Hell’s Dungeon (Dayton, OH)
“Cooters Crazy Cryptid Tour”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
The dead walk the halls of Hell’s Dungeon. They’re ready to feast on the living and you’re their next midnight snack. Hell’s Dungeon has an intricate storyline, but it doesn’t follow an exact theme. It’s a mixture of scary scenes, eye catching props and some insane actors. We’ll give you just a small taste of what this Dayton haunt has to offer. The Scenes described are in no particular order. This 35 minute tour of terror will get your heart racing at certain points. We toured the haunt a few weeks ago during their media night, but there were still a few scenes that caught us off guard even though we knew what was coming. A foggy swamp is illuminated by a green glowing light and something sinister is hiding. The funeral parlor is full of ghosts with one being real. The specimens testing lab is quite bizarre. Will you be the next experiment?
At a certain point, you’ll be asked to sit as little girls cover their heads while a bomb goes off. Unfortunately this scene wasn’t working properly the night of our visit, but the girls did a great job improvising. They discussed how they used to drink gasoline during lunch time and how they were hungry for flesh. Cooters Crazy Cryptid Tour features one crazy backwoods bastard holding an alligator with a bone in its mouth. The elevator attendant did a great job as the elevator violently shook. The surgeon who peeled the skin off of his patient was bone chilling.
There are a variety of characters you’ll encounter. This includes creepy girls dressed as dolls, a barber who wants your hair, a chained up victim and more. Hell’s Dungeon mixes elements of old school with modern style scares. The massive Killer shark and pumpkin had me jumping out of my skin. I wasn’t sure if they were going to hit me or not. This haunt is full of props that go great with the scenes. It’s not just random décor. The vortex tunnel is a portal to Hell’s Dungeon. It’s a dizzying experience as it goes around and around.
Other props include a talking marionette puppet, a zombie busting out of a car, a claustrophobia tunnel and much much more. The clowns inside the circus are something else. They get up close in personal. One even hits the floor with a large mallet that gets inches from your feet. Put your 3D Glasses on and explore a world full of eye boggling fun. Polk-a-dots and skulls glow and a wall looks like it’s made of silly string. The freak show is freaky to say the least. Spin a wheel and win a prize. Hopefully it’s your survival. There are plenty of scenes inside Hell’s Dungeon, but we won’t ruin all the surprises.
Hell’s Dungeon does a good job capitalizing on your fears. There’s a spider invasion and if you have arachnophobia then you’re in for a real treat. There are interactive elements. Some of the actors might lightly touch you, but they don’t go overboard. General admission is $26 per victim, a Fast Pass is $36 and the Group Rate is $15. You must purchase 15 or more tickets to get that price. The Laid To Rest Coffin Ride is $7 and the Sinister VR experience is $7 per ticket as well. Parking is free. We visited on a Saturday night and there was live music, food, raffles and more. There’s Tuff Pro Wrestling Saturday nights in October. Pride night is Saturday, September 27th. Friday, November 7th the haunt will be in reverse. Tickets are $18 and $10 for veterans. Saturday, November 8th is their Lights Out event. Tickets are $20 and $10 for Veterans. A Christmas Peril is December 12th through the 13th from 8pm-11pm.
Hell’s Dungeon is a great value since you’re spending less than $30 and it lasts nearly 40 minutes. Yes, there are things that could be improved. The lighting in some scenes isn’t that great and some areas are in dying need of music or sound effects. But overall, we feel that you’re going to have one hell of a time at this Dayton haunt. There’s a reason we visit every year. It’s plain fun.
Length-10 Design-7 Props-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 8.2
www.thedungeonhauntedhouse.com