Dayton Scream Park (Dayton, OH)
“Dayton Demons and Midwest Monsters”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
The woods are alive in Dayton, Ohio. A Chill has come over the buckeye state and the creatures of the night are waiting for your arrival.
This is City Blood’s 2014 Review of Dayton Scream Park.
Dayton Scream Park features 4 different attractions. These are Nightmare on Valley Street, Rat Trap, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hell Ride. Nightmare on Valley Street is their flagship attraction. This 20 minute tour through the twisted woods has actors every which way you turn. Nightmare on Valley Street doesn’t follow a theme. It’s a little of this and a little of that. You’ll experience a graveyard full of werewolves, a funhouse with killer clowns, a butcher shop, an insane asylum, junkyard, cornfield and much more. You’ll be chased by various vehicles and will even witness a live suicide. Much of the path is illuminated by Halloween lights.
This is a fun haunted trail, but the acting could be improved as well as the costuming. At one point we heard an actor say boo. There were a few things that caught us off guard, but you didn’t think we would give everything away, did you? The main issues we had were with the acting. There are a few standout characters like the girl who’s been imprisoned in a cage and the man who takes his life. But overall the acting needs a little work in order for this haunted trail to truly be scary.
Rat Trap is a nerve wrecking maze where you can test your skills at survival. The City Blood crew is notoriously bad at haunted mazes. Sometimes we’re out in minutes and other times we can be in a maze for 20 minutes or more. This year, we made it out of Rat Trap in under 10 minutes and we didn’t fall for many of the dead ends that throw most people off track. I’m gong to try and not give anything away since this might help you escape Rat Trap.
New this year is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You start your journey by choosing the correct refrigerator to enter. You have 3 choices. It’s going to be a tight squeeze since these are hollowed out mini fridges you have to enter. We were on the right path at first, but unfortunately we got confused. Like I said before, we aren’t the best at mazes. We were in there longer than we should have been. Your final confrontation will be with Leatherface himself who is ready to cut you to shreds with his chainsaw. I’m not going to give anything else away in fear that it might reveal how to get out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Hell Ride is unlike any attraction you’ll experience this year. Hop aboard a trailer attached to a truck as it takes you on one hell of a bumpy ride. You and around 25 people are crammed into a small space where you will come face to face with some murderous maniacs. Meet Pinhead, Michael Myers and other serial killers. Hold on for your dear life because this ride will take you straight to the pits of hell. Total tour time is around 10 minutes. Hell Ride is an improvement over last year’s version, but pales in comparison to the other attractions at Dayton Scream Park. There’s just so much you can do in such a small space with only a handful of actors. It’s unique, but not necessarily scary.
Tickets are $20 a piece and this includes all 4 attractions. If you aren’t able to tour everything then you can come back with your ticket and finish the rest. VIP tickets are $25 a piece and Paintball is an additional charge. There are concessions available and glow toys for those who are afraid of the dark. There’s a bonfire to keep warm and porta-potties available for when nature calls. We enjoyed our experience at Dayton Scream Park. Yes, the attractions could be improved, but it’s a pretty good deal for $20 a ticket.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Nightmare on Valley Street: Length-9 Design-6 Props/Animatronics-6 Acting-6 Scare Effect-7 Final Stab: 6.8
Please Note: The only attraction that’s been rated is Nightmare on Valley Street. The other attractions have been reviewed, but haven’t been scored. Rat Trap and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are considered mazes. Hell Ride is considered a ride and not a haunt per se.
www.nightmareonvalleystreet.com