October is that magical time of the year when ghouls, goblins, ghosts and maniacs with chainsaws appear out of nowhere to scare the wits out of people looking to get a little bit of an adrenaline rush.
In northwest Ohio, there are several locations for those who need to get a fix in the limited amount of time available around Halloween.
1. ScreamAcres at Leaders Farms – Located in the cornfields surrounding Napoleon, this family-owned attraction has garnered quite a reputation in Ohio and Michigan. This year, it has added PanDEMONium as a second haunted attraction. While ScreamAcres takes visitors in and out of an old barn consisting of various scenes, a haunted cornfield and a cemetery, PanDEMONium is an underground laboratory where experiments were conducted on humans until “something went horribly wrong. Now, the “inmates” have escaped and are seeking revenge. Leaders Farms also features a regular corn maze to get lost in, cannons to shoot rubber eggs for a chance at prizes and lots of activities for children, including a petting zoo, a small zip-line and a child maze made out of hay bales.
2. Haunted Hydro Dark Attraction Park – The Haunted Hydro has been a fixture in northwest Ohio’s Fremont for more than 20 years. This isn’t just a haunted attraction, it’s an entertainment extravaganza. Each night starts with a Creature Feature Parade, Monster Mix Dance, Zombie Paintball and fire and light show. The hydro also features two haunted attractions.
3. Terror Town – Located in Maumee, Terror Town has taken several of its smaller haunts this year and combined them into one super haunt called House of the Dead. It was selected in 2009 by Haunted Attraction Magazine as one of the 25 must see haunts in the country. Terror Town is also home to the 120 foot Black Hole, which is new in 2010 and has to be seen to be believed. Entertainment this year includes Kiss cover band War Machine and The Nightmare, a Detroit-based Alice Cooper cover band. Check the Web site for dates.
4. Dimensions of Darkness – Also located in Maumee, Dimensions of Darkness is billed as a haunted attraction created by haunt enthusiasts. While this is its first year, the creators say they have a lot of experience in providing scares. In fact, Dimensions of Darkness is meant to be more an interactive horror film starring its visitors than a haunted attraction. It is recommended anyone under the age of 13 not attend.
5. Train of Terror – Take a ride on a quarter scale steam train, the Train of Terror, located in Findlay. The trip takes passengers past an eerie forest before they disembark and walk through the Haunted Engine House. Actors from the Fort Findlay Playhouse provide the scares. No one under 13 is admitted.
6. Putnam County’s Haunted Cornfield – Near Ottawa, Putnam County’s Haunted Cornfield is one of the oldest haunted cornfield attractions in northwest Ohio. Visitors walk through a twisted cornfield and two levels of a haunted barn before they enter the Trailers of Terror. There is only one admission price.
As for a personal recommendation, my wife and I have been through ScreamAcres several times in the last few years and Putnam County’s Haunted Cornfield and both are more than worth the money. We also hope one day our children will enjoy getting scared to death half as much as we do.
Also contributing to this article was www.scaryohio.com
