The Queen City appears to the be the king of screams, at least according to a recent ranking from the Haunted Attraction Association.
Two of the area's haunted houses — The Dent Schoolhouse and the USS Nightmare — made the HAA's annual list of "Top Haunts," which this year features 49 spooky sites from across the country.
The HAA's collection certifies attractions that meet the organization's list of 10 criteria, including protecting customers, promoting haunted attractions and educating industry professionals.
“The most important aspect of our jobs is prioritizing visitor safety,” HAA President Spencer Terry says in a release. “The Top Haunts certification rewards those attractions that have been in operation for at least 10 years and are not only leaders in delivering some of the best attractions in the business, but also in setting the bar high for best practices in safety.”
Although there isn't much to the write-up about the USS Nightmare — "Professional haunted house located on an 1940’s Army Corp of Engineers Dredge Boat" — here's what the HAA says about Dent Schoolhouse:
Relive the legend of a murderous Janitor and find out the truth about what went on behind the walls of Cincinnati’s Halloween Tradition! Cinematic sets, award winning makeup, and sinister storytelling make each trip through the Dent Schoolhouse feel like a real-life horror movie! Over 400 carved pumpkins pepper the unique interactive queue line outside the school. Behind the attraction sits the Monster Midway, a large interactive experience! Mini escape games, fresh donuts, axe throwing, The Spooky Shop gift shop, and massive photo ops makes a night out to The Dent Schoolhouse a perfect Fall experience!
The Dent Schoolhouse has also seen acclaim from outlets like USA Today, Good Morning America, the Travel Channel and more.
The Dent Schoolhouse season runs Sept. 16-Nov. 5. It is located at 5963 Harrison Ave., Dent. Get tickets online in advance at dentschoolhouse.com.
The USS Nightmare season also runs Sept. 16-Nov. 5. It is located at 101 Riverboat Road, Newport. Get tickets online in advance at ussnightmare.com.
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