The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati, OH)
“State of the Art Scares”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Get in line as Charlie the Janitor waits for you. A movie screen plays clips of The Dent Schoolhouse. It’s now your turn to enter the Fall Festival. Have you picture taken in front of the green screen. This has to be one of the most detailed queue lines we’ve ever seen. You’ll walk past booths such as the Witch’s Brew, Bobbing For Apples, Boo Blasters, Costume Contest and more. There are tons of lit jack-o’-lanterns synchronized to music and a massive pumpkin monster. It’s a sensory overload that you must see for yourself. After briefly waiting in line, it was our turn to enter the one and only Dent Schoolhouse.
The Dent Schoolhouse has a lot of aerial scares this season. You’ll see a ghoul fly above you and a snake wrap around one of its victims as it pulls her up in the air. The catacombs are decorated with over 8,000 skulls. This is a very detailed scene that features a massive bat that jumps down and other actors that are sure to get a rise out of you. The brand new asylum has a padded room where an actor walks across the walls in 360 degrees.
The Dent Schoolhouse feels haunted. There are old antiques, cobwebs, cracked walls and dust. The shelves move by themselves in the library. The detail is off the charts and the props are amazing. Where else have you seen severed heads carved like Jack-o-lanterns or an animatronic teacher paddling one of her students. Watch as the students point, stare and laugh.
There’s so much delicious eye candy. It’s like stepping foot onto a Hollywood movie set. You’ll come across mannequins that magically move, creatures in the fall out shelter, cotton candy cocoons, twisted clowns, spiders, cockroaches, CGI portraits, and just about anything you can think of concerning a haunted schoolhouse. One woman can be seen hanging from the ceiling as her ghost appears across from her. She couldn’t take the horror of The Dent Schoolhouse.
Meet Dr. Dent who wants to show you his experiment known as DS6. It’s an electrifying scene that’s damn impressive. The unruly students are punished with electric shock treatment while the lifeless bodies of some can be seen hanging. This year The Dent Schoolhouse has brought back their chainsaw maniac. The school buses have been removed and replaced with a frightful scene that people will surely enjoy. This is a haunt that really knows how to entertain its customers. Walk through a maze of foamy bubbles. It’s not scary, but it adds to the experience. The Dent Schoolhouse uses many nasty scents this season, but you’ll have to experience it yourself.
The actors are great and they come from every direction. You might even think one is a prop when suddenly that man cut in half springs to life. There are a few gory scenes here and there, but it’s not overdone. The animated student that rams his head into a pencil and the body dump was something else. After you survive The Dent Schoolhouse, you’ll enter the Monster Midway.
It was first introduced last season and it’s been a big hit ever since. It features the Cincinnati Haunted House Museum, Escape Rooms, axe throwing, the Spooky Shop, Jack-o’-lantern showcase, mini donuts, an electric chair simulator, over 10 photo op stations, a Skeleton DJ and more. The Oreo donuts looked delicious and don’t forget to purchase your picture that was taken earlier in the night. I’m getting exhausted just talking about all that The Dent Schoolhouse has to offer. You can also get concessions near the ticket booth. There’s butter popcorn, Oreo Popcorn, caramel corn, hot dogs, pretzels, hot chocolate, soda and more.
Total tour time was 20 minutes which is longer than last season’s. Free parking is available down the street at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Tickets are $23 online and $25 onsite on Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are $30 on Friday and $33 online and $35 onsite on Saturday. A Fast pass is $20 more and Front of the line admission is an additional $30. Please visit The Dent Schoolhouse website for information on special events like A Christmas Nightmare, Lights on Christmas, Ghost Tours, Lights On, Lights Off and Behind the Scenes Tours.
The Dent Schoolhouse is a state of the art haunted attraction that has amazing detail, crazy actors and eye candy galore. You owe it to yourself to experience the haunt that’s become a Cincinnati Halloween tradition.
Length-9 Design-10 Props-10 Acting-9 Scare Effect-9
Final Stab: 9.4
www.dentschoolhouse.com