Nightmare Manor (Middletown, OH)
“Fear to the Core”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Nightmare Manor is an old school style haunt with some scenes that are quite memorable. My favorite is the exhilarating werewolf encounter. Out of the blue, a restrained werewolf emerges just as you are captivated by the radiant full moon. Beyond that, you will come across another werewolf in the great outdoors. The scene from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was incredibly intense and had us sprinting with adrenaline. It is an incredibly gripping moment guaranteed to make your heart race with excitement.
This is a haunt that’s pretty creative. The clown room features a slide that leads to a pit full of foam blocks. The Saw room will have you checking if you’re head is still attached. Watch as the ceiling crashes down on you. Other horror movies you’ll experience include The Ring. Samara climbs out of a TV and gets closer and closer. Don’t watch the video or you’ll only have seven days until you die. The Conjuring scene has a replica of the Raggedy Ann Doll that’s possessed. Positively don’t touch. There’s also a portrait of the Nun and more. We appreciate Nightmare Manor’s attention to detail. Even Ghostface from the Scream franchise makes an appearance at this haunt.
Nightmare Manor features a countless number of actors and has one of the largest Zombie Hordes we’ve seen at any haunt. Many of the actors portraying zombies were young, but they did a great job as they tried to take a bite out of us. Adding a bigger variety of characters to the outside besides just zombies would enhance the outside section. The zombies are great, but after a while it starts losing its effect.
Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees shouldn’t be sharing the same scene. It doesn’t make sense to have Michael in Camp Crystal Lake. The actor playing Freddy Krueger was enthusiastic, but didn’t say anything. The older actors are more convincing. The voodoo queen put a spell on us. The Butler and Witch did an excellent job setting the tone for the night of terror that was ahead of us.
Nightmare manor doesn’t follow a theme. It’s a mix of horror movie scenes and traditional rooms you’ve come to love. This includes a spider’s lair, a pirate ship, cemetery, cave and more. Their laser swamp is one of the best we’ve seen and their vortex tunnel had us dizzy as it went around and around. We enjoyed our stay at Nightmare Manor and we think you will too.
Total tour time was 15 minutes. General Admission is $20 per person and $18 with a canned good donation. Parking is two bucks. Concessions are available like hot dogs, Monster Energy Drinks, Soda and more. Blackout takes place on Saturday, October 28th. Your group will be given a glow stick and it’s your mission to find your way out in complete darkness. Trick or Treat is on October 28th from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Bring your little ones to get candy at Nightmare Manor. Get in the holiday spirit for Nightmare Manor’s annual Christmas Nightmares event. It takes place on December 1st and 2nd from 8pm-12am.
Nightmare Manor is where all your nightmares come to life. Will you survive the madness at this old school haunt that’s creative, fun and has its scary moments?
Length-8 Design-7 Props-7 Acting-7 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.2
www.nightmaremanorhaunt.com