Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati: Best Haunted House

The Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio is a must visit for anyone looking for a frightful experience and any horror lovers.

I went behind the “screams” at The Dent Schoolhouse to experience the haunted house and learn more about how it’s all brought together.

I 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 visit ASAP!

Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati

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 Dent Schoolhouse, there are at least 50 to 65 or more actors per night who are ready to make you jump out of your skin. They do not include security or other staff in this number.

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 its 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.

Related: 9+ Best Night Tours in NYC

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 25 to 35 minutes or so to walk through both and with all the frights you’re easily getting your money’s worth compared to other haunted experiences. 

Dent Schoolhouse Story

The Dent Public School opened in 1894 and was the premier school for the West Side. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade were taught at the school, and it received awards in it’s early years. 

All was well until 1942 when several students of the district just didn’t come home one day. Some of them were known for their bad behavior, so it was brushed under the rug and the community assumed they had just run away.  

Over the next 10 years, more and more students would randomly go missing on different years. Sometimes it was just a pair of students, but in October of 1955, over 10 children went missing and parents were demanding answers.

The janitor was already under suspicion, so concerned parents decided to storm the school, demanding access to the janitor’s space. What they found was truly a horror. In the basement they found mutilated and decayed bodies of the many missing children. 

They searched for the janitor, Charles McFree, but he got away and no one was every charged with the crime. The school was closed down after the tragedy. Then used for various businesses over the years until it eventually became The Dent Schoolhouse. 

A few more details:

• The actors are unlikely to grab at you, but they might do so to heighten the fright. The actors are highly trained and professional. They will not touch you inappropriately or in sensitive areas.
• Parking is free and located at the Children’s Hospital and Christ Hospital right up the street from the schoolhouse! They work with private security as well as local police forces to ensure the safety of all visitors from parking to their time in line and so on. So you can focus on how scared you’ll be inside. 
• The schoolhouse is no longer just cash only – yay! They take most major credit cards at all of their booths, which includes tickets, concessions, the Spooky Shop, and Midway Games. Certain Midway booths will take Venmo and Apple Pay and they all still accept cash as well. 
• 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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