Springboro Haunted Hayride and Black Bog (Lebanon, OH)
“Countryside Terror”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
The moon glows bright as screams are heard off in the distance on a cold and stormy night. The fall season is upon us and haunts across the nation have opened up for fright seekers and haunt enthusiasts. Are you ready to experience what Lebanon, Ohio has in the way of scares or will you be shaking in your boots?
This is City Blood’s review of Springboro Haunted Hayride and Black Bog.
The most popular attraction at Bull Run Farms is Springboro Haunted Hayride. It appeals to a broad audience because of its variety of scares. You’ll experience nearly 25 minutes of scary scenes and some hair-raising effects.
Springboro Haunted Hayride has made some huge changes this season. Their new wagons are pretty impressive to say the least. There’s more room for the actors to torment patrons and the seats are much more comfortable. Springboro Haunted Hayride is the first haunt that I’ve been to that has a sound system that’s attached to the wagon. Each scene is timed to music and sound effects.
It’s a much more immersive experience because of the new addition of timed audio. Springboro Haunted Hayride is well known for its vehicle chases and they return once again. You’ll be chased by an old truck, a combine and you’ll even come face to face with the Headless Horseman.
Springboro Haunted Hayride uses different effects to scare patrons. You’ll feel the heat from flames in the gas station explosion scene and you’ll have co2 fog shot at you numerous times. Springboro Haunted Hayride doesn’t follow a specific theme. Some scenes are traditional while others are more creative.
You’ll experience a broken down carnival with killer clowns, a junk yard, an old town with victims in cages and more. The most startling part of the haunt was the electric fire crackers that suddenly went off. Everyone on the wagon jumped. The actors are pretty good. The most memorable is the psycho path wearing a welder’s mask. The actor who threw a small coffin onto the wagon did a great job catching people off guard.
After you’re done with Springboro Haunted Hayride, you need to take a tour of The Black Bog. This is without a doubt one of the best haunted trails in Ohio. It’s obvious from the start that this is going to be an unpredictable haunt. Take a ride on an elevator that has malfunctioned. The elevator operator is ready to take you straight to Hell as the elevator car comes crashing down to the ground.
The creators of The Black Bog have spent endless hours creating realistic structures. One of our favorite scenes features a dark bat cave that’s illuminated with led spotlights. It’s creepy and quite beautiful in a haunting way. The outdoor ghost town is also quite impressive.
This is a great looking haunt with many spooky scenes. This includes a haunted greenhouse, a school bus, a large cemetery, a boiler room and just about anything you can think of. The actors are pretty convincing. The sadistic scarecrow is definitely one of the creepiest characters at The Black Bog. You’ll also meet blood thirsty vampires and a variety of ghouls and creatures that haunt your worst nightmares.
The total tour time is around 17 minutes, but could be longer depending on your pace. After you exit The Black Bog, you’ll enter the concessions barn where you can get a bite to eat or a refreshing drink. It’s fun to watch people on the TV screen as they enter the vortex tunnel that spins around and around.
Springboro Haunted Hayride and Black Bog are very entertaining attractions. There have been major changes made to Springboro Haunted Hayride in terms of sound and the wagon you ride on. The chase scenes seemed to be toned down a little, but it was still exciting. We miss Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers being part of The Black Bog, but the acting is still great.
Tickets for the hayride are $12 and The Black Bog is $12 per person. Combo tickets are $22 a piece. You would be a fool to not to visit these high quality haunts this Halloween season. They’re scary, fun and reasonable.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
Springboro Haunted Hayride: Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.2
The Black Bog: Length-9 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-8 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 8.8
www.springborohauntedhayride.com