Entertrainment Junction is an impressive facility that spares no expense in creating a place where the entire family is welcome. But on the weekend when the sun sets true evil is born when Entertrainment Junction changes into Junction Nightmare. This will be our second year touring this haunt and it just amazes us that there isn’t a huge line leading out the door. Junction Nightmare is truly one of the best haunts in Ohio and an experience you shouldn’t miss.
Length-9: It will take you nearly 20 minutes to tour both sections of Junction Nightmare. The first half of Junction Nightmare consists of a Jack The Ripper themed haunt known as Ripper’s revenge. The second half has you going through various rooms themed around clowns and the carnival. This is called Fear Factory. There are few areas where little is happening and always something that will catch you off guard.
Design-9: What else can you say, but wow? Considering this is only the second year for Junction Nightmare to be open, I’m blown away. The entire haunt is theme park quality from its use of amazing detail to its dynamic lighting. Your journey beings as you walk through the streets of London to come face to face with Jack The Ripper’s victims and foes.
The realistic stone walls and perfect use of low lying fog create an atmosphere that is hard to duplicate. You will feel like you are in the 19th century fleeing for your life from the murderous Jack The Ripper. This is a clever haunt to say the least. The transition from scene to scene is seamless and always makes sense. There is rarely a moment where a room doesn’t fit with the Jack The Ripper Theme.
The second half of Junction Nightmare is called Fear Factory. This haunt is the total opposite of Ripper’s Revenge. It’s primary focus is the carnival and clowns. You’ll travel through various rooms such as a large mirror maze, steel maze, polka dot room and my personal favorite being the wind tunnel office at the end of your tour. You will feel like you are going to be blown away by strong wind before coming face to face with Michael Myers.
Overall both themes found in Junction Nightmare compliment each other and create a haunt that has little faults in the way it’s designed. The only reason Junction Nightmare isn’t getting a perfect score in design is because a few rooms seem to be a bit heavy on fog to cover up the lack of detail in those scenes.
Props/Animatronics-9: Junction Nightmare is a haunt that isn’t full of many high end animatronics, but has a variety of set pieces that make the experience feel real. But this isn’t to say that there aren’t high end props that will impress you. You will experience a fast spinning vortex tunnel, a claustrophobic tunnel, a large mirror maze, air cannons, a ghoul grabbing you from above and much more. The primary focus of Junction Nightmare is its detailed sets with realistic props that make the scenes come to life.
Acting-9: There is rarely a time where I can’t find fault with acting, but this is the case with Junction Nightmare. The majority of actors you’ll come face to face with have been hand picked from a local college. And unlike some haunts 90% of the actors are adult and stay in character the entire time. There are a few instances where some characters have few lines such as the actor who blends in with the polka dot room or Michael Myers near the end, but they were never meant to speak in the first place.
There are hardly any actors that just jump out and say boo. Junction Nightmare is a well acted haunt containing characters with scripted lines and authentic looking costumes straight out of the 19th century. It really is an immersive experience to say the least.
Scare Effect-9: Any haunt that can make you feel as if you’re walking the foggy streets of London is a haunt that is truly frightening. You never know what to expect as you make it from scene to scene at Junction Nightmare because there is always something bone chilling to catch the eye.
Customer Service: Parking was completely free and the lot was well lit with plenty of spots to park your car. Inside the staff is very friendly and willing to help in any way they can. Concessions ranged from 20 ounce bottles of pop and juice to various goodies. The entire facility looks like an old fashioned town with old street signs, street lamps and cobble stone flooring. Everything inside Entertrainment Junction is very accessible.
Fright Value: $15 is a little steep for any single haunt, but you’ll rarely have to pay the ticket price since there are so many discounts available on www.junctionnightmare.com. So if you are planning to visit this haunt please make sure to check out their website for huge savings.
Final Stab-9.0: As I said earlier, it’s a shame that Junction Nightmare doesn’t have a larger following. This is a state of the art haunt that doesn’t pull any punches with its realistic decor and engaging actors. If you are only planning to visit a few haunts this season please make sure that Junction Nightmare is close to the top of your list.