The Scare-A-Torium 2012 Review

The Scare-A-Torium (Dublin, OH)
“Your Fear Is Here”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com

The Scare-A-Torium in Dublin, Ohio is the brainchild of Kelly and Neena Collins, co-producers of the Midwest Haunters Convention. Since 2009, The Scare-A-Torium has been terrorizing Central, OH and has gradually improved over the years. In 2009, it was located in the old Big Bear Market in Columbus, OH and since then it has moved into the Dublin Center in Dublin, Ohio. The last time City Blood toured The Scare-A-Torium was during the Midwest Haunters Convention when they had a special one day tour. The haunt was good, but didn’t blow us away.

We reluctantly decided to tour The Scare-A-Torium on their opening night. Typically most haunts aren’t at their greatest on their opening night because the actors are just starting to scare people and the workers are tweaking the haunt to make it the best it can be. This was far from the case when we paid a visit to The Scare-A-Torium.

When you first pull up you’ll notice The Ghost Busters car (Ectomobile or Ecto 1) parked in front of the building. The Scare-A-Torium is decorated with various spooky props like an inflatable pumpkin and other scary decor. Big Mawma Clownteen greets you and tells you the rules of the haunt. If you ever get too scared, just hold up your arms and say I quit and one of the Ghostbusters will escort you through the building. This is a pretty neat idea I haven’t seen other haunts implement.

The line was understandably short because it was their opening night. We only waited a couple of minutes and then it was our turn to enter The Scare-A-Torium. Lady Frightmare welcomed us in a creepy voice. “We’ve traveled the whole world collecting your fears and here they are, they’re dying to see you,” she said as she laughed.

The Scare-A-Torium has a great cast of actors that go through riguous training every year. It’s hard to say which actors stood out because they were all incredible in their own special way. It’s hard to forget the hilarious hillbillies in the country shack. You better whipe your feet or you might become their supper. Other noticeable actors include the old clown who forces you to stand against the wall before he hands out 3-D glasses based on your favorite color or number. He had me in stitches when he asked us what the square root of 35 was? The warden inside death row was pretty intense as he fought off the living dead who were escaping their jail cells.

The Scare-A-Torium has so many scenes, that it’s hard to remember them all. The first section of the haunt focuses on the living dead, crazy psychopaths, inbred hillbillies, a zombie infested prison, ghouls hiding in the shadows and lots more. This section of The Scare-A-Torium is called The Haunted Manor. The second section is called RIP Stinker’s 3-D Funhouse. Part of this haunt is now in glorious 3-D. Rip Stinker’s Funhouse is the best clown themed haunt I’ve been through. It focuses on the circus, the carnival, a nuclear chemical plant and just about everything you can think of that has to do with clowns.

The Scare-A-Torium has a lot of scenes and tons of eye candy to fill those scenes. You’ll see everything from a vomiting zombie to animated bats that attack you from the side. The Scare-A-torium doesn’t just rely on actors to tell a story. They have a great combination of detailed set design, unique props and great actors. It’s better than it’s ever been and you owe it to yourself to pay them a visit.

The tour time is close to 25 minutes, but could be longer depending on how lost you get at certain points. So, the average time is closer to 30 minutes when all things are considered. Tickets are $20; regardless of age. Timed Tickets are $23 and sold online only. VIP admission is $30. Please visit www.scareatorium.com for information on their family friendly hours and their different ticket prices. Also be sure to visit The Scare Store at The Scare-A-Torium. This is a small gift shop where you can buy souvenir T-shirts, hats, makeup, bottled water, soda, and other items.

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