I went behind the “screams” at The Dent Schoolhouse earlier this week and walked away fully understanding why BuzzFeed named it the #1 on the list of 19 Insane Haunted Houses That’ll Literally Scare The Shit Out Of You. Here’s why you need to check out The Dent Schoolhouse ASAP.
- The experience is never the same. Year after year, at least one third of the Schoolhouse experience will be completely different than the year before. So for all you veteran haunted house goers, you can repeat this spot and enjoy new scares every year.
- There are TONS of live actors. What makes haunted houses really come alive with horror are the actors delivering the fright. At DS, there are at least 70 or more actors per night who are ready to make you jump out of your skin.
- The commitment to characters and story. Like I said before the Schoolhouse itself is always changing so it only makes sense that you’ll encounter new creatures and monsters every year. The staff at Dent Schoolhouse are dedicated to their art, no joke. Almost all of the costumes are made in house and you’ll find crazy bug creatures, demons, ghosts, dolls, you name it! These aren’t the same costumes you see everywhere else. And the entire haunted house plays out like a horror movie in it’s own way and gets even creepier as you move along. I was in awe of every scene I went through and the attention to detail was amazing.
- It’s actually family friendly. The Schoolhouse can be enjoyed by the whole family, though maybe not in the same night. The Schoolhouse will hold their regular experience most evenings which are dark and have very little lighting to guide you. But they also have evenings with the lights on so kids or scaredy-cats like myself can walk through and enjoy the creepy scenes with less scares. If you’re really into scaring yourself, the final weekend of the season, they’ll actually turn the lights off completely and let you walk through with just a glow stick. So whether you’re like me or can handle something more extreme, there’s something for everyone.
- It’s a great deal! First, the haunted house is actually two in one. There’s The Dent Schoolhouse and then The Queen City Slaughterhouse in the back. It averages about 30 minutes or so to walk through both and with all the frights you’re easily getting your money’s worth. Second, you can save even more by picking up discounted tickets at any area Dunkin’ Donuts!
A few details:
- This is a “touch-free” haunted house meaning that while the actors will jump out and get close to you, they won’t grab or touch you. Apparently they tried this a few years back and it was too much for the Cincy crowd! 😉 I’m definitely okay with not having some gruesome creature grab me.
- Parking is free at the Cinemas just down the street from the haunted house. They have police escorts to help guide you.
- The schoolhouse is also CASH ONLY, so either purchase tickets beforehand, bring cash, or be ready to use the on-site ATM.
- Visit The Dent Schoolhouse website for more details.
Have you ever been to a haunted house? Which one is your favorite? Let me hear any recommendations below!
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Thanks to The Dent Schoolhouse and Dunkin’ Donuts Cincinnati for hosting me at this great event.
Casey is the founder of Casey La Vie & has been running this travel and lifestyle blog since 2016. She’s on a mission to balance her career as a social media manager with exploring her home of New York City and seeing more of the world.
To this day, haunted houses scare me to death!