Hidden away in a little town called Trenton, Kentucky, is a 2 story schoolhouse that turns sinister in late September-October. They call themselves The Sinister Schoolhouse and put on an entire 3D experience that alters reality.
These clowns are no joke. We went through many different twists and turns, lots of surprises, and had a genuinely fun time.
After our interactions with the cast of the night, we understood why they call themselves sinister. From the minute we were in line waiting to enter the haunt to the moment we walked out of the back door, these actors truly didn’t miss a beat.
The ring leader roamed around, whipping people into shape, quite literally. The old witch giving out tickets let us know she was hungry, but not for the kind of food people who are alive eat; she was hungry for food that was alive, specifically us. Bebe the clown was a standout. We encountered her several times during our walk-through, and her banter with us kept us on edge! Slappy the Clown was another sneaky guy with great banter and slick moves! We also experienced a contortionist truly out of this world, a few other clowns, some schoolhouse girls, and more! No doubt that this cast was interactive!
Most of the cast used sneaky scare tactics, distracting us from the other cast members, props, or the way out! There were a few areas where no actors were present, and we met up with several of the actors multiple times. It worked for their assortment of mazes and obstacles, not really sure how they could fit any more actors in there!
No two clowns looked the same! With our 3D glasses on, some of the clowns blended in so perfectly with the walls and scenery around them that they were able to get some good scares out of us! Some of the clowns wore makeup, and some wore masks. Bright neon colors were present on some of the actors, making them really pop under the 3D illusion of the night. A perfect blend of light and dark makeup, contacts, black spirals, and proficient application made these clowns look even more sinister than we could have imagined!
The ringmaster and a clown riding around on a bike were the two cast members that we would consider queue actors. The clown’s mask and costume were not quite as complete as the ringmaster’s, who was fully dressed in a red cape, a top hat, colored contacts, and full black around the eyes!
GPS took us straight to this red-lit schoolhouse. With a sign out front, it was clear we were at our destination. The sign for parking was small, but it led us behind the schoolhouse. We guessed where we were supposed to park, but it worked out. The ticket booth was also located at the back of the schoolhouse, and it was clearly visible from where we parked. There were no serious safety concerns during our visit.
The staff that we talked to were all super hospitable. We enjoyed talking to them about the haunt they worked hard on and sharing our experience afterward. Waffle House was mentioned. Maybe next year?
Sinister Schoolhouse has a Facebook page and a website. The hours and ticket prices are on almost every post they have, and we had the option to buy tickets on their website.
The moment you walk to the front of this schoolhouse, waiting for your impending doom, they start giving you a small taste of what you are walking into. Music booming on the speaker, surrounding you, the ring leader roaming around whipping people into screams, and even actors yelling at the window. One actor yelled and asked us if we were excited. Of course, we said yes, and she said in her evil, conniving voice, “You won’t be excited for long!” There were threats that we would never be able to leave, and once we were in the middle of it, we fully understood that.
As we walked down the stairs, we found ourselves trapped in a room, overwhelmed by music and a voice overhead that gave us the rundown. My jaw dropped as I listened to the words overhead, and I literally thought to myself, “What have we gotten ourselves into this time?”
Throughout the maze and all the twists, turns, and games this circus put on, the neon colors, cast, and scenery kept us mostly immersed. We were trying so hard to find which way to go and being distracted by the cast that during our 3D experience, we remained disoriented, overstimulated, and overwhelmed in the best kind of ways. However, when it was time to put the glasses up and embrace the haunted school vibe, it was a bit hard for us to adjust. As we walked out of the school, we felt more anticipation and less immersion.
Unlike most haunted houses, Sinister Schoolhouse didn’t give up big animatronics. What they did give, though, were plenty of different sounds, props, lighting effects, and scene details that literally popped! Some of the sounds we experienced were school bells that would sound in unexpected places, giving us good startles! We experienced loud carnival music and other sounds that made us feel like we needed to hurry up, causing our hearts to beat faster and making us much more easily startled by some good jump scares.
One standout prop was some simple black tubes hanging from above. We were thrown into a room with them and a clown and forced to find our way out, which we found to be super difficult. We were told to go right, but when we went right, all we could find were more black tubes! We eventually escaped, with no help from that sinister clown!
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 7.5
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 7.75
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 7.1
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7.05
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 6.5
Yup. Sinister Schoolhouse got us. From the screams to the schemes, we were disoriented, tricked, and our hearts beat a little bit faster. The mazes had us feeling like we were going to be trapped for a very long time, if not forever.
Bebe the clown did a great job of keeping us distracted, so other tactics could be used for scares. She wanted to play hide and seek, and we looked for her everywhere and couldn’t find her or the way out! She fooled us, jumping out of the walls, and would hide again to find us later in the haunt! We didn’t have the typical scream-in-your-face scares, which, honestly, was a relief. Slappy the clown had me read off a set of rules, using a very interesting prop, and as I was reading loudly, because he told me to read loudly, I realized at the end, when the last line was about loudmouths being kidnapped and taken first, that I was about to be kidnapped. And I was! They separated me for a short amount of time, and one of my fears is being alone and lost. Thanks, Slappy.
When we were through with the 3D aspect of the haunt, we walked upstairs. This was more of a haunted school vibe, much different than the floor below. They pulled me on stage and told me to escape; I must dance. Humiliation much?! Another form of fear. Overall, this haunt had several different scare tactics that could cause almost anyone we know to experience some type of fear. If we have one major note, it would be with the finale. We could tell there was a chainsaw malfunction, and there were several seconds after that of going down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door, which has a lot of room for a grand finale.
With all the twists, turns, and schemes of the night, it took our team about 20 minutes to escape this Sinister Schoolhouse! With tickets being $20, this brings the MPD to exactly 1, exactly what we like to see!
With the ticket, you also get the option to keep your 3D glasses! It is also nice that a significant portion of their proceeds goes towards restoration and maintenance efforts for the schoolhouse, which they hope will ensure it can continue to serve this community for a long time.
They had a coney dog booth available to feed us because the clowns stole our dignity, leaving us empty inside. They could benefit from some photo opportunities, options for merch, and maybe a game or two to keep guests entertained before and after the main attraction.
The Sinister Schoolhouse is a unique haunted house experience that not only had us screaming, but also fed on more than just jump scares. They find some of your deepest insecurities and feed on those! Even though they played on our discomfort, we can’t wait to go back!
250 South Main Street, Trenton, Kentucky 42286