Hell’s Dungeon (Dayton, OH)
Killer Clowns, Hillbillies, Psychos Oh My!
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Step right up and get your picture taken in front of the killer mime. Don’t worry. He doesn’t bite hard. Welcome to Hell’s Dungeon, Dayton’s all indoor haunted attraction. 2022 is their third season and we were ready for some scares.
Hell’s Dungeon is quite interactive. In order to exit certain rooms, you’ll need to perform certain tasks. Play a game of ring toss in the haunted carnival and squeeze the clown’s nose in another room. This is a fun haunt to say the least. Place your hand on the wall inside the asylum and get the shock of your life. Stand in front of the casket in the Funeral Home and get a blast of air.
Hell’s Dungeon knows how to scare customers as well as entertain. There were many times where I was laughing out loud. The live birth features a baby that’s born out of a butt. Yes, you heard me right. There’s a baby born out of a butt. This 2 headed baby needs a name and it’s your job to do it. Momma is very protective of her moonshine inside the Bayou. You better get going or your ass is grass.
The acting is good. There were times where a few actors resorted to yelling instead of using meaningful dialogue, but this was far and few between. One of the best characters of the night was Rufus who resembles the prince of darkness aka the devil. He uses a voice changer that makes him sound quite menacing.
Hell’s Dungeon doesn’t use a linear path. There are many twists and turns. The 3D effects are decent, but the highlight of the carnival section are the clowns of course. They’re sometimes quite intimating. One with a large mallet got closer and closer to hitting my feet. Another gave me an option to give him my hat or pair of shoes or I wasn’t allowed to leave. I chose my hat. There are a lot of colorful characters at Hell’s Dungeon. The voodoo queen who raises the dead was one of our favorites and the killer robot will definitely catch you off guard.
There are plenty of eye-catching props. This includes Spanky the Monkey, Skittles the Horse, a large killer pumpkin, a giant clown head, an airplane, vortex tunnel and much more. No haunt is perfect, and this is the case with Hell’s Dungeon. There are many scenes that lack music or sound effects.
Hell’s Dungeon is quite a long haunt. It took us 34 minutes to explore its haunted halls. This is a haunt that offers a lot of bang for your buck. It would benefit them if they advertised that Hell’s Dungeon is 3 attractions lasting nearly 40 minutes. The building is also very unassuming. Adding some simple red lights and having scary music playing would help attract more visitors. Make the outside look haunted.
Tickets are $24 and $34 for a Fast Pass. Parking is free. There are various concessions available. This includes T-Shirts, tumblers, shot glasses, bottles of water, Monster Energy, pop, Gatorade, candy, chips and more. Ask about the indoor coffin ride and you can purchase your 5×7 group photo for $10.
Hell’s Dungeon has made some big improvements this season and I must emphasize how much variety this haunt offers. If you don’t get scared, you will definitely be entertained.
Length-10 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 8.0
www.survivehellsdungeon.com