Hauntville (Elyria, OH)
“Snakes, Spiders, Clowns, Oh My”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Hauntville in Elyria, Ohio is made up of 4 different haunts. This includes Cellblock 13, Butcher Barn, Psycho Manor and Wicked Clowns in 4D. Each attraction has its own distinct theme and the lines for each attraction aren’t outrageously long.
Cellblock 13 takes you to the darker side of prison. Line up maggots and for the love of god don’t drop the soap. This is a dark haunt with very sinister undertones. This prison makes Shawshank Redemption look like child’s play. There’s not a safe place you can hide and the electric chair might be the best solution. You’ll walk through a makeshift laboratory with a crazed scientist. Explore the cells of a prison where there are lunatics, killers and unspeakable atrocities.
Even the bathroom isn’t safe and the only way to escape is through a stall. Watch a man get executed as he takes a seat in an electric chair. A victim moves violently as he’s chained to a table. Psycho Manor is the more traditional haunted house that resembles an old manor with ghosts, ghouls and creepy creatures.
A ghoul flies overhead in a spooky cemetery. A woman’s head spins all the way around in the haunted bedroom. There’s a funeral service and the corpse isn’t quite dead as he flies out of his coffin. Don’t be a baby as you enter the nursery and you better not mess with the cursed dolls that hang on the wall. Spirits are everywhere in Psycho Manor. You might soon become one after you choose your perfect casket. The salesman is very convincing.
This is a spooky attraction and our second favorite at Hauntville. Butcher Barn is Deliverance on steroids. This is a gory attraction with halfbreed hillbillies, grotesque freaks and crazed killers. Our favorite room is the interactive outhouse where you’ll take a seat as the wooden bathroom actually moves. We’re always impressed with the work that goes into creating Hauntville. Butcher Barn really makes you feel like your in the backwoods of some twisted hillbilly town where they’re serving human remains for dinner.
Wicked Clowns in 4D is the best clown themed haunt we’ve ever been to and is truly the highlight of the Hauntville experience. This is a wild and crazy haunt that’s interactive and very memorable. Get your 3D glasses and enjoy the ride. Your fears are their specialty at Hauntville and Wicked Clowns in 4D takes it to the extreme.
You just don’t know what to expect as you enter highly detailed rooms with 3D images that come to life . This is a thrilling haunt with innovative rooms and great special effects. One second you’ll enter a room and not expect a thing. Then it suddenly collapses. Enter a jack in the box where you better hold on for dear life as it quickly spins around and around.
A few rooms utilize realistic scents that add realism to a scene. The toilet room smells like feces and please don’t touch those nasty plungers hanging from the ceiling. You’re never safe at this haunt because the props will attack. If you have a fear of snakes then watch out because Wicked Clowns in 4D has one of the largest around. This snake has an insatiable appetite for human flesh and he’s never quite full.
This is a haunt that has spent countless hours in creating realistic scenes and structures. You’ll experience a freak show with oddities from around the world. My favorite was the two headed dog. There’s a carnival taking place and a clown obsessed with popcorn wants you to take a bite. Everyone loves ice cream, but the ice cream at this haunt has a funny taste.
If you have a fear of loud noises, spiders, snakes and clowns then Wicked Clowns in 4D has you covered. We aren’t usually fond of clown themed haunts since many resort to using the typical cliches without working outside of the box. This isn’t the case with Wicked Clowns in 4D. This is one of the most innovative and off the wall clown themed haunts in the state of Ohio. The other haunts at Hauntville are good, but Wicked Clowns in 4D is something special that can stand on its own and is well worth the price of admission.
Hauntville lasted around 26 minutes. Tickets are $24 for all 4 haunts and the paintball attraction or $20 for just the haunts. Click here for a $4 off coupon good for Thursdays and Sundays. Zombie Hunt in 3D is the least impressive attraction at Hauntville. There’s not much to it except for shooting colorful targets with a paintball gun. We weren’t given much ammo and we were done in a matter of minutes. Music and a few actors would enhance the experience. Cell Block 13 is the first haunt you’ll experience at Hauntville and more could be done with it. The acting could be improved as well as the lighting.
We have minor complaints when it comes to Hauntville. This is one of the better haunts in Ohio and there’s a lot of variety. It’s a great place to get scared during the Halloween season.
Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-8 Scare Effect-9
Final Stab: 8.6
www.elyriahauntedhouse.com