Haunted Attraction Reviewed: Haunted Hoochie
Website: www.deadacres.com
Location of Attraction: Pataskala Ohio
Date of Review: 9/17/2022
Total Number of Attractions Available: 2
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 9.5/10
Entertainment & Food Rating: 8.5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Costume & Makeup Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Cast & Crew Rating: 10/10
Overall Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Feedback: Our 6th and final stop on our 2022 Ohio Haunt Tour brought us to one of our favorite haunts from our 2020 Haunt Tour, the infamous Haunted Hoochie! We were thoroughly impressed by Haunted Hoochie back in 2020 and knew if we ever ventured near Columbus Ohio again it was a must that we revisit! Haunted Hoochie, notoriously known for being an over the top, offensive, and “extreme” haunted attraction, is certainly not for the faint of heart! There’s not many haunts in existence that push the limits to the extreme like Haunted Hoochie does. If you’re easily offended by controversial topics or don’t want to be subjected to graphic & violent horror, then this isn’t the haunt for you!
We rolled into the parking lot shortly after 11pm on just their 3rd night of operation for the 2022 season. Even at the late hour there was still a solid amount of fellow haunt goers trickling into the parking lot. As we exited our cars we could hear all sorts of commotion off in the distance, which could only be the chaos of the Haunted Hoochie. The ominous glow of “The Hoochie” certainly sets an intimidating and nerve-wracking vibe within moments of being on the property. You can’t help but think, “what am I getting myself into”, as you try to mentally prepare for the experience that lies ahead.
Haunted Hoochie features two haunted attractions; Bad Trip in 3D and the main attraction here, The World Famous Haunted Hoochie! General admission tickets run for a mere $30 and VIP passes go for $50. Even though the wait was nearly 90 minutes for general admission, we elected to wait it out, which gave us ample time to take in the ambiance of Haunted Hoochie! The midway area featured several photo-op areas, with our favorite being the carnival scene featuring a full sized ferris wheel and a mini roller coaster. The antique carousel in the ticket booth area was also a creepy touch. A small merchandise booth and snack shack were also available for guests to enjoy. Various types of music ranging from heavy metal to teen pop were being blasted into the queue line area, with corresponding music videos playing on a projector screen. To top it off, go-go dancers were doing their thing while suspended in a jail cell just below a massive demon animatronic that would send-off periodic blasts of flames spewing from its nostrils. Definitely lots to take in while passing time in the queue line.
Guests will first experience The World Famous Haunted Hoochie, and then proceed forth into Bad Trip in 3D. The first scene at Haunted Hoochie certainly sets the tone for the offensive and non-pc attitude that Haunted Hoochie possesses. A military fellow came launching out of a window to provide a startle and then proceeded to blow his brains out (simulated suicide). A bloody and gory mess then appeared behind him, leaving the impression that he literally just blew his brains out. From there we set forth into the madness of Haunted Hoochie for what would end up being 20 minutes of non-stop, heart-pounding, spooky fun!
The World Famous Haunted Hoochie featured action packed scenes, loaded with handcrafted props and massive animatronics! It was simply overwhelming to take in and had us oohing and aahing frequently! We were moving at a snail's pace to ensure we had ample time to gaze aimlessly at the sets. Some of these sets were several stories high, giving off a monstrous and menacing vibe! The attention to detail noted throughout was second to none, as we were continually amazed during our journey. Bountiful top of the line special effects were utilized throughout. Ear-piercing and heart-pounding audio effects were also utilized to further immerse the guests into each scene. They’ve become masterful at disorienting guests & utilizing distraction techniques to ease the ability of providing a scare. It would take us quite some time to list everything we encountered throughout The World Famous Haunted Hoochie, so we’ll list some of our favorite scenes/sections below.
Screaming ape animatronics with an actor in an ape costume meandering about was certainly a unique & startling surprise.
An outdoor set featuring a military vibe with a full sized helicopter (with functioning propeller blades), crashed jeep, and sounds of gunshots and cannons firing away, echoing throughout.
Castle-esque set featuring dragons, demons, and skeleton creatures towering above the castle-like walls.
Demonic church scene with a full size church facade, featuring pyrotechnics and special effects galore! Crazed nuns were frantically roaming about, harassing patrons with unholy insults.
Crashed airplane of “Flight 666” featuring a destroyed cabin loaded with dismembered actors crawling amongst the cabin, audio effects, and flickering lights to simulate the aftermath of a plane crash.
Cemetery scene featuring a demonic reaper animatronic hovering far above the guests created an aesthetically pleasing but horrifying visual.
Several risque scenes featuring Phillip the chicken man, child labor gone wrong, and a live castration of a captive man!
Several large vehicles were utilized throughout to startle guests featuring a massive truck and a farming combine. A motorcycle was also cleverly utilized to terrorize guests as it came what felt like inches away from running you over.
An unnerving venture through a fogged out strobe lit maze through towering stacks of coffins certainly made for a thrilling & disorienting experience.
Can’t forget to mention the Scooby Doo themed “Misery Machine”!
When we last visited in 2020 the cast & crew were handicapped a bit with having to follow covid protocols. Well there was certainly no limitations this go around. Haunted Hoochie is overloaded with scare actors, leaving not a second of dead space throughout our journey. There’s truly not a single wasted second at Haunted Hoochie, as they keep the adrenaline pumping & the scares flowing at a rapid rate. We lost track of how many times scare actors would appear practically out of thin air to scare the crap out of our squad. They were rather sneaky and tenacious in their attacks. Not to mention their unique skits and pure perfection at utilizing improv to personalize the experience for each individual haunt goer! They were certainly hands on & rather intense which added another layer of thrill to the experience. We can’t say enough about these menacing and sinister scare actors! The high quality and realistic costuming and makeup that the scare actors possessed only helped to further immerse the audience into each and every scene!
After nearly 20 minutes of non-stop blood-curdling terror, we finally escaped from The World Famous Haunted Hoochie, but not before a few chainsaw wielding maniacs delivered one final fright! As we caught our breath and tried to regain our bearings from the extreme sensory overload of The World Famous Haunted Hoochie, we were directed towards and sent into Bad Trip in 3D! Bad Trip in 3D is a 5 minute 3D spectacular experience. This was by far the most action packed 3D fun house we’ve ever experienced. Nearly every square inch of this attraction, from floor to ceiling, was covered with 3D props and animatronics. Surprises and scares of all sorts came from every which direction, leaving us vulnerable to actor driven pop scares. We began having troubles deciphering what was real and what wasn’t, as the scare actors were cleverly hidden and disguised throughout the attraction. We truly felt immersed into a whole new horrifying dimension. We would’ve loved to see more scare actors sprinkled throughout Bad Trip in 3D, but the actors the attraction did possess were top notch, providing an interactive, startling, and spooky fun experience!
As we exited Bad Trip in 3D our squad congregated back in the midway to converse about our experience. The unanimous consensus was that Haunted Hoochie had certainly lived up to its expectation of providing a larger than life, complete sensory overload, and in your face experience! For $30 we certainly got our money's worth of spine-tingling scares and bloody-terrific entertainment! Haunted Hoochie continues to find innovative ways to push the envelope and deliver a nerve-wracking, offensive, and terrifyingly mind-boggling experience! We’ll certainly be back to visit The Hoochie again in a future Haunt Tour. If you’re looking for a haunted attraction that will push you to the limit, then Haunted Hoochie is just the right place for you. Make sure to leave the kids and you're easily offended friends at home for this one, as things probably won’t pan out well for them. If you think you have what it takes to survive “The Hoochie”, then go for it, you won’t be disappointed!
Individual Attraction Ratings:
Attraction Name: The World Famous Haunted Hoochie
Overall Attraction Rating: 10/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 10/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 10/10
Attraction Name: Bad Trip in 3D
Overall Attraction Rating: 8.5/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 8.5/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 9/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 8/10