Akron Haunted School House and Laboratory Review (2019)

Our team found a lot of improvement in the cast this year, and were impressed by the sharp wit of the monsters and the reduction in screamers and rote ‘get outs.’ A prickly lunch lady in the schoolhouse managed to stump one of our temporary teen team members with a combination of sass and threats. In the laboratory, a surgeon not only handled our team lead Doug with no issues, but managed to respond to one of our team members missing a step with concern while never dropping his threatening character.

A few cast members still relied on the tried and true method of stereotypical monster one-liners, but for the most part, we found that the monsters here are ready with a quick joke or a terrifying threat depending on what you offer them in turn. With a wide variety of characters in the Schoolhouse matching the theme, and a strong second act of monsters roaming the halls of the Laboratory, there was no shortage of terrors to be experienced here. A clown with the timing of a Swiss clock managed to appear out of nowhere directly after one of our temporary members bemoaned the possibility of a clown being in the room, resulting in a cavalcade of screams and curses.

The pair of actors manning the Laboratory entrance were a great and witty couple, playing off of one another and the groups entering.

The monsters in the basement of the Schoolhouse were particularly well dressed and placed, and some costumes managed to help them merge into the scenes so unsuspecting victims were surprised when what seems like part of the house springs to life.

Miss Alma, as always, is a marvelously put together matron. We were also impressed with the aesthetics of a maintenance that kept his eye on Doug (literally) throughout our time in queue.

Costumes at the AHSL are reliably in theme and hold to the houses’ standards. Monsters keep all masks tucked in when used, and makeup is complete and in place. Characters make sense with their respective scenes and manage to optimize their costumes for their scares.

The Schoolhouse has, perhaps, a wider variety of costumes given its haunted storybook aesthetic, but the Laboratory works at bringing in everything from experimental patients to mad scientists and laboratory workers – as well as a few other little surprises.

The website for the AHSL is easy to use and offers ticket options for both this haunt and its sister haunt, the Factory of Terror. Staff are friendly and helpful, and more than willing to work with customers who have issues or questions. They are also clearly identified by uniforms, and able to communicate quickly and clearly with headsets in case that’s needed.

Because of the size of the haunt, as well its landmark historical status, it is very easy to find and signage is plentiful. There is also a very large parking lot, and signs that lead to the brightly lit midway where the entrance to both haunts and the ticket counter are located.

Two of our team members are injured this year, and both monsters and the more mundanely dressed employees were incredibly helpful and considerate of that fact. Lines move efficiently despite incredibly large crowds, and the haunt still shows a dedication to enrapturing new fans as they track their likes on Facebook at the entry door.

New visitors to AHSL might find it hard to intuitively figure out where the entrance to the Laboratory is as the entrance to the Schoolhouse is located immediately next to the ticket booth, while the Lab entrance is across the midway and around the other side of the historic building that contains it. However, once you are on the other side of the midway (or if you are exiting the Schoolhouse), the signs for the Lab are easy to find.

Because AHSL is built into two old, historic buildings, there are a lot of stairs to climb in these haunts. Built before the days of handicapped accessibility laws, there are no elevators or ramps within the buildings.

Upon reaching the haunt, visitors are instantly put into a mood for a haunted house visit, as the buildings loom above the landscape in all their creepy glory. The midway set up between the haunts is fully loaded with creepy photo ops, stalking monsters, and fog bubble machines. A bar offers themed drinks as well as beer and soda, and food is carried in a carnival styled truck that completes the midway’s theme.

Any visitor new or old gets a strong sense of what is coming as they look at these beautiful, historical haunts and the twisted carnival atmosphere between them. Screams echo throughout the grounds and visitors come running out of the exits as monsters chase them from place to place. In queues, stalkers weave throughout the crowds, and special effects fire off as you wait.

The Special Effects at AHSL are a mixture of high tech and old school, blending the haunt’s history well with its modern ownership. Some effects are so intricate they take up entire rooms, while others are carefully placed to enhance scenes and catch the eye. Our team was impressed with the improvements made since last year, as hallways are evolving constantly and new techniques are added to make them dynamic transitions between scenes instead of simply dark passages.

It’s important to note that the Laboratory has a special effect that cannot be experienced in any other haunted house as they own two humongous Tesla coils that visitors interact with and witness in action up close. There are also features to each building that lend to incredible special effects and scenes that are unique to these two locations.

Both haunts have themes that are authentic and intricately interwoven in their building’s histories.

Miss Alma presides over the Schoolhouse, where visitors are treated to a thematic entrance into the horror stories contained with the school’s library. This theme is kept consistent throughout the hallways, and it’s difficult to not stop and try to read the pages of each horror story before you go crashing into it.

On the Laboratory’s side, the test subjects of the yesteryear haunt the halls and reach out for visitors as they pass. Mad doctors, intruders from many planes, and over-active morgues take guests to the Laboratory into a world that blends science-fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Our temporary teen teammates gave us a lot of insight into this category this year, as some of them were unable to even start the first house! Monsters in both haunts utilized a variety of scare tactics from stalker horror to jump scares. Monsters picked up on names, fears, and the proper marks within the group to wring the most scares possible out of us.

We were especially impressed with the screams brought about from the gatekeepers at the Laboratory, the clowns in the Schoolhouse, and the hallway in the lab that had a number of twitching surprises. Horror and humor are closely married, lowering tensions just enough that visitors are unable to burn out on being scared from room to room.

The aforementioned Doctor in the surgery theater was great at reading the group and switching from simple shock to creepy threats and horrifying humor while our large group passed through his area.

Entry to both houses is $28 on a Friday or Saturday and $25 on a Sunday. Fast passes are highly recommended as lines can get very long, and only cost $10 added on to the main admission cost. Entering just one of the two haunts is only $20. Group rates are available for groups larger than 4, and the Die-Hard pass for $60 lets you go through the haunt with a fast pass an unlimited amount of times in one night. If you love haunted houses and go repeatedly, Factory of Terror and the Akron Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory offer a season pass that includes unlimited fast pass admission to both haunts and up to four discounted ‘buddy’ passes per night for $130. This option also comes with free parking, and 10% off merchandise.

Visitors can also enjoy a number of other attractions on-site including escape rooms, axe throwing, and some specialty shots that are named for the houses’ themes. At a walkthrough that takes about 45 minutes for both haunts, this is a lot of entertainment to enjoy for not a ton of money!