearFest-5 stars-Legendary!

• 2)WKFS-USS Nightmare II-5 stars-Legendary!

• 3)WEBN-THE Haunted House-5 stars-Legendary!

• 4)Night Of Fright-5 stars-Legendary!

• 5)Nightmare Estates-5 stars-Legendary!

• 6)WIZF-Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall-4 stars-Excellent!

• 7)St Rita's-4 stars-Excellent!

• 8)WOFX-Middletown Haunted Trail & Chamber Of Horrors-3 stars-Good

• 9)Loveland Castle Scary Knight Tours-3 stars-Good

• 10)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi-3 stars-Good

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 1999

• 1)WVMX-Nightmare Estates 96.55

• 2)WKFS-Night Of Fright 96.34

• 3)WKRQ-USS Nightmare 96.30

• 4)WEBN-THE Haunted House 96.29

• 5)Mt Healthy's Haunted Hall 89.55

• 6)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi 88.4

• 7)WLW-St Rita's Haunted House 88.39

• 8)WGRR-Haunted Loveland Castle 88.04

• 9)Diocesan Catholic Childrens Home Haunted House 84.92

• 10)WNKR-Boone County Jaycees 82.25

 

 

 

Cincinnati's 10 Best Haunts For 1998

• 1)WKRQ-USS Nightmare 96.85

• 2)WEBN-THE Haunted House 95.95

• 3)WKFS-Night Of Fright 93.95

• 4)Acres Of Agony 90.89

• 5)Mt Healthy's Hall Of Horror 90.81

• 6)WGRR-Loveland Castle 88.16

• 7)WKRC-Dungeons Of Delhi 86.6

• 8)WLW-St Rita's 85.2

• 9)WUBE-Dr Fright House Of Horror 81.64

• 10)WVMX-Boone County Jaycees 77.00