RECAP:  The historic “Nightmare on Valley Street” Trail comprises the first leg of the multi-haunt Dayton Scream Park adventure that also includes The Rat Trap Maze, Clown Town, and Hollywood, as well as an additional VIP section that’s available to Fast Pass customers only.

The excursion begins inside a new DSP façade, where a creepy butler-like gent wearing a necklace of severed, bloody fingers and other human appendages offers a brief narrative about the dangers lurking in the isolated woods, then points the way down an abandoned path to a run-down trailer park inhabited by cannibalistic hillbillies, one of which blocks progression with a blood-soaked axe, while another points and fires a shotgun at visitors trespassing on his property!  Escape guides the course deeper into the dimly-lit forest, across a narrow bridge, and into the midst of an unexpected chainsaw assault that whizzes past overhead via an elevated zip-line!  Then, “The Circus from Hell” finds “Terrorist the Clown” providing souvenirs shaped from balloons in advance of a deserted junkyard that witnesses a ghoulish fiend crawling through the windshields of wrecked vans and an undead zombie emerging from beneath a demolished truck!

Navigation through various darkened structures returns the expedition back outdoors where a 4-wheel “Quad Blaster” thunders onto the scene from behind giving chase into a wooden maze housed inside a structure having boarded up windows, and inhabited by an enormous brute that wants to cut off your feet so he can make “big toe soup!”

A scarecrow surprise is still to come before exiting the trail and continuing on to the VIP attraction for Fast Pass purchasers, which will be discussed later, or The Rat Trap, which is best described as a seemingly endless, mind-boggling maze that gives rise to numerous monsters popping forth throughout the entanglement further compromising advancement through the uncertain winds and turns. Spongy floors and spark cages add to the confusion, as misdirecting clowns and a devilish Hell Cat encourage exploration of wrong-way paths.

Other scenes include a madhouse of imprisoned children screaming for release from their captivity (good use of child actors); a possessed bride with a bloody, upside-down cross on her forehead seen grasping onto a deadly hammer no doubt intended for some unsuspecting groom; and a crazed doctor with spiked glasses and large, glowing syringes reminding patients, “It’s time to take your Medicine!” 

A Circus barker transitions continuance into "Clown Town,” - a densely populated area occupied by some of the most vicious jesters the attraction has to offer, including Pennywise, Nightmare, Harley Quinn, the terrifying Jingles who has a hammer protruding from a hole pierced in the side of his jaw, and another diabolical clown armed with an oversized pipe wrench who threatens to, “Rip off all your limbs!”  Making your way through a large, sharp-toothed clown mouth-like opening in an adjacent wall unleashes a tag-team infringement first with an outraged clown going absolutely “Ballistic,” laughing wildly and yelling, “You’ll never get out of here alive!” and then onto a strange confrontation with Dolly, “The Killer Klown Queen!”

All of the attackers are armed with a variety of deadly weapons, and never stop their wicked laughter and tormenting terrorizations.  Then just when you think it’s safe, a 12-foot tall, top hat wearing goon provides one final treacherous send-off into “Hollywood,” where an assortment of notorious horror movie villains like Pinhead and Hannibal Lector lead to a classic reenactment of 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason showdown, and sets the stage for a trip to Travis County and the Hewitt family homestead for the OVH Award Winning, Texas Chainsaw Massacre finale, that witnesses Leatherface and his murderous chainsaw's blood-spattering climax!

VIP guests are treated to a Bonus Attraction which consists mainly of an additional dark maze, specific details of which are not being revealed.

ANALYSIS:  This year’s trail is complimented by an improved soundtrack.  Continued advancement in this department would have a significant impact on the overall experience.  Clowns are some of the most relentlessly intense characters around.  Their threatening persona is further strengthened by their vast assortment of lethal weapons they clutch onto and visibly display. Freddy vs. Jason reenactment is a pleasant, unexpected addition to the Hollywood segment. Myers is conspicuous by his absence.

Many elaborate masks are utilized at Dayton Scream Park, and lots of memorable characters are encountered throughout, some of which have already been mentioned in the recap above.  They include the axe-wielding and shotgun hillbillies, zipper-faced trail aggressor, pregnant lady whose baby is protruding through through her abdomen, bloody-mouthed flesh eater, aforementioned scarecrow, zombie crawling out from under a wrecked truck, whistling monster, and Terrorist the Clown!  Zip-line chainsaw attack is one of a kind, and perfectly sets the stage for a second chainsaw ground assault (well done).

Others deserving honorable mention for their performances are Rat Trap’s diabolical doctor, Jingles, Nightmare, Dolly the Killer Klown Queen, and Ballistic.  Girl hanging down from the rafters near end of Clown Town did an outstanding job, at first looking like a prop before jumping down and blocking the exit!  Freddy, Jason and Leatherface are stand outs in Hollywood!

This attraction doesn’t feature high end props and animatronics, but there’s an abundance of actors that carry the show, especially the killer clowns who can always be counted on for some of the best scaring in the Ohio Valley!  If you enjoy outdoor trails, being lost in mazes, and/or being tormented by clowns, then this is the haunt for you!  It’s over an hour’s worth of seasonal fun, scares, and entertainment costing just $20 for general admission!

Touch pass option is not available this year due to the coronavirus.  VIP grants front of the line admission and includes an additional bonus attraction, but $40 is a lot to pay.