Brimstone Haunt (Wilmington, OH)
“A Hayride From Hell and Trail of Terror”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Come one, come all to see the amazing Sea Witch only at Brimstone Haunt in Wilmington, OH. A carnival barker temps you to see what’s behind the curtain. For only $2 you can have your wildest dreams come true as you see an oddity that’s beyond words. Witness a creature that’s lived for decades in secrecy. This is just a small sample of the strange sights you’ll see at Brimstone Haunt where your imagination runs wild.
Brimstone Haunt consists of two attractions which are Brimstone Haunted Hayride and the Forgotten Forest. What could be better than a hayride on a cool fall night with friends and family? Brimstone Haunted Hayride is the only hayride that I’ve been to that features its own automated soundtrack that changes from scene to scene. Speakers are attached to the wagon as they play creepy sound effects and bone chilling music. It really ads to the ambiance and creates a cinematic experience.
A cornfield can be a scary place at night. Did that scarecrow move or am I losing my mind? Brimstone Haunted Hayride is a frightfully fun attraction with some impressive set design. The realistic stone castle took only days to build and it resembles something you would see in medieval times. Brimstone Haunted Hayride loves to use fire effects. The junkyard is next to an old gas station and a gas leak has caused an explosion that lights up the night sky. Anyone can be accused of being a witch as you drive past some poor souls who’ve been burned at the stake.
Brimstone Haunted Hayride does an impressive job with its wild chase scenes. Be sure to sit in the back because you’ll be pushed by a truck, rammed by a combine and you’ll try to escape from a runaway hearse. Unfortunately there was no headless horseman in sight which was a bit disappointing. The headless horseman is synonymous with haunted hayrides and Brimstone Haunted Hayride is known for having one of the best.
The soundtrack that accompanies the hayride is great, but I wish that it didn’t abruptly stop. More scenes could benefit from some spooky sound effects or intense music. Total tour time was close to 20 minutes long. There were more dead spots compared to last season and some of the acting could be improved. There were some good costumes including the actor dressed as a plague doctor and the playful clowns were quite convincing.
The Forgotten Forest is always the highlight for me at Brimstone Haunt. Trails are consumed with dense fog. The sound of crickets and monsters hiding in the woods would put chills down anyone’s spine. The Forgotten Forest doesn’t follow a specific theme, but many of the scenes you’ll experience are very creepy. The spider’s lair has one of the strangest characters I’ve seen all year. He looks like a half man, half human spider that hasn’t been fully born. You have to see this mutant monstrosity for yourself. The greenhouse features a psychopath in a wheelchair. Don’t let her get close. There are demented killers everywhere you turn. A trailer has a serial killer known as the Boogeyman. He will destroy anyone who tries to help his female victim escape. This haunt has some bizarre sights including a baby doll forest with a human doll that has a porcelain face. Other creepy creatures will follow you. The voodoo temple/shop is home to a voodoo queen who wants to turn you into one of her voodoo dolls.
This is a high quality haunted trail that has some great props. You’ll experience an out of control elevator and a fast spinning vortex tunnel. You’ll go around and around. The lighting is pretty good at the Forgotten Forest. The cave uses small blue led lights that emit just the right amount of light to make everything glow. There are a couple scenes that fall flat. The haunted school bus had one actor and all he did was squeeze a rubber squeak toy. The haunted version of the Wheels on the Bus played in the background.
Total tour time was 15 minutes, but varies depending on how fast or slow you walk. Tickets are $15 for Brimstone Haunted Hayride and $12 for Forgotten Forest. A combo ticket is $22 which saves you $5. You can add a Fast Pass to the combo ticket for twenty extra dollars. New this year is axe throwing which is pretty entertaining and challenging. It’s $5 per person. There’s also a maze which is $5 per person as well. There’s not much to it. It’s just a standard maze where you’ll need to escape. We made it out in 5 minutes which was shocking considering how bad we are at mazes. A few actors and some dynamic lighting effects would make it more entertaining and difficult.
There are plenty of concessions available on-site including jumbo hot dogs, nachos, soda, hot apple cider and more. There’s also Brimstone Haunt memorabilia which includes T-Shirts, hoodies, caps, bumper stickers, beanies and much more. Of course we can’t forget about the Sea Witch that I mentioned in the beginning of the review. It’s a freak of nature that you won’t believe. It’s easy to find each attraction since a large inflatable movie screen has arrows pointing you in the right direction. Be sure to get your picture taken in front of the Brimstone Haunt hearse or with one of the various characters that roam the property.
Chop Shop Charlie is a zombie welder and loves to stare you down. Don’t forget to check out the Ohio Renaissance Festival this season. It’s a unique event where you’ll be transported to the 16th century where things were much different. Brimstone Haunt is located on the same grounds as the festival. For information on the Ohio Renaissance Festival, please visit www.renfestival.com. You could enjoy the festival during the day and have a spooky time at Brimstone Haunt when the sun goes down.
Brimstone Haunt is a great place to explore on a cool fall night. Haunts are a big part of the Halloween season and you need to get down to Brimstone Haunt. The scarecrows are calling.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Brimstone Haunted Hayride: Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-7 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.0
Forgotten Forest: Length-8 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 8.4
www.brimstonehaunt.com