RECAP & ANALYSIS:   2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the haunted scream park, and no other venue even comes close to measuring up to the standards set at Land of Illusion.  This Haunted Attraction stands alone when it comes to layout and professionalism.  The unmatched atmosphere consists of 7 uniquely themed attractions including the vintage dark ride "Mystery Mansion," food, soft drinks, adult beverages, a gift shop, and a stage featuring live entertainment!  Haunts are filled with impressive props and staffed by energetic characters.  This is the place to be for quality seasonal scares and Halloween fun!

MIDDLETOWN HAUNTED TRAIL:  Entrance into this legendary attraction begins across a green, toxic stream that’s shadowed by an isolated girl trapped in the underground that's shrieking about how long it’s been since she's seen other people!  Radioactive sewage spews from surrounding pipes contaminating rats whose mutations have grown into the size of  large dogs in advance of a high-impact, multi-attack zone better known as Area 49, where ogres rise from the depths of neighboring waters, and man-eating crocodiles attack out of the quagmire of uranium-enriched waste!  Escape down a wooden walkway soon arouses the fury of the notorious, knife-wielding slasher, Michael Myers! (Scene's lighting is extremely well done, as you catch a glimpse of Myers from afar, then he vanishes into total darkness before reappearing up close and personal!)   From there it’s onto the exploration of a frenzied, subterranean, asylum-like bunker that finds an irate doctor and his bloody nurses caring for rabid, overwrought patients crawling on the floor, unleashing attacks, and ready to keep you restrained within old jailhouse-like holding cells!  Viciously relentless chainsaw onslaughts are on the horizon in Hillbilly Heaven, where a multitude of ill-tempered rednecks surge onto the scene hell-bent on destruction; some even jumping forth out of foul-smelling port-a-potties! These merciless inbreds wearing burlap sacks over their heads wildly hoist chainsaws into the air and sling them through their legs impeding succession while yelling out, “We’re gonna eat you for dinner” and “Your bone’s will look good in our walls,” while defying advancement down the forbidden pathway!  Traversing an old, creepy covered bridge leads into "Cherry Hill," where an oversized pumpkin patch gives rise to many more frantic fiends and a jack-o-lantern-faced “Kurbis” monster who amplifies harassment of intruders utilizing deadly weapons to their fullest extent!  Witches encircle a green, boiling cauldron doing their best to coerce you to be... I mean STAY for dinner!   Blood-spattered buildings house victims restrained by chains and cages amid herds of crazed goons promising, “We’re going to kill them!”  Some flee their confinements only to be savagely accosted, and muscled back inside their entrapments! Up ahead, a spook-filled cemetery ushers in a nocturnal run-in with The Headless Horseman, then an odd encounter with a women clad a long, black veil looking for her “Henry!”  She walks these hills, as the night winds wail, and a demented chainsaw attacker brags, “I chopped him up!”  Spiked walls suddenly slam inwardly from both sides nearly piercing whatever flesh is unfortunate enough to find itself in its way, en route to a young girl in a nightgown feverishly screaming for help as Freddy Krueger materializes out of nowhere reminding her, “The only thing to fear, is fear itself,” as he grabs the helpless damsel and throws her to the ground! Progression leads straight into “Hell,” where Satan the Devil waits in the wings among his devoted, demonic servants demanding the condemned to, "Relinquish your soul!s"  Jesus himself, wearing a crown of thorns, saves the day (or does he?) as continuance evokes an enormous, squealing, snorting, oinker, that crashes into the course  as entrance is gained into a deplorable kitchen of cantankerous cooks offering up ghoulish delights including “eyeball candy!”  Other scenes include an intrusion courtesy of an irate, yellow-eyed behemoth; a diabolical butcher savagely slaughtering a human martyr; a funeral service for a young boy who's still alive in his casket; an enraged, Covid-19 stricken physician desperate to end suffering from the ongoing pandemic; a double spinning vortex rotating in opposite directions ruled by the acrobatic Beazil the clown; and a genocide of repulsive bugs that escort furtherance into a dimly-lit room of troglodyte-like creatures and their mistress teaming up for a grand finale chase-out of The Middletown Haunted Trail.

Trail is jam-packed with intensity and top-notch acting from start to finish. Each and every character did their absolute best to deliver outstanding scares! Dialogue and interaction were impressive throughout, and combine with extensively detailed scenes and impressive props to make this attraction the best outdoor haunt in the Ohio Valley!  Another fabulous job by this year's scare crew makes The Middletown Haunted Trail the best attraction by far at Land of Illusion with its 26 minutes of non-stop action!  New Freddy Krueger and "Hell" scenes are outstanding, and hopefully here to stay.  Burlap sack-wearing, chainsaw-wielding hillbillies likewise leave lasting impressions.  Witnessing victimizations legitimizes attacks, but were a bit more prominent in 2020. Blow-torch assailant is missed this year, as that's always a hot scare and not seen elsewhere. 

DR PSYCHO’S HAUNTED ESTATE:  The exploration begins by descending into an overgrown campsite that discovers a mentally distraught soul grilling a child over an open flame, then exits through a frightening graveyard into an onslaught of assaults including a newly renovated butcher shop staffed by a pig-faced meat carver!  A wrecked ambulance and another spooky cemetery give rise to a multitude of chainsaw attacks that climax with an encircling ambush just outside the entrance to The Estate itself!  Once inside, a face-to-face encounter with Dr. Psycho interrupts an ongoing human experiment that looks more like a dissection within his diabolical lab! From there blood-drenched walls guide the course upstairs to a séance room, where a mysterious girl summons evil via a Ouija board!  Still to come are a "Mongo" surprise, hissing snakes guarding a wall of coffins, and a crematorium worked by a vicious mortician declaring, "It's time for you all to feel the heat!" as he cranks up the incinerating flames!  Escape through a treacherous torture chamber leads out into The Oakley Cemetery finishing off Dr. Psycho's Haunted Estate.

Best performance goes to the chainsaw assailant intimidatingly stationed in plain sight alongside a monument in the new outdoor cemetery, who sprung into action screaming, “You’re all gonna be fresh meat for the Doctor!” as he unleashed what would become a relentless, triple chainsaw ambush! Campground villain roasting a child is also memorable, as is crematorium mortician.  Dr. Psycho offered the most dialogue explaining his experiment, and warning of his upstairs creations.  Intensity was slightly down as a whole in comparison to the past few years, and Chainsaw Bubba is sorely missed.

TEMPLE OF TERROR:  The adventure begins with a brief entrapment inside a vibrating elevator that rattles and shakes its way into the depths of the mineshaft-like Temple.  Shrinking passages, moving floors, mechanical monsters, and a falling ceiling, highlight the expedition throughout the dimly-lit chambers. Eerie whispers like, “I’m behind you!” are softly spoken, but remain an intimidating mystery because no one is seen!  One of the spookiest soundtracks around guides the mystical journey as it winds its way beyond imprisoned, skeleton captives, an irate Impaler, and other bloody animatronics that terrify these light-limited catacombs!  A near-miss decapitation takes place while traversing an unstable rope bridge that crosses a watery abyss, when some unseen entity suddenly whizzes by overhead!  Camouflaged Ghillie monsters guard the escape that dumps into the clutches of an enormous, disgruntled behemoth protecting evasion from The Temple of Terror!

Many impressive props compliment the event including the aforementioned animatronic monsters, mechanical skeletons, and falling ceiling, which remains a classic, and the best of its kind!  Watery labyrinth is among the attraction's best attributes.  Actors are well-hidden, and often follow along from behind, snorting and whispering throughout the darkness creating a very spooky, intimidating experience.

KILLER KLOWNS:  Colorful décor sets the stage for a pair of spinning vortexes, a shrinking room, and an entourage of freakish klowns, armed with an assortment of weapons tormenting the excursion. “Craze” once again ascends to the top of a chain-link entrapment, laughing wickedly, and encouraging misdirection, while “Heckles” the bloody-mouthed Klown attacks from below compromising advancement, and also pointing you in the wrong direction. Distractions render navigation for this puzzling entanglement next to impossible, but escape eventually leads across moving floors and through a bowling pin maze as the course becomes immersed in a life-size pinball machine, where “Fatso" the Klown tries his best to “tilt” the game!  Progression over a narrow catwalk crosses a bottomless pit before leading through tight corridors and into an all-out Klown ambush expulsion from Killer Klowns.

“Bozo” relentlessly tormented the queue line then made encore appearances throughout, giggling and slamming into the walls.  Klowns are more interactive and aggressive, utilize better dialogue, and have ramped up their scare tactics!  Conspicuous by their absences are “Corn Flake” swinging a baseball bat, and the gory bear trap klown ripping the bone out of her severed leg.

PHOBIA:  Highlighted by frightening noises, abundant darkness, and unseen ghouls briefly illuminating light "zappers," this "face-your-fears" attraction is designed to exploit common anxieties.  Phobias include:  death; Covid-19; electrocution; the supernatural (Ouija board); spiders; snakes; bugs; etc.  Surprises take the form of a near-miss hit-and-run semi, a decontamination chamber, a fog-filled maze, and even shock panels!  Random monsters pop out of the darkness challenging navigation from scene to scene, with one of the best being "Spider girl" who's almost completely obscured in her scene amongst the cocoons and arachnoids. Dr. Death is another appropriate addition.  Chanting Voodoo Priest is missed, although he was a holdover from Voodoo Bayou Shanty and didn't really fit the new theme.  Pair of actortronic man-eaters are likewise absent, but have found new homes along the trail.

BIG MAMA’S REVENGE:  This haunted attraction consists mostly of an enclosed, dark maze whereby navigation is complicated by an assortment of large tires and hidden, pick-a-door passages.  Persistence eventually leads to freedom, but confusion and Big Mama may keep you trapped inside for longer than you expect!  Duration is uncertain, and dependent upon on your exploration skills, how well you see in the dark, and a little bit of luck!

MYSTERY MANSION:  This historic, amusement park ride from the '60’s really brings back memories!  Have fun; sit back and relax; and see how far haunted attraction scares have come in the last half-century while enjoying a nostalgic ride back in time to the haunted houses of yesterday! 

OVERALL:  The park offers a variety of food including Cassano’s pizza, funnel cakes, fresh-baked doughnuts, Creepy Café hot dogs, etc., and The Voodoo Lounge serves up adult beverages for those 21 and older.  Don't forget to stop by The Ghostly Gift Shop that's stocked full of souvenirs, Halloween and venue-themed T-shirts and accessories.   And be sure to check out your unexpected group photos strategically taken within the various attractions.

Fire pits take the chill out of the cool, Autumn air, and surround the centralized gathering area, where nightly entertainment ranging from popular bands to micro wrestling takes center stage.

As for the haunts, The Trail has somewhat separated itself from the others this year, widening the gap between it, Temple of Terror, and Dr. Psycho's.  As previously mentioned, Land of Illusion proudly features 7 PROFESSIONAL haunted attractions all gathered at one gigantic location, and boasts a vast assortment of animatronics and actortronics complimented by theatrical lighting, sound, and costuming, in addition to highly-trained, skilled, and talkative actors.  General admission costs $50, which equates to about $7 per haunt, and grants UNLIMITED ACCESS to each and every attraction! This unmatched deal can't be beat, and remains the best bargain in the haunt industry by far!  Park opens at 7 PM along with Temple of Terror and Killer Klowns.  The other 5 attractions don't get started until approximately 8, or once it gets dark.  Venues remain open until 1 AM, which amounts to 6 hours of seasonal fun and scares!  Why pay $25 - $35 elsewhere for just one trip through one single haunt when you can enjoy 7 top-rated attractions as many times as you like at LOI?  Ohio Valley Haunts highly recommends visiting Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park!  Nobody else even comes close to matching all they have to offer at Land of Illusion!

NOTE:  Season's Passes are available for $99 and provide nearly 2 full months of UNLIMITED Halloween entertainment!  Get yours TODAY by visiting landofillusion.com and clicking on Buy Tickets & Passes!

EXTRAS:  Bartenders provide friendly service with a smile, and the visible presence of LOI's Security staff insures the safety of everyone in attendance.  And be sure to visit the Park's other signature events, Christmas Glow and Aqua Adventures!

COVID-19:  Social distancing is encouraged, and claustrophobic air bags as well as other touchable props were removed a season ago.