Brimstone Haunt (Wilmington, OH)
“It’s A Renaissance Of Fear”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Brimstone Haunt is the newest haunted attraction to invade Southwest, Ohio. Will you tempt your fate and face your fears at the Forgotten Forest and Brimstone Haunted Hayride? Something evil lives here. It’s watching and waiting. This is City Blood’s review of Brimstone Haunt.
The Forgotten Forest is a place of wonder and fright. Unspeakable terror is unleashed upon those who dare to enter. Was that an animal I just saw or was it a monster hiding in the woods? The Forgotten Forest is a peaceful place during the day, but when the sun goes down all hell breaks loose. Take a ride on an elevator that’s malfunctioned and has a creepy clown that’s in charge of your destiny. Try not to panic as the elevator crashes to the ground. Enter a creepy cave that’s quite unsettling and blue lights give it a haunting glow. This is a nerve wrecking haunt because it’s very unpredictable.
You’ll experience the woods decorated with doll babies. One life sized doll wants you to hug him or else. There are a lot of interesting scenes at the Forgotten Forest. A spider’s lair is covered with cobweb and you don’t want to become the spider’s next meal. The graveyard is full of zombies that want to take a bite of your flesh. The actors are great. You’ll see the acting troupe known as MAUL which stands for Mobile Actors United Legion. Characters such as Damien Reaper, Bloodzo T. Klown, Dannis Von Fatso the Clown and others love to scare the pants off of customers. Fatso looks like he’s straight out of the Syrian Shrine Circus with his Shriner’s Hat (aka a Fez). MAUL can be seen acting at haunts all over the country during the haunt season. You might also see a few of the actors from MAUL at Brimstone Haunted Hayride. One of my favorite characters at the Forgotten Forest is the Boogeyman who hides in a closet.
This is one of the best haunted trails around and I always felt like I was being watched as I walked through the forest. This haunt doesn’t follow a specific theme. You’re going to see just about anything your twisted mind can imagine. The greenhouse has a man in a wheelchair playing the piano. It’s quite bizarre. The Forgotten Forest even has a killer bunny rabbit and a witch doctor. The lighting is pretty good. Little things creeped me out to no end. Who would have thought that an old bicycle with a small light shinning on it would put chills down my spine? The vortex tunnel is a dizzying experience. We have few complaints about the Forgotten Forest and total tour time is 15 minutes.
Next up is Brimstone Haunted Hayride.
Welcome to Brimstone Kingdom where the full moon shines on the the wicked and the evil spirits are calling your name. Brimstone Haunted Hayride is a wild ride full of theatrical scares and some heart racing chase scenes. Hold on your for your dear life as you’re chased by a combine with flashing strobes. The actor is so close that he pushes the wagon with the combine. The best seat is in the back of the wagon because this is where a lot of the action takes place. Boy, there is a lot of action. You’ll be involved in many high speed chases involving a hearse and even a truck with a clown behind the wheel.
Brimstone Haunted Hayride features a large graveyard where a galloping headless horseman gets close to customers. This is a hayride that has some scenes you’ll see at other haunts, but they add their unique twist to it. The rusted junkyard is full of cars that have caught on fire and there’s plenty of smoke. The circus/carnival looks authentic. The large Ferris Wheel with flashing lights and the giant jack in the box were the props that stood out the most in this scene. There’s also a unique surprise.
Brimstone Haunted Hayride is a pretty theatrical experience. Quite a few of the characters don’t just rely on grunting or getting in your face. They use memorable dialogue and there are some unique creatures. There’s a plague doctor who wears a hood and a crow mask. There are also some strange half human, half goat monsters. One threw what looked like a head of corn onto the wagon. There are many scenes you’ll experience at Brimstone Haunted Hayride including a cornfield with large pumpkin head scarecrows and there’s a scene featuring the burning of witches.
Pray to God that they don’t suspect that you’re a witch. You might get burned at the stake. Some of the sets are pretty impressive especially the large castle. Some of the costumes are pretty elaborate as well. It took exactly 20 minutes to experience Brimstone Haunted Hayride. There are some issues here and there. The acting can sometimes be a little inconsistent. One minute you’ll encounter an actor with well scripted lines and then the next minute there’s an actor who just relies on using a chainsaw for a few minutes. There are also a few scenes that miss the mark a little. The torture chamber featuring a girl in a cage surrounded by skeletons wasn’t very effective. There are also a few dead spots where little is happening. But these are minor issues that can be easily fixed.
The wagon has speakers attached to it and the spooky sound effects and music add to the overall experience. We appreciated the fact that the steps lit up after the hayride was over. This was helpful for those exiting the wagon and you’re less likely to trip. Overall this is a very fun Haunted Hayride with some hair raising scenes and effects. We highly recommend Brimstone Haunted Hayride. Total tour time is 20 minutes.
Brimstone Haunted Hayride is $13 and Forgotten Forest is $10. A combo ticket is $20 which saves you three bucks. Group discounts are available and there are concessions including food, refreshments and more. Brimstone Haunt features two quality attractions that will have you running in terror. Brimstone Haunt takes place on the same grounds as the Ohio Renaissance Festival. For information on the Ohio Renaissance Festival, please visit www.renfestival.com.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Brimstone Haunted Hayride: Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.2
Forgotten Forest: Length-8 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-9 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 8.6
www.brimstonehaunt.com