Many board the Captain’s boat, and few leave unchanged. The USS Nightmare stands out as the region’s most original and bizarre attraction. A godawful crew of scum fill this antique tub, and every one of them is out for your blood. Elaborate and authentic, the tour includes a treks over two grated catwalks, circling the massive paddlewheels with the Ohio River visible below and an exploration of the Nightmare’s engine room. There are scores of pipes, conduits and hatches that set the scene here and make it impossible to discern what’s a prop and what’s actually part of the historic vessel.
Pursued by freaks and terrors, you’ll be assailed by monsters above and below. The standards are here, too: Vortex tunnels and a suffocation room, a chainlink maze and a ghastly dining hall all have to be crossed before you can leave. The makeup is top-notch with unique, credible characters throughout. The Captain has been redone this year with great effect, and many scenes have been expanded and improved. The infirmary is creeptastic as is the hog faced ook.
New this year is the Captain’s Tour and Canptain’s Ball, a dockside Halloween party and a special lights-off tour in which visitors will be armed with only weak flashlights to guide them through a no-holds-barred night of terror. The Laser Rage laser tag arena makes a fun, adrenaline fueled finale to the night.
THE WAIT
: Lines last 20 minutes in the early evening and are much longer at peak times. It takes another 25 minutes to tour the ship.
DETAILS
www.ussnightmare.com
THE DAMAGE
CITYBEAT RATING : R
