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The best improvement in years...and it's not even the haunt. |
Todd - The Dent Schoolhouse is a staple of seasonal entertainment for the tri-state and is so well executed, it's recognized nationally - all for good reason.
For this review, I'll state up front that the The Dent Schoolhouse as a haunt did not have any major changes this year. To be honest, without having video to refer to, nothing stuck out to me as different. There's a perfectly good reason for this and we'll return to that shortly.
The aesthetics of "Dent" are about as good as it gets. Every set looks pristinely aged, dilapidated, corroded or sinister. Pipes installed only years ago look centuries old. Bookcases installed two seasons ago are coated in dust and cob webbing. It all looks authentic and fits the natural age of the structure this haunt is built within.
To accompany these amazing scenes, the character design is not only original but supports an on-going storyline for the haunt that has been rooted for years - primarily with Charlie the janitor. Charlie is as recognizable to the haunt industry as Ronald McDonald is to fast food consumers. Between the outfit, custom masks and his oversized wrench, virtually anyone could step in and bring Charlie to life indefinitely, like Micky Mouse at Disney. As years have passed other staple characters have come to life. Zobo, Pumpkin Smasher. Lady in White - inspired by Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Petunia, the teacher, and more have become public figures for the haunt appearing in parades, festivals and other public events in the area. When going to the haunt, finding them walking the grounds is almost like spotting a minor celebrity and you never know who may be there on any given night.
To help solidify the lore for these characters and the haunt, a series of impressively produced videos are currently being released which can be viewed at https://dentschoolhouse.com/video/. These videos are a fantastic way of building a total theme and branding for The Dent Schoolhouse which enhance the existing marketing and merchandise as well.
So was the haunt good? Of course. It would almost be shocking if it weren't. Expectations remain high and the work put into the production is always evident. This year, the entry midway had been slightly reconfigured. The center stage with the music-synced pumpkins has been removed to create more room for the festival-styled booths featuring figures of ghouls and creatively used human remains. As I stated earlier, the build of the haunt was vastly (if not completely) unchanged. It's always impressive to observe so for me, it's all good, especially since the first floor got a major overhaul just 2 years ago.
The scare actors were very high energy, animated and in your face. My 11 year old daughter who has attended the lights-on day for several years now felt comfortable enough to try the normal show. It didn't go well. She didn't make it past the first classroom - an actor behind a drop panel got her good enough that she threw in the towel. Despite my disappointment (after all, this is a kid who grew up in a house with macabre decorations, fake body parts stored in random places and god knows what horror movie playing on the TV), it kept me grounded knowing that although these days I am pretty immune to scares, the average attendee most certainly may not be, proving the effectiveness of the unnamed actors.
The biggest win for Dent this season is the brand new Monster Midway. The secondary haunt, Queen City Slaughter Yard, which always vastly paled by comparison for numerous reasons, is no more. In its place is a glorious multifaceted common area with numerous things to do. The midway features axe throwing, four escape rooms (all themed to compliment the haunt), a few food stands (donuts!!), the new merch shop and eight fantastic photo op booths at no additional cost. The photo ops are a mix of previous photo ops (the sleigh from the Christmas haunt, the large jack-o-lantern from the entry midway) and brand new ones like the 10+ foot demon with wings. As an added bonus, a new decorative animatronic serves as an endcap which rises to at least 20 feet on an interval.
Another feature of the Monster Midway is a small haunt museum featuring pictures, posters and other memorabilia of local haunts over the past 40+ years. This is the most treasured addition for me. It's amazing to look back at the old haunts and advertisements from when I was a kid, like the old St. Rita's haunt, and the pictures remind us just how much haunts have evolved in a relatively short amount of time. We were told there's a lot more acquired materials from old haunts and I can't wait to see see how this exhibit expands.
This year The Dent Schoolhouse evolved. It's no longer just a haunt (and a damn good one at that). The midway now provides somewhere for everyone to enjoy something, even if they aren't a haunt fan. It's becoming a cultural icon, stepping over the line between the haunt industry and the mainstream. Everyone in the area has heard of The Dent Schoolhouse even if they have never set foot in a haunted house. That's a powerful brand to have. I've always been an advocate for Dent to push the boundaries just a little bit more. Their lights out night is a radically different experience and I love it. However, it's certainly not for everyone so I can respect their need to sit in the "neutral" zone in regards to their execution and subject matter within the haunt. It's a fantastic attraction and we're lucky to have it so close to home.
For this review, I'll state up front that the The Dent Schoolhouse as a haunt did not have any major changes this year. To be honest, without having video to refer to, nothing stuck out to me as different. There's a perfectly good reason for this and we'll return to that shortly.
The aesthetics of "Dent" are about as good as it gets. Every set looks pristinely aged, dilapidated, corroded or sinister. Pipes installed only years ago look centuries old. Bookcases installed two seasons ago are coated in dust and cob webbing. It all looks authentic and fits the natural age of the structure this haunt is built within.
To accompany these amazing scenes, the character design is not only original but supports an on-going storyline for the haunt that has been rooted for years - primarily with Charlie the janitor. Charlie is as recognizable to the haunt industry as Ronald McDonald is to fast food consumers. Between the outfit, custom masks and his oversized wrench, virtually anyone could step in and bring Charlie to life indefinitely, like Micky Mouse at Disney. As years have passed other staple characters have come to life. Zobo, Pumpkin Smasher. Lady in White - inspired by Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Petunia, the teacher, and more have become public figures for the haunt appearing in parades, festivals and other public events in the area. When going to the haunt, finding them walking the grounds is almost like spotting a minor celebrity and you never know who may be there on any given night.
To help solidify the lore for these characters and the haunt, a series of impressively produced videos are currently being released which can be viewed at https://dentschoolhouse.com/video/. These videos are a fantastic way of building a total theme and branding for The Dent Schoolhouse which enhance the existing marketing and merchandise as well.
So was the haunt good? Of course. It would almost be shocking if it weren't. Expectations remain high and the work put into the production is always evident. This year, the entry midway had been slightly reconfigured. The center stage with the music-synced pumpkins has been removed to create more room for the festival-styled booths featuring figures of ghouls and creatively used human remains. As I stated earlier, the build of the haunt was vastly (if not completely) unchanged. It's always impressive to observe so for me, it's all good, especially since the first floor got a major overhaul just 2 years ago.
The scare actors were very high energy, animated and in your face. My 11 year old daughter who has attended the lights-on day for several years now felt comfortable enough to try the normal show. It didn't go well. She didn't make it past the first classroom - an actor behind a drop panel got her good enough that she threw in the towel. Despite my disappointment (after all, this is a kid who grew up in a house with macabre decorations, fake body parts stored in random places and god knows what horror movie playing on the TV), it kept me grounded knowing that although these days I am pretty immune to scares, the average attendee most certainly may not be, proving the effectiveness of the unnamed actors.
The biggest win for Dent this season is the brand new Monster Midway. The secondary haunt, Queen City Slaughter Yard, which always vastly paled by comparison for numerous reasons, is no more. In its place is a glorious multifaceted common area with numerous things to do. The midway features axe throwing, four escape rooms (all themed to compliment the haunt), a few food stands (donuts!!), the new merch shop and eight fantastic photo op booths at no additional cost. The photo ops are a mix of previous photo ops (the sleigh from the Christmas haunt, the large jack-o-lantern from the entry midway) and brand new ones like the 10+ foot demon with wings. As an added bonus, a new decorative animatronic serves as an endcap which rises to at least 20 feet on an interval.
Another feature of the Monster Midway is a small haunt museum featuring pictures, posters and other memorabilia of local haunts over the past 40+ years. This is the most treasured addition for me. It's amazing to look back at the old haunts and advertisements from when I was a kid, like the old St. Rita's haunt, and the pictures remind us just how much haunts have evolved in a relatively short amount of time. We were told there's a lot more acquired materials from old haunts and I can't wait to see see how this exhibit expands.
This year The Dent Schoolhouse evolved. It's no longer just a haunt (and a damn good one at that). The midway now provides somewhere for everyone to enjoy something, even if they aren't a haunt fan. It's becoming a cultural icon, stepping over the line between the haunt industry and the mainstream. Everyone in the area has heard of The Dent Schoolhouse even if they have never set foot in a haunted house. That's a powerful brand to have. I've always been an advocate for Dent to push the boundaries just a little bit more. Their lights out night is a radically different experience and I love it. However, it's certainly not for everyone so I can respect their need to sit in the "neutral" zone in regards to their execution and subject matter within the haunt. It's a fantastic attraction and we're lucky to have it so close to home.
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How can one haunt be this good? |
Paul - Every year I feel like I say the Dent Schoolhouse is a masterpiece, and it's always on my list of haunts that I tell people they should visit. Then as time passes between visits I start to question if it's really as good as I remember. Is it really that good? Am I biased since I live so close? Am I steering people wrong?
But after each visit I get that reassurance- the Dent Schoolhouse really is one of the best haunted houses there is.
Just walking up to the building starts building your anticipation for what's about to come. The lighting effects that illuminate the school are perfect, and the roaming actors will always give you a surprise. The Fall Festival area provides a creepy and perfectly-themed area to wait and get some pre-scares before entering the school, but then the main event happens.
From the moment you walk in the front door of the school until the moment you escape, you're immersed in a fantasy-horror world unlike anything else. The sets, actors, props, lighting, music... Every little bit of it you experience adds to that fear in your mind that you may not make it out. Every desk or locker that you walk around, every actor you interact with, every jump-scare or dark corner you pass- All there to push those thoughts of "I'll be fine" right out of your brain.
The way they go about it is amazing. The actors are personable, yet menacing. The scenes are dark, yet perfectly lit. The props are perfect, yet twisted. It's really one of the most spectacular assemblages of haunting to ever come together. Every scene brings something different, and you never know which direction the scares will come from. It's kind of a beautiful chaos and I love it every time.
In addition to the main haunt, this year brings a huge change behind the schoolhouse. The Monster Midway replaces the Queen City Slaughteryard, and it's a welcome attraction. The Midway gives you a place where you and your hauntmates can hang out after the schoolhouse and enjoy more Halloween fun. There are a bunch of photo ops, some fun activities, some mini escape rooms, games, and one of my favorite things is the haunt history area. It has a collection of memorabilia from haunted house history- primarily from the Cincinnati area. I personally felt that the Slaughteryard wasn't up to par with everything else on site, so the Midway is an excellent addition!
I have and will always recommend people visit the Dent Schoolhouse every chance I get. I think it's one of the best haunts there is and every haunt fan should see it at least once in their life (but preferably more often than that). And if you can't make it during the normal Halloween season... Keep an eye out for their Christmas Nightmare shows in December!
But after each visit I get that reassurance- the Dent Schoolhouse really is one of the best haunted houses there is.
Just walking up to the building starts building your anticipation for what's about to come. The lighting effects that illuminate the school are perfect, and the roaming actors will always give you a surprise. The Fall Festival area provides a creepy and perfectly-themed area to wait and get some pre-scares before entering the school, but then the main event happens.
From the moment you walk in the front door of the school until the moment you escape, you're immersed in a fantasy-horror world unlike anything else. The sets, actors, props, lighting, music... Every little bit of it you experience adds to that fear in your mind that you may not make it out. Every desk or locker that you walk around, every actor you interact with, every jump-scare or dark corner you pass- All there to push those thoughts of "I'll be fine" right out of your brain.
The way they go about it is amazing. The actors are personable, yet menacing. The scenes are dark, yet perfectly lit. The props are perfect, yet twisted. It's really one of the most spectacular assemblages of haunting to ever come together. Every scene brings something different, and you never know which direction the scares will come from. It's kind of a beautiful chaos and I love it every time.
In addition to the main haunt, this year brings a huge change behind the schoolhouse. The Monster Midway replaces the Queen City Slaughteryard, and it's a welcome attraction. The Midway gives you a place where you and your hauntmates can hang out after the schoolhouse and enjoy more Halloween fun. There are a bunch of photo ops, some fun activities, some mini escape rooms, games, and one of my favorite things is the haunt history area. It has a collection of memorabilia from haunted house history- primarily from the Cincinnati area. I personally felt that the Slaughteryard wasn't up to par with everything else on site, so the Midway is an excellent addition!
I have and will always recommend people visit the Dent Schoolhouse every chance I get. I think it's one of the best haunts there is and every haunt fan should see it at least once in their life (but preferably more often than that). And if you can't make it during the normal Halloween season... Keep an eye out for their Christmas Nightmare shows in December!
Questions? Have a story to share? Leave it in the comments!