Spooky Ranch at Rockin'-R-Ranch — 2025 Review

Spooky Ranch at Rockin’-R-Ranch – 2025 Review

Location: Columbia Station, Ohio

Date: 10/12/2025

Website: www.spookyranch.com

Overall Rating: 6.25/10

Spooky Ranch at Rockin’-R-Ranch is a long-running fall tradition that offers a little something for everyone — multiple attractions, a festive midway, and plenty of food and photo ops. It’s a family-friendly haunt at heart, with moments of fun and light frights sprinkled throughout.

There’s nothing wrong with leaning into being a family haunt — in fact, embracing that identity would help Spooky Ranch stand out more. With some creative updates, stronger actor training, and clearer marketing, it could better align with what it does best: providing a safe, fun, and approachable Halloween experience.

Entertainment Value: 7.5/10

The midway offers lots of food options (the kettle corn was a standout — 10/10 recommend), photo ops, music, and ample seating. It’s a good spot for families and groups to relax and enjoy the fall atmosphere.

That said, the operational side needs improvement. On Sundays, attractions hard-close at 10pm, with the last hayride leaving around 9:30pm. However, tickets were still being sold until 9:30pm — meaning anyone arriving after ~8:45pm realistically couldn’t finish all the attractions, even with VIP on a slower evening. Our group purchased VIP passes shortly before 9pm and still weren’t able to experience everything, including missing the Monster Vision in 3D attraction.

VIP may be ideal on busy Friday and Saturday nights, but on Sundays or Thursdays the regular lines are more manageable. For smaller crowds and a smoother experience, we’d suggest aiming for those nights.

Costume & Makeup: 6/10

Costuming and makeup were simple and not overly believable, often feeling basic rather than immersive. That said, there were a few standouts that deserve credit. The doll-faced character in the saloon delivered a great scare from her rocking chair with a very cool mask, and her reveal was timed perfectly. A few other characters had creative touches that helped them stand out, but overall, the visuals could use more detail and polish to match the sets they inhabit. 

Cast & Crew: 6.5/10

We give credit to the actors for keeping their energy up late into the night. There were flashes of fun — Margaret at Sunset Casket Co. with her cheeky “people are dying to get into my caskets” line, or the saloon’s chicken coop actor with his hilarious “Welcome to my chicken coop!” delivery that had us laughing. Another performer slid down a hallway & performed a chilling backbend, and the big fella in Extreme Nightmares barreled through a doorway for a solid startle. Heck, even the fella lurking in the cemetery of Extreme Nightmares had some comical banter with our crew. 

One of the highlights came in the graveyard scene, where a vampire performer was absolutely relentless — hissing, swirling his cape, and stalking the wagon with great energy. His commitment stood out and showed how much impact an actor can have when they fully embrace their role.

But overall, most performers leaned heavily on screams, growls, or a handful of repeated stock lines. Some actors were used in multiple spots but said the same thing each time, which quickly got repetitive. With even a little improv training and basic scripted lines for each scene, the cast could bring much more variety and depth to the show.

Set Design & Special Effects: 6/10

Overall, the scenic work felt dated and in need of rejuvenation. Many areas looked beaten and worn, which took away from the immersion. The hayride in particular relied heavily on store-bought props that weren’t fully customized, leaving some scenes without that hand-built, unique feel that makes haunts stand out.

Audio was another major weak spot. On the hayride, sound was delivered through weak, crackly speakers (likely due to high volume setting straining the speakers) — and since audio is one of the easiest ways to create atmosphere, this was a missed opportunity. Strong ambient soundtracks, layered effects, or even subtle environmental noises could make a huge difference in pulling guests into the scenes.

That said, there were still some highlights worth mentioning. The Toxic Wasteland had great energy when actors and props worked together. A two-story facade where an actor appeared to be preparing to hang a mannequin yielded a clever twist that caught us off guard. The cemetery with church looked effective with its moody lighting, and the opening bar room in Bloodslinger’s Saloon created a solid start. The assumed actor-driven dragon in The Haunted Barn also looked fantastic — well-built and impressive, showing the kind of craftsmanship we’d love to see more of throughout the event.

With fresh scenic updates, enhanced audio, and more customization, Spooky Ranch could breathe new life into its attractions and create a more immersive experience.

Fright/Thrill Factor: 5/10

This is where we felt Spooky Ranch struggled most. Even teenagers on our hay wagon weren’t flinching — and when a haunt promotes itself as one of the scariest or most advanced hayrides, it naturally sets high expectations. From our experience, the hayride just didn’t deliver that level of intensity. Scenes leaned heavily on props and loud noises, with little in the way of suspense or layered scares.

That’s not to say it couldn’t get there. With refreshed sets, stronger ambient audio, and more actor interaction, Spooky Ranch could absolutely raise the bar and make its marketing feel more accurate. The Extreme Nightmares blackout maze showed a spark of potential, but it was too bare and quiet to feel intimidating. Adding textures, clutter, uneven flooring/terrain, and eerie soundscapes would help bring it to life in a delirious way! 

As it stands, the overall vibe is more suited to the under-13 crowd or families looking for lighthearted Halloween fun. There’s nothing wrong with that — in fact, leaning into that strength might make Spooky Ranch stand out more — but it would be more honest to market it that way rather than overhyping the fear factor.

Sharpening the Scare:

Spooky Ranch has a solid foundation with a lively midway, a great property, and attractions that have been entertaining guests for many years. With some thoughtful updates and refinements, this event could really elevate its experience and better match the expectations it sets for guests.

• Set Customization & Immersion: Many of the hayride scenes relied heavily on store-bought props, which made things feel less unique and immersive. Customizing these props with paint, texture, and creative backdrops would help them feel part of a cohesive world. Scenic updates to worn or dated areas could breathe fresh life into the experience. Stronger ambient audio would also go a long way — sound is one of the easiest ways to make a scene more atmospheric, and right now the hayride audio often felt weak or crackly.

• Actor Training & Engagement: The cast brought energy, and we appreciate that they stayed enthusiastic even late into the evening. However, many performers leaned on growls, screams, or repeated stock lines. A little improv training and giving actors scene-specific dialogue or skits would add variety and keep guests engaged throughout. Even simple scripted lines can make an interaction feel more personal and memorable.

• Graveyard Dance Scene: The Michael Jackson-inspired dance routine wasn’t the strongest choreographed performance, but it had a fun, lighthearted charm. That said, the scene would benefit from being shortened and given an extra “wow” factor to make it more impactful.

• Attraction Transparency: On our VIP lanyards, the Haunted Barn was tied directly to the hayride, but online and on signage it appears to be billed as a 5th separate attraction. In reality, it’s a ~3-minute finale while still seated on the wagon. We’d be more comfortable with it being advertised as its own attraction if guests exited the wagon and walked into the scene. Clearer labeling would prevent confusion and help set expectations accurately.

• Clearer Hours Communication: Staff did inform us at the ticket booth that attractions closed at 10pm and that we might not experience everything — which was appreciated. However, this really needs to be posted clearly on the website. Many haunts close their ticket booth earlier in the evening, then remain open until all guests are through ALL of the attractions. That approach feels more guest-friendly, especially for people traveling from out of town. Otherwise, late-arriving guests may unintentionally miss out, which can leave them disappointed.

• Marketing Honesty: Claiming to be the “Scariest” or “Most Technically Advanced” hayride in Ohio sets expectations very high, and right now we don’t feel the show meets that level. Marketing honestly about what Spooky Ranch does best — family-friendly fun with multiple attractions, food, and a lively midway — would create more accurate expectations and leave guests pleasantly surprised. Over-delivering is always more powerful than over-promising.

With updates to sets, stronger audio, improved actor training, and more transparent marketing, Spooky Ranch could lean into its strengths and provide an even better experience for families while still surprising seasoned haunt fans.

Fright Night MVP:

The Chicken Coop actor in Bloodslinger’s Saloon. Their silly but perfectly delivered “Welcome to my chicken coop!” line caught us off guard and had the whole group laughing. It was a simple moment but one that stood out — proof that sometimes humor and personality can be just as memorable as scares.

Recap the Screams:

Spooky Ranch at Rockin’-R-Ranch is a family-friendly Halloween event with multiple attractions, lots of food, and a lively midway atmosphere. It’s a fun night out for families, younger guests, or those looking for a lighter take on spooky season thrills. Avid haunt enthusiasts, however, likely won’t find the level of scares they’re seeking here — Spooky Ranch is simply geared more toward casual visitors and family audiences than those chasing extreme fright.

With more customization, stronger actor training, and freshened-up sets, Spooky Ranch has the opportunity to create an even more immersive experience. At its core, it brings energy, charm, and fall fun — and leaning into those strengths will keep guests coming back year after year.