Brimstone Haunt Review (2024)

Unfortunately, the cast of Brimstone was few and far between on the evening we visited, and this was first noticed on the Haunted Hayride. Our first stop on the hayride was Brimstone Penitentiary, where we were accosted by two escaped prisoners – a threatening, raving woman who stalked the passengers and a clown-faced inmate sporting a very long, glowstick-esque booger he enjoyed pulling out of his nose and shoving in people’s faces. This seemed to set the tone of the ride where when we were boarded on our adventure through the corn, it was by two scare actors that yelled, threatened, growled, cackled, and even just had a seat for a few minutes to enjoy our company. The expected characters were there, sporting clowns, deformed mutants, crazed butchers and mechanics, and chainsaw-wielding madmen. There were two standout performers on the hayride, one of them a Headless Horseman astride what appeared to be a beautiful painted horse that stalked our crew quietly, holding his eerily lit head aloft. Another was a crazed and, possibly undead, mechanic who wore a smashed-out welding mask, his green glowing and ghastly gaunt face easily visible in the darkness as he intimidated us.

The next stop was Brimstone’s haunted house, Psychosis. Unfortunately, they appeared to have even more of a skeleton crew than the hayride. Other than the enthusiastic guide that smooshed us into an elevator with glee before releasing us into the chaos, we didn’t see many others. Those we did see were crazed and bloody but, unfortunately, didn’t grace us with their presence for very long. The ending housed someone wielding a chainsaw, but he did not give chase; he only revited his machine and stared daggers at us from a corner.

We ended our evening, making our way through the newly re-christened Bog. One of our most entertaining interactions of the night occurred here, where a disheveled but still sharply dressed chap tried to get the leader of our entourage to take the fall for him stealing alcohol from a saloon we eventually found ourselves in. Needless to say, the bartender did not believe his tall tale and reprimanded him sharply for trying to place the blame on us. Things were a little more lively on the trail, and we found ourselves running into a few interesting characters. We were harassed by a group of students as we wound our way through rusted and abandoned lockers. A cloaked Nosferatu that slunk through the darkness told us that we smelled delicious as he invaded our personal space, sniffing us. An overly aggressive trick-or-treater badgered us for treats and didn’t seem to understand that we had none to give, screeching feverishly to hand over our candy. With how hyper she was, it’s safe to say she had had more than enough candy for that night.

Brimstone’s trail is quite massive which means that, unfortunately, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, much like the rest of the attraction, there were not many monsters we encountered here. However, the ones we did run into gave a quality and entertaining performance.

A lot of attention and care was put into the looks here at Brimstone, beginning with the queue actors. The infamous Scratch and Splitz were on form this evening, terrorizing the guests and wreaking havoc, all the while looking quite stylish while they did so. Sporting terrifying silicone masks, wicked claws, a lethal looking axe, and matching accouterment, both of them were easy to spot as we ventured around the site.

The cast of Brimstone has a lot of tricks in their tool, and all were taken advantage of – detailed, realistic-looking masks, gory makeup, tattered clothes, and vicious weapons, all evenly spread out through the attractions and appropriate to any given scene. Some areas were not the best lit, making it difficult to really get a look at some of the actors (mostly the darkness of the Hayride and the oppressive strobe-lighting of Psychosis), but those we were able to admire properly had a fully realized vision that was executed beautifully.

Shout-out to the Headless Horseman on the Haunted Hayride, the nightmare-inducing amalgamation of toys in The Bog, and the soul-piercing madwoman in Psychosis who stared intently down at us from atop an armchair.

Locating Brimstone is an easy feat when you put the location in your GPS. There are signs near the road that point the way, and the only issue this evening was a cop car blocking off the Brimstone Road entrance (we believe this was for traffic flow purposes). Thankfully, Brimstone is located next to the Ohio Renaissance Festival, so all we had to do was drive a short ways down the road to the Ohio Ren Fair entrance and follow the signs. Very quickly, we found our way to Brimstone, parking in the field outside. We did not have to pay for parking, and traversing the uneven and darkened grounds to the front of the attraction was the only real hazard, though not much of one as long as you have your phone flashlight handy. Once inside, everything was labeled clearly, easy to find, and well-lit. The employees were extremely helpful, friendly, and hospitable, and there always seemed to be someone available to answer questions or to point me in the right direction. Brimstone’s midway has a lot to offer, from food and drink to merchandise and games. The lines for each of the haunt’s three experiences are also clearly marked, and there were plenty of staff members this evening to direct us.

Brimstone has a great website that has all the information you need. There is a small blurb about each attraction that describes the adventure as well as giving you an attraction intensity score. They also have a description for each of their games (what they call, experiences) that show an experience intensity score. Tickets are easy to purchase here, and there is a clear description for each of your options (Brimstone is offering more than just fast passes, where some of the packages offer unlimited entry to all 3 attractions as well as access to the midway experiences). There is a schedule, directions, and FAQ section, as well as links to their social media for more information.

Upon entering the towering smokestacks of the Brimstone entrance, we were welcomed by a spacious midway, beautifully illuminated by string lights. Carnival games, concession stands, and the ticket booth were all conveniently visible and easy to locate. We spoke with Jordan about the music selection, and he shared that they are moving towards featuring a live DJ to mix modern hits with spooky classics, which would be a refreshing change.

We were particularly impressed with some of the upgrades made this season to the facades of both The Bog and Psychosis. The addition of a large industrial metal structure added an extra layer of authenticity and significantly enhanced the overall atmosphere. However, the hayride queue could benefit from more entertainment elements to keep guests engaged while they wait for their wagon.

Inside Psychosis, we were fully immersed throughout most of the attraction, but the outdoor sections felt a bit lacking as the open space offered little activity, breaking the immersive spell. The Bog saw notable improvements to its audio design, which remained impactful and well-balanced across scenes. The hayride, unfortunately, had moments of dead space, including sections devoid of music or sound effects, where we passed through scenes that once featured thrilling encounters.

Of all the attractions, The Bog was the only one that showcased a storyline, guiding visitors through the haunted town of Brimstone as they try to evade its sinister residents. While the new additions were fantastic, there are areas that need further attention to enhance immersion—but we’ll dive deeper into those aspects later in the review.

There was no shortage of visual excitement throughout our journey in these haunts. While some attractions offered more than others, we thoroughly enjoyed what we saw across all three.

The Hayride featured booming audio that masked the sound of the tractor, helping to build the atmosphere for each scene. This level of attention to detail is something typically seen in the most renowned hayrides in the country, so it’s clear that Brimstone is positioning its headlining attraction for bigger things.

Several sets were truly larger-than-life, such as the prison scene, where escaped inmates assaulted the wagon amidst blaring sirens that amplified the realism. Along the way, we passed through a local drive-thru, barely avoided the horrors of the slaughterhouse, came face-to-face with clowns at the circus, dodged weapon-wielding maniacs at the sawmill, and almost went up in flames at the body shop.

A standout moment was the new fire truck chase, where a monstrous vehicle rammed our wagon, attempting to knock us off course. This chase adds to Brimstone’s signature vehicular pursuits, but unfortunately, the Combine lacked proper lighting during our visit, making it difficult to appreciate the danger it posed.

Despite these thrilling moments, the hayride has yet to fully find its identity, as many scenes felt either random or too small to leave a lasting impact. The addition of a roller coaster in the circus provided some much-needed visual interest from above, but most sets felt one-dimensional. In the future, we’d love to see larger, more dynamic sets that allow for attacks from all directions, especially from above.

Psychosis showcased some of the night’s best animatronics, with relentless, in-your-face scares. The attraction’s intense rock music heightened our senses, while pitch-black corridors made the scares even more unpredictable and shocking. We narrowly escaped the wrath of massive saw blades, dodged bullets from an assault robot, and witnessed a live electrocution. Air cannons and sirens were strategically placed throughout, providing startling jolts to unsuspecting guests.

The Bog remains a favorite of ours, known for its unique scenes and creative effects. The addition of the movie theater and barber shop were welcome changes, though we have to admit we miss the cave—if there’s ever a poll, count us in for both! The new saloon, which we mentioned above, was also a welcoming addition.

Familiar favorites returned as well, including the cemetery, the slanted witch house, the body shop, the boathouse, the abandoned school, the dilapidated mobile home, and the circus, to name a few.

Brimstone also introduced an exciting effect in The Bog that is typically found in large Hollywood-style attractions. This special effects scare allows actors to trigger sensors that unleash bursts of terrifying audio and lighting, intensifying the experience without forcing the cast to scream all night. We’d love to see more of these effects integrated throughout the attraction, as they were highly effective in the scenes that used them.

The addition of flickering lights and loud crashes along the trail to simulate a thunderstorm was also incredibly effective. It’s amazing how such a simple technique can have such a dramatic impact. That said, we’d like to see denser fog both on the hayride and along the trail, as some of the bridge transitions felt like they were missing the swamp-like effect.

Let’s revisit a few points from earlier in our discussion. You might be wondering why we’re addressing this here, but there are several ways a haunt can disrupt its guests’ immersion, and we believe these topics are closely related. So, let’s dive in.

It’s no secret that creating fear on a hayride can be challenging due to the large trailer sizes packed with guests, which limits the cast’s ability to deliver scares evenly across the group. However, we were surprised to see this theme extend to the other two haunts of the night, where similarly large crowds were being sent through all at once.

This was most evident in The Bog, as we were grouped with 12 other guests. While some haunts are designed to handle larger groups effectively, in this case, the sets and cast weren’t structured to provide consistent scares. We experienced multiple actors jumping out behind us, monsters interacting only with the front of the group, and scares we missed entirely. This broke the immersion and left us wanting to turn around to see what happened.

Psychosis also grouped us in with seven others, and the cramped elevator ride left us feeling like cattle being herded to the slaughterhouse. Once inside, our group managed to catch most of the scares, but those following us saw almost none due to the tight corridors and small set designs. We strongly recommend that the team consider expanding both their cast and sets to accommodate the growing traffic as the haunt’s popularity increases, ensuring everyone can enjoy the experience.

We did witness some standout scares, particularly from talented cast members we’ve seen in previous years. The vampire in the cemetery, the misfit toy in the playroom, and the crazed inhabitant in Psychosis—who tried to rip our limbs off—were all memorable highlights. Although we missed seeing one actor in her former role as the doctor, she excelled in her new part. We love when actors adapt to new roles while still delivering impactful performances. Kudos to them!
Each of the three haunts had some form of a finale designed to deliver a memorable scare, but unfortunately, not all of them were as impactful as others, so let’s talk about them.

The junkyard finale on the hayride featured impressive fire effects and some engaging interactions with monsters in the body shop. However, despite being one of the better-looking sections of the attraction, it lacked a standout moment to set it apart. Adding a big scare that engages the entire wagon would leave a much stronger lasting impression.

Psychosis shifted its chainsaw finale outdoors since our last visit, allowing guests to escape the clutches of a deranged lunatic. However, when we reached this scene, the actor simply stood revving the chainsaw, never leaving his post. This was a bit of a letdown, but we understand this actor may have been tired from chasing victims all night, since we visited near the parks close. The Bog, meanwhile, was absent a finale entirely, with only an ice cream truck and no accompanying scare to end the experience on a high note.

We’ve been visiting Brimstone almost every year since they first opened, and they never fail to impress us. Of course, we know that things don’t always go perfectly, so we encourage anyone reading this to keep in mind that this wasn’t their typical show. We’re chalking it up to an off night for the team, and we’re confident they’ll be back in top form for their next event!

Our visit to Brimstone Haunt lasted 36 minutes. With a general admission unlimited ticket priced at $42, this results in a minutes-per-dollar score of 0.86, which is lower than we would prefer for haunts in this region.
Brimstone has recently updated its ticketing structure, allowing guests to experience its trio of terrifying attractions an unlimited number of times. Upgrades are available, including the Ultimate Pass for $56, which provides general admission to all haunts as well as unlimited access to midway games.
For those seeking expedited entry, the Unlimited Fastpass is available for $58, granting faster access to the attractions and enabling guests to maximize their visit. Additionally, the Ultimate Fastpass, priced at $73, offers Fastpass access to all haunts along with entry to all midway games. Single haunt tickets can be purchased for $26, and midway games are available for individual payment without the need for the Ultimate Pass.

The midway featured a variety of photo opportunities, roaming monsters, and a spacious picnic area with tables for guests to rest and catch their breath. Concessions were reasonably priced, and a selection of merchandise was available for purchase at the gift shop. Additionally, the beer barn offered a range of popular adult beverages. Having a few additional free activities would help to increase the overall atmosphere.

During our visit, the crowds were quite substantial, making it essential for guests to upgrade to a Fastpass ticket to fully utilize the unlimited access. We highly recommend visiting on Friday nights to experience lighter crowds. Additionally, tickets can be purchased at a discount on the Brimstone website, so it is advisable to buy in advance.

Keep an eye on their website for exciting off-season events! On November 2nd, don’t miss the thrilling “Lights Out” night, where you’ll navigate the trail with nothing but a glowstick to guide your way. And in December, get ready for a spooky twist on the holiday season with the “Scary Little Christmas” event, blending the chills of Halloween with a dash(er) of festive fright.