RECAP:  Every Halloween season the backwoods of Muskingum County come alive with terror along a haunted trail that early on finds an idle backhoe advertising the burial of bodies for $5, or $10 if you want ‘em deep!  Soon, a spooky cemetery dating back to the 1800's returns the dead to life as an open coffin slams shut on its own, and a ghoul flies by overhead on an elevated zip line!

Led by a tour guide, the journey visits a variety of scares including a nursery-like mausoleum that’s guarded by a pair of bloody-faced nuns warning, “They’re all dead!” and "You're all gonna die!"  Inside, the motionless dolls begin to move and shake their ways “back to life” as the course makes its way through a dark tunnel to the 5th dimension and across “spongy” ground for an early chainsaw assault.  Other scenes feature a visit to Elm Street, where screams are heard coming from inside the mattress of a bed, and a girl whose face has been scarred by the knife-like appendages of Freddy Krueger does her best to ward off the notorious slasher!  From there, a bio hazard zone introduces a death row gas chamber where electrocutions are also conducted.  Spider webs complicate advancement into the uncertainty of a dark maze fun house, then a bloody Butcher Shop that yields through an extremely tight claustrophobic passage into a mental asylum.  A green, laser-lit swampland is up next, with an escape through a duck-down, subterranean passage and beyond a pond that’s highlighted by a cannon shooting water high into the air!  Dark mazes give rise to villains blasting sparks, and a clown house terrorized by Giggles that exits into a photo-op finish of Nightmare in Nashport!

ANALYSIS:  The queue line and waiting areas are appropriately hounded by a trio of roaming characters including a relentless clown, a Pinhead-like character having nails sticking out of his face, and a monster stalking the portable toilets.  A number of structures are explored within the attraction itself featuring several dark mazes, hidden escapes, and the tightest claustrophobic tunnel we’ve seen all year!  Water cannon delivers a good scare, and Freddy’s scene is likewise memorable.  Unseen spongy mattress is another great surprise, and is perfectly placed – hidden in the dark, and chaperoned by an immediate chainsaw ambush!  Zip line, sparks, and tunnel to another dimension are similarly appreciated.  Soundtrack needs attention and would further compliment the experience.  Black plastic is a bit overused and the woods are often uneventful, although the isolation does serve to build anticipation and intimidation.  Scenes and transition zones could be spruced up by more appropriate décor.  And the presence of a comforting tour guide somewhat lessons the scariness, but their presence is likely needed to insure customers remain on the path, and their stories and interactions provide background information in addition to supplementing the goings on.  The adventure cleverly exits into a seasonal photo-op.

Best performances go to the nuns, and the queue line clown.  Haunt is located down a spooky, gravel road, which perfectly sets the stage for what lies ahead within the desolate woods.  They’re open Fridays and Saturdays from dark to midnight through October 28^th, and the cost of admission is $20.  If you're in the area, pay them a visit for some frightening Halloween fun!