There’s nothing like a great haunted house to get the blood flowing and put you in the mood for the season. Fortunately for you, Buzzbin has put together a guide of the best – and worst – haunted attractions in Ohio. Yup, not just Northeast Ohio, but the whole dang state. So grab this handy pullout guide, hop in the car and check out some terrifyingly fantastic haunted houses. Now, don’t go thinking that Buzzbin just had some geek putting this thing together, oh no. We got some heavy hitters in to give their expert opinions, ensuring you have everything you need to know to make the most of your haunted excursions. Adding his opinion again this year is our spook house aficionado, Micah Townsend. This guy has a PhD in horror. Besides being a scary movie buff and horror historian, he has also spent five years building sets and acting at the notorious Haunted School House and Laboratory in Akron. In addition to this, he is involved with Main Event Championship Wrestling. If any questions remain on Townsend’s horror credibility, he is also the head chef at Mr. Zub’s, where he has to look at those massacres that hipsters call haircuts every day. Also weighing in this year is TV host extraordinaire Keven Scarpino, or as he is better known, The Son of Ghoul. Who better to give the skinny on haunted attractions than a man who has dedicated his life to things that go bump in the night? Don’t miss our Son of Ghoul interview here: www.buzzbinmagazine.com/home/2011/10/06/son-of-ghoul-a-quarters-century-of-strange/ Here we go: NORTHEAST OHIO 7 Floors of Hell – Middleburg Heights Packing seven attractions all for under $25, 7 Floors includes the Jigsaw’s Revenge, Blood Barn, Camp Nightmare, House of Nightmares, Evil Visions, the Mausoleum and the Reaper’s Revenge. While 7 Floors has tons of animatronics and strobe lights, they don’t accept credit or debit cards, kinda like that bar your Grandpa goes to, though it probably doesn’t smell quite as much. “Do we really need seven floors? Six would be enough to scare the heck out of me.” – Son of Ghoul More Details: www.7FloorsOfHell.com Barberhaunt – Barberton Located in a 100-year-old Barberton pig barn, the attraction has been expanded for 2011. In addition, guests can go through the house twice for the price of one admission, that is if they can make it through the first time. This attraction also caters to the whole family as it has a free corn maze for kids. “Anything in a pig barn is sure to scare the oink out of you. ” – Son of Ghoul More Detail: www.BarberHaunt.com, 330-753-4224 Bloodview – Broadview Heights This house is built and staffed by the Legion of Terror, the world’s oldest improv horror acting, make up and special effects organization. The Legion is made up of volunteers; that’s right, they do it just for the chance to see you scream like a little girl. The attraction starts off in the Gore House and then takes guests through the cemetery path to the Elder Woods. Finally visitors arrive at the Main House. Bloodview is considered extremely graphic so leave the kids at home. On the other hand, all profits go to charity, so bring ‘em and give a little bit extra. “Bloodview stands out because the actors are all ages and they use more freaky children than a Shanghai sweat shop. And Troma would be happy with all the blood they use in their scenes. An annual must-see haunt.” – Micah More Details: www.Bloodview.net, 440-526-9148 Carnival of Horrors – Blossom Now in it’s eighth year, the Carnival of Horrors features four attractions. The Insane Asylum, Fun House, The Freakshow In 3D Terrorvision and the Wicked Woods. This haunted house is certain to be even more frightening then hearing your mom tell that story about how she used to bring a blanket out to Blossom to listen to hippie jams fests. “So many scary clowns around you’d think you’re at the Juggalo Gathering. The 3D attraction is a freakfest any horror fan needs to experience at least once.” – Micah “Very cool. Blossom is scary enough during in the summer – oh those are just the bouncers.” – Son of Ghoul More Details: www.CarnivalOfHorrors.com, 330-644-4473 Factory of Terror – Canton This attraction is a Guinness record holder for the longest walk-through haunted house in the world. Starting off in the Portal of Insanity, visitors will have to face their worst fears as they navigate a maze of mirrors. Eventually they come upon the Industrial Nightmare before move on into the Massacre on the Mahoning, a mansion built in the factory by the crazed owner. Finally, guests must tackle Judgment in 3D, bringing them right to the mouth of hell. The website features a skeleton with a regular man’s body holding a sledgehammer, which is pretty awesome if you think about it. “Reminds me of being in an ’80s horror flick. Totally nightmarish without the Pat Benatar soundtrack. Seriously though these guys don’t hold the Guiness record for nothing. This one is a long intense scarefest.” –Micah More Details: www.FactoryOfTerror.net, 330-455-3327 Fear Forest Haunted House & Hayride – Lordstown The mile-long hayride takes you through 68 acres of this terrifying horror trail in Lordstown’s Fear Forest. The hayride also features the state’s only vortex tunnel, ready to discombobulate and upset, and two flesh-eating wolves have been reported in the area. After the hayride, dive into the InsaneATarium, billed as NEOhio’s scariest haunted house. Now that’s what I call a good October night(mare). More Details: www.FearForest.com, 330-392-6527 Fortress of Fear and Fearanoia – Garrettsville This two-for-the-price-of-one attraction is sure to scare the beejesus out of you. The Fortress of Fear will have visitors running, crawling and at times dragging themselves through dark narrow passages that close in on them. Definitely not for the claustrophobic. Fearanoia puts the panic in guests as they face the dangers of an acid pit, run from chainsaws and get lost in a cage maze. This place is turning heads and was one of the highest rated on all the haunt rater sites last season. Ever wonder what the hippies at Nelson Ledges do in the off season? More Details: www.FortressOfFear.com, 330-322-7853 Forsaken Haunted House – Mentor This attraction is run in partnership with Factory of Terror and Evilusions. Three haunted houses cover 30,000-square-feet of fear. The Quarantine, District and Wheaton Manor promise to make skin crawl and the faint of heart shriek in terror. The actors in this place go all out to make sure you get the heck scared out of you. “This is the new kid one the block and all things are pointing to this one being bloody as hell. If Factory of Terror is involved then you know it’ll be over the top.”–Micah More Details: www.ForsakenHaunt.com, 440-497-0805 Fortress of Fear and Fearanoia – Garrettsville This two-for-the-price-of-one attraction is sure to scare the beejesus out of you. The Fortress of Fear will have visitors running, crawling and at times dragging themselves through dark narrow passages that close in on them. Definitely not for the claustrophobic. Fearanoia puts the panic in guests as they face the dangers of an acid pit, run from chainsaws and get lost in a cage maze. “This place is turning heads and was one of the highest rated on all the haunt rater sites last season. Ever wonder what the hippies at Nelson Ledges do in the off season?” –Micah “If you’re driving all the way out to Garrettsville you better be scared. ” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.FortressOfFear.com, 330-322-7853 Hallowicked Haunted Woods – Mansfield Since opening in 2009, this attraction has caused 153 people to wet themselves and eight people to poop their pants. No matter what your fear is, this place has it. To start things off, the attraction has the Buried Alive Entrance, which is probably why another 53 people have refused to enter after buying a ticket. The owners don’t recommend the attraction to people that suffer from heart conditions, seizures, asthma or pregnant women. More Details: www.OhioHauntedWoods.com, 419-520-7110 Haunted Forest – Madison Situated on more than 10 acres, this attraction offers family-friendly, spooky fun. Its Haunted Forest includes ghosts, zombies, giant spiders and werewolves. This haunt promises to offer the most scary thing to happen on a golf course since Charles Barkley’s swing. “Nothing like a good haunted forest to scare the bark off you. ” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.PowderHornGolf.com, 440-428-5951 Haunted Forest of Carousel – Sheffield Now in its 30th year, the Haunted Forest features a half mile trail through darken woods filled with fiends, screams and all kinds of frightening things. As an outdoor attraction be sure to dress for the weather and to wear comfortable shoes, especially since you’ll likely be running like hell from the gored-out actors that work at this attraction. More Details: www.ForestOfTerror.com, 440-934-5708 Haunted Prison Experience – Mansfield Located inside the walls of the now-closed Ohio State Reformatory, this attraction is produced by Haunted X Enterprise LLC and is filled with animatronics, actors and props. Also famous for being the location for filming of the “Shawshank Redemption,” the Haunted Prison is guaranteed to be the most frightening thing to happen inside the reformatory walls since Andy Dufresne got cornholed in the boiler room. “An actual, documented haunted location, simply walking into the prison is frightening enough. The producers masterfully emphasize the historical location without using overshadowing junk props.” –Micah “A friend of my works down here and said they already carted four people away in an ambulance. Definitely not for the weak of heart. This might be the ultimate horror experience. ” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.HauntedX.com, 419-360-5689 Haunted School House and Laboratory – Akron Not only is this attraction a spook house, it is believed to actually be haunted. In 1968, while researching the site, Dr. Von Groddeck disappeared from his Laboratory. The location also features Dracula’s Castle and the King’s Dungeon. As a testament to the place, the Travel Channel featured it on “America Haunts 4” as one of the best haunted houses in America. The house also boasts a wind tunnel, which is located on a cat walk four stories up. They also have a real Tesla coil- no word if it’s on loan from Jack White. New this year are 3D scenes at the Lab. “A must for beginners of haunted houses. Every year it’s constantly changing. I worked here for years so I have a soft spot for the Lab.”–Micah “This one is no joke. They put a ton of work into it, making it one of the best around every year.” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.HSHLab.com, 330-849-0211 Haunted Train and Hobo Path – Wellington This attraction is geared for the family, though it’s not recommend for children under 3 years old. The trip starts off with a ride on a diesel powered locomotive that ends at a nearby woods. From there guests travel on foot down the Haunted Hobo Path to a bonfire deep in the forest. Upon arrival visitors can toast the family-friendly night with some apple cider around the bonfire before making their way back. “Grab the nieces and nephews for a fun family night. Like other family-friendly events, the evening largely depends on how many teenagers are there trying to show off to their girlfriends.” –Micah More Details: 440-647-6660 Hauntsville – Elyria One of Ohio’s newest haunted house, this attraction features three terror-inducing cribs for the price of one. Psycho Manor is a 1920s Victorian Mansion filled with ghosts that roam the hallways, while the Dark Abyss will bring guests face-to-face with all their deepest fears. Cell Block 13 is a prison in the midst of a riot, where the psychotic inmates run loose. More Details: www.ElyriaHauntedHouse.com, 440-822-8381 Hudson Haunted House – Hudson Don’t let the tame name fool you, this place is anything but timid. Now in it’s 39th year, the Hudson Jaycees have hand built the entire attraction and improve on it every season. The maze-like corridors leave you wondering what lurks behind the next turn as you make your way deeper into terror. More Details: www.HudsonJaycees.com, 877-999-4679 Lantern Tour of the Ghost – Zoar Village Located in the Tuscarawas River Valley, this attraction features guided tours through the village with ghost stories told by costumed guides. For those wishing to spend the night, the Zoar Tavern and Inn and a bed and breakfast in the village are available. Every time my old lady mentions the words bed and breakfast I cringe with fear. More Details: 330-874-2170 Nightmare in the Wilderness – Lodi This attraction starts with a half mile hayride into the darken woods of mid-Ohio. Guest are then dropped off and left to journey back through a trail that’s more than a mile long and filled with crazy clowns, horrendous beasts and terror-inducing mazes. For those lucky enough to survive, the trip ends at the Apple Cabin where guests can purchase caramel apples and cider. “A classic hayride and trip through the woods gets me every time. This one scared my buddy and me pretty good last year.” –Michah More Details: www.NightmareInTheWilderness.net, 330-948-1476 The Fear Experience – North Olmsted If you thought trying to find a parking spot at the mall was the scariest thing going on in North Olmsted then you’ve obviously never been to the Fear Experience. Guests have to find their way through a haunted mansion, a gnarly morgue, a insane carnival and a gruesome meat market that would make Friday nights at the singles club seem sexy. New for this year is an attraction called Buried Alive, use your imagination. “Another haunted house I’ll have to judge by association. If Mushroomhead says this is the place then I’m on board, too.” –Micah “Ghoultastic!” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.TheFearExperience.com, 216-245-3327 The Spooky Ranch at the Rockin’-R-Ranch – Columbia Station Located in Lorain County, this family-owned attraction prides itself on blood, guts, gore and in-your-face acting. Fear not though, besides four insanely scary haunted houses, it also has a Funny Fun House, appropriate for the entire family. “I hit Spooky Ranch every year and love the hayride into the barn. It’s full of surprises and even the trailer you’re riding on is part of the fright. It’s scarier than driving with Lindsay Lohan.” –Micah “If you’re lucky you might see Jungle Bob out there!” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.SpookyRanch.com, 440-236-5454 Wicked Weekends at Clay’s Park – North Lawrence Now in its second year, this haunt features three attractions to get your heart racing; Undead Acres, Big Top Nightmare and Slaughterville. In addition to the haunted houses, there are also carnival rides. For $20 you get access to all the attractions and unlimited rides. Micah says: Unlimited carnival rides is all you have to say to get me anywhere. Deep in the heart of North Lawrence, you’ll swear you hear banjo music as you pull up. Son of Ghoul say: This one is always fun. More Details: www.ClaysPark.com, 330-854-6691 NORTHWEST OHIO Dimensions of Darkness – Maumee This haunted house is made by horror enthusiasts, for horror enthusiasts. This year the attraction is twice as big and 50 percent longer than last year, all without moving to another location. How did they do this? If you’ve read “House of Leaves,” then you can probably imagine the supernatural building techniques that were used. The website has photos of sweaty women tied to fences and being hacked at with a chainsaw. Needless to say this one might not be the best place to take the kids. More Details: www.DimensionsOfDarkness.com, 419-877-5182 Fear Factory – Findlay One of Findlay’s premier haunted attractions is jam packed with all the top notch fear-inducers that you’d expect from a place that manufactures terror. In addition to the great house, they also offer discounted admission on Sunday nights. Get scared as hell on the cheap. More Details: www.TheFearFactory.net Ghostly Manor Thrill Center – Sandusky This attraction was featured on Travel Channel’s “Best Places I’ve Ever Been” and also in Rand McNally’s Top 10 Haunted Houses in 2010. Travel into fear as you brave the Ghostly Gauntlet and tour the haunted mansion. The thrill center also features a skating rink and the XD 3D film experience (which is actually a 4D attraction). The motion simulated ride transcends time and space with 100 movements a second and up to 2 Gs worth of acceleration. BONUS: Ghostly Manor is open year round. Ghostly Manor is an awesome place- f-in’ amazing! These guys are dedicated and truly bloody. –Micah More Details: www.GhostlyManor.com, 419-626-4467 HalloWeekends at Cedar Point – Sandusky Of course one of the country’s premier amusement parks does haunted houses in a big way. With a bunch of attractions including Club Blood, Terror Island, Cornstalkers, Nights of Darkness, Happy Jack’s Toy Factory, The Fright Zone, CarnEvil and Fear Faire there is sure to be something to scare anyone. Even if haunted houses aren’t your thing, the park’s incredible roller coasters are guaranteed to get your heart pounding. In addition to these attractions, there is also tons of stuff for the little ones to do to. More Details: www.HalloWeekends.com, 419-627-2350 Terror Town – Maumee Two attractions of terror are offered at Toledo’s longest running haunt; The Big Top of Terror and House of the Dead. This year the Hellevator will deliver guests to a new floor in the House of the Dead. It promises to be the scariest elevator ride you’ll take all year, outside of the lift ride up to Dr. Jellyfinger’s office for that annual prostate check up. “Sounds like my kind of place. I wonder if they serve scare fries and screamburgers.” –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.TerrorTown.net, 419-897-7242 CENTRAL OHIO Dead Acres – Pataskala This place claims to be the most extreme haunted attraction in the world. Featuring a simulated live demon birth, it’s hard to argue with them. This one is definitely not for the kids. In addition to demon births, it also features haunted hoochies, making it oddly one of the sexiest haunted attractions in the world too. That is if you’re into tied up women covered in blood or getting chopped up. In hindsight, this may not be sexy after all. More Details: www.DeadAcres.com, 740-927-3568 Haunted Farm – Pleasantville The promoters of this attraction claim that the farm was the home of a mass murdering family that used the blood of their victims to nourish their crops toward the end of the 1800s. The Haunted Farm is comprised of the Haunted Barn Maze, Haunted Corn Maze, hayrides and bonfires. In addition, this attraction is suitable for kids, no matter how easily they scare as they can tone down the gore and fright to suit in the most timid. More Details: www.Haunted-Farm.com, 614-420-6125 Nightmare in Nashport: Trail of Terror – Nashport This outdoor attraction doesn’t pull any punches by trying to repack scenes with overlapping mazes. The 1/2 mile trail takes visitors through 15 terror soaked nightmares with new features being added every year. With admission set at $10 it is also a great value. This is a good, mid-Ohio haunt- perfect for a fall drive. –Micah It’s a nightmare alone just being in Nashport. –Son of Ghoul More Details: www.NightmareInNashport.com, 740-704-6644 Scare-A-Torium – Dublin This central Ohio attraction has been commended for its dialogue and theatrics, in addition to having great decor. Made up of two attractions, Haunted Manor and RIP Stinkers Fun House, the Scare-a-Torium covers 31,00-square-feet that is guaranteed to fill all your scare needs. More Details: www.Scare-A-Torium.com, 614-761-3327 Walking Dead Mansion – Columbus Two years in the making, Columbus’ newest haunted attraction is finally ready for public consumption. While they will only be open for five days this year, one can only imagine what sick and twisted things the creators could have thought up over the course of two years. Additionally, all proceeds will benefit the Vassor Village Society. More Details: www.WalkingDeadMansion.Webs.com, 614-306-0293 WEST CENTRAL OHIO Haunted Butcher House – Dayton Consisting of 22 horrifying rooms, this attraction features all the fear inducing things you could expect to find in a haunted butcher, except maybe E. Coli. Moving floors, tight spaces, dark rooms, strobe lights and tons of spooky happens comprise this haunted house. More Details: www.DaytonButcherHouse.com, 937-848-1134 Haunted Hayride and Black Bog – Springboro This attraction features plenty of actors that want nothing more than to scare the heck out of you. Last year, they extended it and added plenty of pyro. Don’t sleep on this award winning attraction. More Details: www.SpringboroHauntedHayride.com, 937-748-2272 Horror Acres – Springfield This year Horror Acres have partnered with The Legends of Terror. For those not in the know, that means that Freddy, Jason, Michael and Leatherface will be lurking around. This is in addition to the already terrifying saw scenes, chain link maze, spinning tunnel and suffocation chamber. More Details: www.HorrorAcres.com, 937-206-4066 ScreamAcres – Napoleon Featuring four attraction including PanDEMONium Project, Corn Maze and the Barnyard, this haunted house conglomerate gets bigger and better every year. This promises to have something new for guests who have been there in the past. The best part is you get access to all these amazingly terrifying attractions for $20 bucks. More Details: www.LeadersFarms.com, 419-599-1570 SOUTHWEST OHIO H.O.H. Haunted House – Cincinnati Now in its seventh year, this haunted house features two attractions, the Scream Acres Manor and Dark Carnival in 3D. This place suggest a $3 donation to enter and profits benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Micah says: Looks like a classic haunted house. It’s a charity event do it for the kids man! More Details: www.CincyScreams.com, 513-703-7384 Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall – Mt. Healthy Since its inception in 1990, the Haunted Hall has expanded to five tents, backyard areas and one giant vortex. While it is normally not suitable for the youngsters, on October 23 they will host a “lights up” night so the kids can enjoy it without completely losing their minds. More Details: www.HauntedHallInfo.com, 513-729-1974 The Dent School House – Cincinnati This haunted attraction was the site of a horrific crime perpetrated by a janitor in the ’40s and ’50s. After a number of children went missing and odd smells began coming from the basement of the school citizens began asking questions. The janitor tried playing it off as backed up pipes, but when the basement was opened a number of rotting corpses were found. If that’s not creepy enough, the location is now ran as haunted attraction. While it can be disputed if the story is true or not, the frights happening at this place are unquestionable. More Details: www.FrightSite.com, 513-598-4600 Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/orinrobertjohn/1692868850/sizes/z/in/photostream/