The Haunted Hydro is a classic attraction that delivers solid enjoyment year after year. The decayed building combined with textbook lighting make for a mood like no other. The cast is always entertaining and reliable, constantly providing a good scream or a good laugh. This attraction is the ‘B-movie’ of haunts, using low-budget tactics while achieving solid results. If you’re looking for a great, well-rounded haunt with memorable scares and a very affordable price, don’t miss this one!
It’s very clear that the actors have a passion for the scare. Most of the actors dive deep into their character, lending to the effectiveness of the haunt. For the actors that speak, some have even developed names and backgrounds for their monsters. The cast interaction is very good, as well, when two or more actors are needed to achieve the desired scare. While a majority of the cast had great timing, wit, and energy level, some of the actors missed the mark with their opportunity to get the best scare. Overall, the cast played a vital role in the success of the attraction.
Despite the fact that cast members typically do their own make-up, the costuming here was spot on. There was a great attention to detail, where nearly every actor was in costume from head to toe. This made the scares a bit more believable than other attractions, since it’s all too common for a cast to pay too much attention to the face and forget about the rest of the body. In addition, the only masks that were used in the entire attraction were used effectively, out of necessity
In past seasons, the Haunted Hydro has had great customer service, and this year is no different. The staff is very accommodating and helpful. Great lengths have been taken to ensure each guest has an exciting but safe experience. The parking area is well-lit, as well as the entrances/exits. Even amongst all the patrons and actors always walking around, a security officer or worker is never too far away.
We already know that an abandoned hydroelectric plant makes a superb setting for a haunted attraction, but how well is it utilized? Extremely well. Throughout the entire hydro attraction, each ‘blemish’ of the structure is taken advantage of, heightening the sense of surrealism. Whether walking through eroded tunnels or gazing above at the towering columns, you constantly feel like you’re trapped in a Stephen King movie. One of the highlights of the night was seeing and hearing the LIVE keyboardist from Hell playing an ambient soundtrack to our nightmares turned reality. The atmosphere at the Haunted Hydro simply can’t be found anywhere else.
This attraction nearly perfects the use of inexpensive, yet effective special effects. One of the strongest points is the use of lighting, or lack thereof. All the lighting is very well balanced, with lots of variation of well-lit and nearly pitch black areas. We were happy to see very little black light FX, which often have a tendency to be overdone. While we would have liked to have seen a bit more original and perhaps elaborate special effects, the majority of the props and sets were very well-done. Some memorable sights to mention were the bloody bathroom and the room full of mannequin heads.
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While most of the cast had great character development and make-up, there lacked a sense of horror throughout the attraction. We found ourselves laughing more than we were screaming. Some of the one-liners came off a little dry, and we couldn’t help but chuckle. However, there were certainly moments where we truly jumped. The true frights scattered among the night definitely raised our pulse. The claustrophobic chain-linked maze, known as the House of Shocks, caused us to continually watch our back, after a fast-footed monster snuck behind us for the perfect scare, seemingly coming out of nowhere. As for another memorable scare, we don’t want to give it away
1333 Tiffin Street, Fremont, Ohio 43420