A Behind the Scenes Tour of the Dent Schoolhouse

I’m a wimp when it comes to scary things but I knew that I had to face my fears when I was given the opportunity to take a behind the scenes tour of the Dent Schoolhouse. Not only is the Dent Schoolhouse known as Cincinnati’s scariest haunted house, but it’s known for being one of the top haunted houses in the nation!

So why did I want to go this again?….for the sake of adventure research .. AND

1. I was told that the lights would be on (whew!)
2. I was told that there would only be a few actors there and that the whole house wasn’t open or staffed.
3. I was promised that they would not make me pee myself…That’s comforting..I think..

The Dent Schoolhouse dates back to 1894 and this haunted attraction takes guests through the most horrific day of school ever in multiple scenes and levels.

Interesting Facts

• A lot of the props and masks are made in-house.
• Dent Schoolhouse has the safest fire codes in the state of Ohio
• It takes 2 hours for 11 makeup artists to transform 80 actors into character. Check out the quick transformation of owner Bud Stross with a synthetic mask.The Dent Schoolhouse changes 1/3 of the attraction every year and the attraction is over 18,000 sq. ft.
•  They have seen guests from EVERY state in the U.S.  But they have also seen guests from Germany,  Great Britain, Ireland, China, and many other locations.
•  The schoolhouse was district 12 of 13 in Cincinnati and opened its doors in 1894
• Staff work year round… starting in November of the previous year
• There are over 130 carved pumpkins in the schoolhouse

Behind the Scenes

I’m soooo glad that this behind the scenes tour was with the lights ON! I can only imagine how intense it would be with the lights OFF with actors whose #1 job is to heighten the scare factor and get a reaction. I’m sharing a few of the PG images from the tour because the disturbing ones are still burned in my brain.

I don’t care how many haunted houses you’ve been to or how tough you think you are….it’s highly UNLIKELY that you will get through this attraction without being startled or scared.

Tips for Visiting

• 4-6 people is the ideal grouping when going through the attraction
• There are areas to exit if you get too scared during a section
• There is no age minimum to visit the Dent Schoolhouse but it is recommended for teens and older.
• If you are trying to avoid the crowds… come on a Thursday or Sunday night.  Or, come EARLY.

Tickets/Discounts

•  The attraction accepts cash only with an ATM on site but you can purchase tickets online with a credit card.

Contact