Scream Acres Ct (Covington, KY)
“Covington’s Home For Haunting”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Scream Acres Ct is one of the newest haunts in the Greater Cincinnati area. What started out as an elaborate home haunt has evolved into a quality professional haunted attraction. This haunt is located in the old Johnny’s Toys in Covington, Ky. The building is quite large and throughout the year, there are various concerts, dances and special events that take place. But the highlight of Scream Acres Ct is of course the haunt.
Once you enter Scream Acres Ct, you’ll notice a stage where a horror movie is playing while you wait in line. That night, the classic Friday the 13th was showing. Scream Acres Ct has an impressive facade which resembles a boarded up Funeral Home. A helpless man is hanged from the ceiling as he wears a hood over his head. Next to the line is a coffin ride which we’ll talk about later in the review.
One of the big improvements to this year’s Scream Acres Ct is the lighting. It’s downright beautiful. I’m a sucker for lighting effects and this haunt has many. The inside of the haunt features 4 themed areas. These are Castle Hill Funeral Home, The Funhouse in 3D, Blackout and the brand new Hillbilly Revenge. Buried Alive is considered a themed area by itself, but we’re talking about the actual haunt.
Castle Hill Funeral Home features a playroom with a creepy little girl and her teddy bear. Touch the bear and watch her scream. There’s been a feast planned for you and there’s some delicious treats on the table. The incinerator room is home to an actor who has a mutant attached to him. Give that creature a high five. Unfortunately some people can’t take the scares at Scream Acres Ct and resort to suicide. This new scene features a man who ends it all with a gun blast to his head. There are many scenes inside Castle Hill Funeral Home like a garage, funeral wake and so much more.
The Funhouse in 3D is an off the wall experience where colorful art jumps off the wall when you wear your 3D Glasses. You’ll meet Squeaker the Clown who tells jokes and riddles. There are other colorful characters as well. Blackout is the most intense area of the haunt in my opinion. There’s heavy fog, a blinding strobe light and extreme darkness. It’s very disorienting and can be quite confusing at times.
Last, but certainly not least is the brand new Hillbilly Revenge. This outdoor scare zone will have you running for your life as your chased by a blood thirsty chainsaw maniac. This is essentially a straight forward wooden maze. There’s not much too this area, but it’s a nice way to end the haunt after you exit the building.
We were pleasantly surprised by the new changes that were made to this year’s Scream Acres Ct. It’s longer, more intense, the lighting has been improved and it’s just an overall fun experience. There could be more actors in Hillbilly Revenge, more high tech scares and Castle Hill Funeral Home could be themed better. We also didn’t like the fact that in a few scenes, an actor lets the people in the next room know that customers are coming through and what scene you’re about to see. This ruins the suspense since we already know that actors are expecting us and what type of room we’re going to experience.
Everything is easy to find since each line is marked appropriately based on the type of ticket you purchased. After you purchase a ticket, you’ll enter the concessions area where you’ll get your picture taken in front of a green screen. There are plenty of props available to make the photo more entertaining. I chose the severed zombie hand. You can also purchase various concessions, t-shirts ($15 a piece), jewelry and more. Scream Acres Ct has food and refreshements available with drop dead prices.
Don’t forget to experience The Coffin Ride. This unique motion simulator will definitely strike a nerve with those who are claustrophobic. Our only real complaint is that there weren’t any scents being released inside the coffin to enhance the ride. We also had to wear a set of headphones instead of just listening to speakers. A TV screen showing the inside of the coffin would also make this more enjoyable.
When it comes down to it, Scream Acres Ct has made some noticeable changes that make it a great experience. Tickets are $16 a person. A combo ticket that includes the haunt and Buried Alive is $20. A VIP Combo ticket is $30 and it’s great for those who don’t want to wait in line. We were in and out in about 13 minutes which is longerthan last year’s haunt. Please visit www.cincyscreams.com for the various discount nights, special events and more. This up an coming haunt has a bright future and we’re looking forward to seeing what they have to offer in 2015.
Length-7 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-7 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 7.4
www.cincyscreams.com