The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati, OH)
“Taking Out The Human Trash”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
The Dent Schoolhouse is shrouded in secrecy and the stories of bloodshed, murder and mischief will never go away. Some believe that these are urban legends they were told to keep children away from the abandoned building, but others know better. A man by the name of Charlie McFree was once a normal decent human being until he snapped one day. Charlie was the school’s janitor and no one would have ever guessed how sick and sadistic this man truly was. The public would soon discover that he murdered numerous children and buried their bodies in the basement of the school. The smell that emanated from the basement would make anyone sick to their stomach. The shear amount of dead bodies that were found would make a crime scene investigator question their profession and would make a sane man go insane.
The ghosts of Charlie and the innocent children he murdered haunt the schoolhouse. Their souls cry out as you walk its haunted halls. The school has been boarded up, but that doesn’t mean that it’s safe from pure evil. Are the local ghost stories true? You’ll soon find out. The Dent Schoolhouse has been scaring customers since 2006. That’s 12 years of screams, monsters and unspeakable horror. This season The Dent Schoolhouse has a few things up its sleeve. Our favorite new addition is the trash heap. You must walk through a room that’s covered in severed limbs and bloody bodies. It’s quite nasty and very intense.
The Dent Schoolhouse is one of the most detailed haunts in America. No expense has been spared in making the haunt resemble an actual schoolhouse. One of the oldest scenes at The Dent schoolhouse is the nurse’s room which as been replaced this season. Portraits come alive before your very eyes. This is a cool scene that you have to see for yourself. Walls are stained and the school looks like it’s rotting from within. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you enter the gymnasium that is decked out for the school dance. Couples are hand in hand as they dance the night away. They’re covered in white sheets and resemble ghosts. A ghoulish ghost with glowing eyes floats in the air as he watches you walk by.
You’ll meet some strange characters. Some are scary and others are pretty comical. The locker room is home to a football player who wants you to smell his jock strap and the basement has some odd ball actors that you won’t soon forget. Biology class features a live human dissection and a grotesque character that caught us off guard. The talking can of beans had me cracking up and the clown with the loud horn in Charlie’s basement caught me off guard. There are some unique ways that the actors hide, but I won’t dare give that away. The Dent Schoolhouse does a phenomenal job with sticking to a specific theme, but there are a few scenes that don’t focus on the schoolhouse. The catacombs is lined with over 4,000 skulls and there are skeletal remains littered throughout the room. A large skeleton creature known as the Necromancer makes an innocent woman levitate in the air as she screams her head off.
The catacombs isn’t the only impressive room. There’s a dark carnival taking placing at Dent and the clowns are from your worst nightmare. They have twisted faces and look mutated. Even the little girl’s playroom isn’t safe. The toys are massive and there was a demonic monkey with cymbals that creeped me out to no end. The animated rocking horse was pretty eye catching as well. The Dent Schoolhouse is full of dusty antiques and the basement features a room that has vintage Halloween decorations and some grotesque props that will give you chills. The Dent Schoolhouse utilizes impressive lighting effects and incorporates water into various scenes. The sewer has glowing toxic waste and don’t expect to get clean in the school’s shower stall.
The Dent Schoolhouse is an impressive haunt with startling props and effects. The coffin room has been invaded by large spiders that want to infect you with their poison. This will definitely scare those with arachnophobia. The Orkin Man would be in heaven at The Dent Schoolhouse. The roaches are the size of large dogs and the test lab monkeys are screaming to be let free. The hallway that appears to never end was also a cool effect. This is a state of the art haunt with set design and decor that would make Walt Disney jealous. After you’ve escaped The Dent Schoolhouse, you’ll enter Queen City Slaughter Yard which is a haunted maze that features chainsaw killers, slaughtered animals, screaming victims and plenty of gore. It’s 7 minutes long and if you’re a fan of chainsaws then you’ll be in heaven. It’s a fun attraction, but pales in comparison to The Dent Schoolhouse. Total Tour time for The Dent Schoolhouse is around 15 minutes which makes your total experience 22 minutes long.
The Dent Schoolhouse has one of the most unique queue lines around. It resembles an old fall festival. It features various booths including the kissing booth, photo booth, balloon toss and more. There are plenty of spooky props including carved pumpkins synchronized to music and even a rotating witch’s cauldron that’s full of trick or treaters. There are plenty of opportunities to get your photo taken in front of the many photo-op stations. Various characters roam the grounds including a man that resembles an ice cream cone. If you’re lucky you might even see ZoBo the Clown.
There are few complaints we have when it comes to The Dent Schoolhouse. It can get awfully crowded on a Friday or Saturday night which can cause the haunt to fill up with customers. We definitely recommend that you visit them on a Thursday or Sunday when it’s less crowded and there’s less chance that you’ll run into another group.
Tickets are $20 on Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are $22 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. Fast pass admission is $20 extra and front of the line admission is $30 extra. The Lights On Tour takes place on Sunday, October 28th from 4-7pm and tickets are $20. Tickets are only $15 on Halloween night. Queen City Slaughter Yard is closed on Halloween. Lights Out takes place on November 1st-3rd. Tickets are $20 on Thursday, $22 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. Add $15 to ticket price for Fast Pass Admission. You can add a touch pass upgrade for $10 extra and the actors will touch you. Dent Schoolhouse’s Christmas Nightmare event takes place on December 7th and 8th. Tickets are $25 per person.
Visit www.frightsite.com for information on Dent Deal Days. Parking is available in the VIP lot across the street for $10. General parking is available up the street at Children’s Hospital for $5. Parking proceeds go towards charity. There are various concessions available on site for those who are looking for a refreshing drink or a bite to eat. There’s also Dent Schoolhouse apparel and more! Don’t forget to get your group photo taken.
The Dent Schoolhouse is simply spooktacular. It’s Charlie’s domain and he’ll soon be mopping up your blood.
Length-8 Design-10 Props/Animatronics-10 Acting-9 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 9.0
www.frightsite.com