Dead Acres (Pataskala, OH)
” Repent Your Sins “
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres is known as one of the most extreme haunts in America and for good reason. It’s bloody, loud and doesn’t let up until you’re running scared. Haunted Hoochie is a sensory overload to the max and might be a little overwhelming for some people.
This is the 2012 review of Dead Acres in Pataskala, OH.
I shouldn’t have been surprised at how crowded Haunted Hoochie was for its second night of operation. Haunted Hoochie has a large cult following and fans are willing to wait hours in line for a chance to experience the madness inside. The first scene is centered around a live suicide. You’re told to get as close as possible to the front of the scene. Suddenly a bald maniac sticks a shotgun in his mouth and pulls the trigger. A big pop is heard as large amounts of blood drip down the wall behind him.
Haunted Hoochie is an over the top haunt and one of the few that features gory skits that may offend some people. One of my personal favorites is the dentist’s scene. A helpless victim is seen stuck in a dentist’s chair before a lunatic makes his presence known. Suddenly he takes out a small buzz saw and begins to force it into the woman’s mouth. Tons of blood sprays everywhere as she screams in terror.
Dead Acres is known for taking a haunted house to the edge of sanity and then taking it a step further. The haunt is intense and the scenes are grotesque in nature. The scenes are one of a kind and while a few haunts have tried to duplicate them, they’ve failed miserably. I’ve been touring The Haunted Hoochie since it was outside in small huts. Many of its original scenes make their presence known this year.
One of these scenes is the clown murder skit. A psychopath is seen wielding a machete. He then grabs a hold of a clown who tries to run away. He slowly slices the clown’s head off with a sharp machete. He then lifts the severed head in the air as a trophy and holds it over onlookers who are both shocked and disgusted. The Haunted Hoochie has plenty of controversial scenes and the newest is the cursed chapel.
You’ll walk through a dimly lit chapel full of candles and scantily clad nuns with their breasts hanging out. They’re possessed and want to save you from your sins. A priest is seen off in the distance holding snakes and preaching. The chapel is very realistic and one of those scenes that will either offend you or you’ll love. I feel that it takes The Haunted Hoochie to the next level of extreme.
Please be sure to stop at each skit at The Haunted Hoochie or you might miss some of the action. I noticed many people walking past the final skit which is The Haunted Hoochie’s gory finale. The final skit is the most graphic scene at The Haunted Hoochie and the most memorable.
Another new scene is the junkyard. There’s really not much to say about this area since it’s what you would expect to see in a real junkyard. There are plenty of beat up cars stacked on top of each other, bright head lights and crazy actors. The Haunted Hoochie takes pride in taking their haunt to the next level and giving people what they want. People ultimately want to be entertained whether it’s from gory skits or over the top actors.
The Haunted Hoochie has an army of intense actors that will grab, pull and get right in your face. It’s not uncommon to have a high powered chainsaw rubbed against your legs or have an actor touch your head. Without interesting scenes the actors are not as effective. The Haunted Hoochie has plenty of scenes like a room that’s engulfed in flames, bleeding walls, an intense prison break, a detailed graveyard, an outdoor village and more.
The outdoor village features real wooden cabins, running water, aged statues, trees and more. The realistic graveyard is just as over the top as the rest of Haunted Hoochie. The large grim reaper animatronic that floats over the gravestones is amazing and a true show stopper. The Haunted Hoochie has a variety of animatronics like an angry T-Rex, the 13 foot Impaler, an animated Headless Horseman, a dizzying vortex tunnel and more. Lots of money has been spent to make The Haunted Hoochie one of the most high tech haunts in the nation.
We were simply blown away by this year’s Haunted Hoochie. There were plenty of noticeable changes made and it’s one of those haunts you’ll be talking about for months. The haunt isn’t perfect though. If you’re close to the back of the group, you might miss some of Haunted Hoochie’s infamous skits. The live demon birth has been removed and some customers might miss it since it added some comic relief to the haunt. Some of the actors could also use better dialogue instead of just resorting to using their chainsaw or grabbing at you. I love how the actors interact with customers, but some people might not.
The total tour time is around 20 minutes. Tickets are $20 a piece and it includes admission to both Haunted Hoochie and Bad Trip in 3D. That makes both haunts $10 a piece which is a killer deal. I would highly recommend that you purchase a VIP ticket for $30. Lines can be enormous on the weekends and you would be a fool if you chose to wait in line instead of paying the additional ten dollars. Dead Acres has plenty of concessions and apparel available on site. You can also buy official Dead Acres merchandise on their website. Prices range from $2-20. The concessions aren’t too pricey. The best deal would be the walking taco for $2.
After you’re finished with The Haunted Hoochie, you’ll get in line for Bad Trip in 3D. This 3D thrill ride is a funhouse taken to the extreme. There aren’t many actors inside the haunt, but there are plenty of amazing props that will make your jaw drop. You’ll see a ravenous animated pig head, mutant clowns, a massive striped snake, killer Venus Flytraps, fluorescent bubbles, a vortex tunnel and lots more. This isn’t a scary attraction, but it’s quite fun. You’ll be out in under 7 minutes.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Haunted Hoochie: Length-9 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-10 Acting-9 Scare Effect-10 Final Stab: 9.4
Bad Trip in 3D: Length-6 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-6 Scare Effect-6 Final Stab: 6.8