The Haunted Schoolhouse-“36 Years and Still Going Strong”
This year The Haunted Schoolhouse has been rated as one of the best haunted attractions in America by Hauntworld Magazine, AOL, Fangoria and more sources all across the internet and print. With the struggling economy and rainy weather we’ve been having this year you would expect the crowds to be smaller for one of the oldest haunts in America, but you would be wrong. This is the review of The Haunted Schoolhouse in Akron, OH.
Length-9: The Haunted Schoolhouse has 3 entire floors full of detailed scenes and frightening rooms. Your journey through the second oldest haunt in America will take close to 25 minutes to complete. There are few dead spots, but a couple areas where there are just black walls before major scenes. Either way it’s a very lengthy haunt full of entertainment.
Design-10: What else can you say, but wow? The Haunted Schoolhouse is one of the most detailed haunts in Ohio with sets that rival Hollywood. Rooms include a Freddy Krueger Boiler Room, a dungeon with a closing gate, a disgusting bathroom where a talking skeleton resides, a haunted mansion, various detailed cabins and much more. A brand new scene for 2009 is the stormy night scene which includes a large tree that has crashed through a house.
Debris is everywhere while flashes of lightning can be seen going off in the windows. For the most part there are few complaints concerning design and even some areas that were just black walls last year have had dynamic lighting added to them. You’ll come across a dark corridor when suddenly light resembling fire flies moves across the area. It’s a neat effect that adds a lot to a bare scene.
Props/Animatronics-10: Almost 100% of The Haunted Schoolhouse’s decor is original and has been made to perfection to fill various scenes. Set pieces include a massive giant, a moving car with horns and lights, a wolf flying out from underneath a bed, a creature emerging from water and a plethora of decor that will have your jaw dropping. If the highly detailed scenes don’t impress you, then the variety of hand crafted props will such as a realistic tree that has crashed through a house or the different cabins and houses you will encounter along your way. You won’t see the props here anywhere else and this is what makes The Haunted Schoolhouse stand out from their competition.
Acting-9: The actors at The Haunted Schoolhouse are really one of a kind. Instead of just emerging from the shadows many of the characters you’ll encounter are either camouflaged in scenes or burst out of doors when you least expect it. The actors wear elaborate costumes, grotesque costumes, masks and prosthetics. This year actors seemed to be wearing masks more than previous years and a few masks didn’t work for the characters being portrayed.
This was the case for Freddy Krueger in the boiler room scene. The mask being worn was not very realistic and instead of portraying Freddy Krueger the actor just busted out of a door. More time should be spent on a scene that features a character that is so well known. But overall the actors you’ll come face to face with are pretty incredible.
Scare Effect-9: The Haunted Schoolhouse is a mixture of classic scenes and contemporary scares. Once you think the haunt is over you are ready for another floor. Even though the building doesn’t have a history of hauntings, it feels haunted and the atmosphere is incredible.
Customer Service: Considering how crowded this haunt can get on some nights, they are pretty organized and are right on top of things. The staff is very friendly and parking is free as well as safe. The Haunted Schoolhouse has your standard concessions such as drinks and snacks, but a larger variety of food would be appreciated. Even the addition of a small gift shop with T-Shirts, Halloween novelties and more would probably be a huge hit among fans of the haunts.
Fright Value: $15 gets you in one of the most unique and professionally designed haunts in America. With The Haunted Schoolhouse you get what you pay for. Please make sure and purchase a combo ticket so you can tour both Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory for only $26. Don’t forget abou the different discounts available at www.hshlab.com.
Final Stab-9.4: The Haunted Schoolhouse never seems to disappoint. There’s a reason why this haunt has stood the test of time for 36 years and seems to be getting better by the year. It’s just a great classic haunt with some of the most awe inspiring detailed scenes in the industry. If you are in the mood for one of the spookiest and creative haunts around, then head out to Akron, OH for the one and only Haunted Schoolhouse.