WELCOME TO CITY BLOOD’S 2026 HAUNT AWARDS
The Haunt Season has come to an end. We had a spooktacular time touring frightening attractions in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. We experienced some great haunts that would put chills down your spine. These are the Haunt Awards. Drum roll please. Haunt of the year is the one and only
1: Black Orchard Haunted House
Black Orchard Haunted House in Shelbyville, KY is the most intense haunt we encountered all season. It’s interactive, scary and immersive. The actors never come out of character and are relentless in their pursuit to scare you. This is why their our 2026 Haunt of the Year!
Rest of the Top 10:
2: The Dent Schoolhouse
3: Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror
4: USS Nightmare
5: The Devil’s Attic
6: American Horrorplex
7: Malice Manor
8: Grim Trails
9: Brimstone Haunt
10: Necropolis Underground
ENJOY THE REST OF THE HAUNT AWARDS!
Check out the rest of the Haunt Awards. We congratulate all the winners and only haunts we toured in 2026 were considered.
Best Ohio Haunt
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Kentucky Haunt
Black Orchard Haunted House
Best Indiana Haunt
Malice Manor
Best Haunted House
Black Orchard Haunted House
Best Haunted Trail
Grim Trails
Best Haunted Hayride
Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Scariest Scream Park
Brimstone Haunt
Most Confusing Maze
Dark Maze at Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall
Best Mini Escape Room/Rooms
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Old School Haunt
Fright Manor
Most Interactive Haunt
USS Nightmare’s RIP Experience
Most Physical Haunt
Black Orchard Haunted House
Most Improved
Scream Ridge
Best Design
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Lighting
The Devil’s Attic
Best Sound
The Boogeyman at Brimstone Haunt
Best Use of Darkness
Fright Manor
Best Use of Fire
Hanna Haunted Hayride
Best Use of Fog
The Bog at Brimstone Haunt
Best Use of CGI
USS Nightmare
Best Use of Pumpkins
Grim Trails
Best Facade
Malice Manor
Most Unique Scene
Grim Trails’ Hansel and Gretel Oven?
Best New or Returning Scene
Maleficent Castle at Grim Trails
Funniest Scene
Hallway of Butts at Malice Manor
Most Sadistic Scene or Prop
Chainsaw CGI at Necropolis Underground
Best Introduction
USS Nightmare’s Mitchell Museum
Most Memorable Finale
Train Ride at American Horrorplex
Most Intense Vehicle Chases
Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Most Original Story
House of Anguish at the Culbertson Mansion
Most Unique Location
USS Nightmare’s Haunted Steamboat
Most Unique Haunt
Grim Trails
Scariest Building
Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror
Spookiest Graveyard
Grim Trails
Most Electrifying Laboratory
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Swamp
Dark Echoes at Hanna Haunted Acres
Best Church Scene
USS Nightmare
Best Hospital Scene
USS Nightmare
Most Disgusting Scare
American Horrorplex Test Subject Sliming
Best Props
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best New Prop
Killer Props Kid Eater at Brimstone Haunt
Best Actormatronics
Grim Trails
Scariest Animatronic Monster
USS Nightmare’s Impaler
Best Vortex Tunnel
USS Nightmare
Most Original Special Effect
Train Crash at Hanna Haunted Hayride
Best Acting
Black Orchard Haunted House
Best Actor or Actress
Bray played by Ankail Dimitri Blackheart
Most Unique Characters
Grim Trails
Most Intimidating Characters
Black Orchard Haunted House
Most Sadistic Chainsaw Maniacs
Black Orchard Haunted House
Best Chainsaw Chase
Black Orchard Haunted House
Hungriest Zombies
Grim Trails
Most Blood Thirsty Vampires
The Devil’s Attic
Best Backwoods Killers
Black Orchard Haunted House
Most Convincing Victims
Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Best Horror Movie Recreations
The Devil’s Attic
Best Headless Horseman
Brimstone Haunted Hayride
Favorite Michael Myers
Fright Manor
Favorite Jason Voorhees
Halloween Haunt’s Jason: Blood Reign
Favorite Leatherface
Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Favorite Frankenstein’s Monster
The Devil’s Attic
Favorite Devil
The Devil’s Attic
Most Wicked Witch
Hilga the Witch at Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror
Most Ferocious Werewolf
Chained Beast at Nightmare Manor
Craziest Killer Clown
Baxter Avenue Morgue
Best Midway
Hanna Haunted Acres
Best Queue Line or Midway Entertainment
The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Queue Line Characters
Grim Trails
Best Queue Line Character
Pumpkin Smasher at The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Props Outside of Haunt
Halloween Haunt at Kings Island
Favorite Queue Line Music
Baxter Avenue Morgue
Favorite Stilt Performer
Stilt Monster at Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall
Best Slider
Little Red Riding Hood at Grim Trails
Best Aerial Scare
Vampire Bat at The Dent Schoolhouse
Best Makeup
USS Nightmare
Best Masks
The Devil’s Attic
Best Costumes
Grim Trails
Favorite Costume
Medusa at The Devil’s Attic
Best Gift Shop
American Horrorplex
Favorite Gift Shop Item
The Dent Schoolhouse Plushies
Best Food Concessions
Hanna Haunted Acres
Favorite Food Concession
Caramel Apples at Hanna Haunted Acres
Favorite Drink Concession
Paradise Island Tea at Grim Trails
Best Apparel
Halloween Haunt at Kings Island
Best Photo Op Stations
Hanna Haunted Acres
Most Spooktacular Hearse
Brimstone Haunt
Most Organized Parking
Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride
Most Eye Catching Website
Best Commercial/Trailer
Brimstone Haunt
Most Halloween Spirit
The Dent Schoolhouse