Brimstone Haunt (Wilmington, OH)
“Scratch the Pumpkin Will Kill You”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Two massive reactors spew fog. The entrance says, “Brimstone Haunt”. Will you be brave enough to enter? We noticed right away that the midway had been improved big time. There are a number of large props that decorate the outside with many photo opportunities. We’ll talk more about the midway near the end of the review.
Brimstone Haunt consists of 3 unique Haunted Attractions. These are Brimstone Haunted Hayride, The Bog and Psychosis. We toured the Hayride first since it’s our favorite part of Brimstone Haunt and it’s always the most popular. Brimstone Haunted Hayride is unique in the way it incorporates sound. Each scene is synchronized to sound effects or music. This makes it a realistic and unforgettable experience. Unfortunately there are a few dead spots here and there, but they are accompanied by a spooky soundtrack.
Your journey through fear beings as you enter Brimstone Penitentiary. A live electric chair execution is underway and a poor soul has been hanged. All hell soon breaks out. This is an action packed haunt with plenty of vehicle chases. The encounter with the Headless Horseman was a personal favorite of ours. He gallops near the hay wagon while holding a light up severed head. You’ll be screaming in terror as a fire truck gets closer and closer. We didn’t understand why the actor was wearing a Jason mask since Jason has never driven a firetruck to my knowledge, but it was intense none the less. Another wild chase scene features an out of control hearse that will make you fear for your life.
There are plenty of interesting scenes. Some fan favorites return like the Drive-Thru Theater. Night of the Living Dead plays on the projector screen as cars are parked watching the classic fright flick. This scene is more hair raising compared to last year’s. There’s an animatronic zombie that emerges from a car and there’s a ghoul or two. It’s still dying for more characters. Having a gun toting hillbilly firing his gun would definitely make it more memorable and a horde of zombies would improve the scene. Other scenes include Frank’s Body Shop where one of the actors wears a light up and broken welder’s helmet. A field of scarecrows isn’t safe at night. Watch out as one springs to life as it gets close to the wagon.
There are plenty of new animatronics and decor this season. Mamaw’s Slaughterhouse features a giant half man, half wild board monster that attacks passengers. The Freak show/circus is pretty elaborate. A small roller coaster shines bright. This isn’t new, but it’s impressive. The new Area 51 style scene is very cool. It includes Distortion Unlimited Mutant animatronic. This movie quality prop is 7 foot tall and it sprays water. We really appreciate all the changes that were made for this year’s Hayride. There are still a few dead spots here and there. Adding loud pops, fire or actors would definitely fill the emptiness. But overall we had a good time. This is an attraction that’s appropriate for all ages, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t scary. That’s far from the truth. Total tour time was 18 minutes.
(Check out Brimstone Haunt’s new Jack-o’-lantern photo op station.)
Next up is Psychosis. This attraction is pretty unique in how it incorporates props and actors. There were a few special effects that I haven’t seen very often. The massive killer robot is a show stopper and the large saw blade that rubs against you is quite scary. Psychosis is only 7 minutes long, but it’s fun while it lasts. You’ll experience various scenes and special effects. There’s an electric chair, a rampaging truck and more. The elevator ride had us moving all around. Yes, this haunt would benefit from more actors and scenes. We did enjoy the disgusting bathroom and hospital, but they were uneventful. The chainsaw maniac didn’t chase us at all. He just stood there with his gas powered murder weapon. These are few complaints for an overall fun haunt.
Last, but Certainly not least is The Bog. This 17 minute Haunted Trail has great sound design and lighting effects. The abandoned Movie Theater, barber shop, Halloween Store and more are very realistic and well done. The scenes we describe in this review are in no particular order. The High School (AKA Die School) features a student busting out of a locker, a walk through school bus and more.
A graveyard can be a very spooky place at night. You might come face to face with the dead or a massive killer vampire bat. Other scenes include a hazardous waste zone with barrels, a saloon, backstage at the circus, an Ice Cream Truck, the ER, a bait shop, freezer and more. The killer alligator was great! We counted around 20 actors the night we toured The Bog. This sounds like a lot of actors for a 17 minute haunt, but there were a few dead spots here and there where there wasn’t a scary character to interact with. This is really the only complaint we have for The Bog. It’s a quality Haunted Trail that you don’t want to miss this season.
The improved midway features massive props, new signage and plenty of photo opportunities. The massive glowing-jack-o’-lanterns were impressive. Brimstone Haunt offers tasty food and refreshments at their Sinister Snacks booth. You can buy yourself pretzels, hot dogs, nachos, walking tacos, soda and more. Get a icy cold one at the Beer Barn or a mixed drink at the new Liquor Lab.
Brimstone Haunt has many carnival style games like axe throwing, Hallow-Ring Toss, Cranium Crusher and the brand new Operation Doom. Play the classic game of Operation on a monster. Zombie Assault is an armored bus where you, a group of fellow survivors and a small protection team up to see if you can survive a zombie assault. Don’t forget to purchase a Brimstone Haunt T-Shirt, hoodie, beanie and more at their merchandise building. Near the merchandise building is where you can purchase your photo that was taken before boarded the hayride. On cool fall nights, you can stand near their large fire pit.
Brimstone Haunt has various characters roaming the grounds. Our favorite is Scratch the Pumpkin. He asked us if we carve pumpkins. I was a little afraid to be honest. So, I answered with, “I carve severed heads.” A variety of music plays throughout the night. Brimstone Haunt has so much to offer in the way of entertainment and scares. Every year, they keep adding new things and we really appreciate the attention to detail.
General Admission is $37.99, Fast Pass is $50.99 and Group General Admission is $35.99 for a minimum of 10 guests. A Single attraction is $23.99 per person. It’s $49.99 for Ultimate and $65.99 for VIP Ultimate. These ticket options get you unlimited access to the haunts that night which is a killer deal. After you grab your candy haul on Halloween night, head out to Brimstone Haunt and get $5 off General Admission or the Ultimate ticket! Parking is free. Please visit www.brimstonehaunt.com for the rest of the pricing and information on special events. We definitely recommend that you pay them a visit this Halloween season! It’s a scary good time!
Brimstone Haunted Hayride: Length-8 Design-8 Props-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.0
The Bog: Length-8 Design-9 Props-8 Acting-7 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.0
Please note: Psychosis and Zombie Assault have not been scored.