Haunted Hydro is in its 26th year. It is operated by Bob and Beth Turner, their daughter, Kaitlin and many dedicated employees and volunteers. The set changes yearly to keep things interesting, and every year there are major improvements. From time to time, they hit a few rough spots, but they seem to be able to handle them and come out the better for them.
It is obvious that the actors are well trained; they are alert to the needs of the guests and interact well. They achieve their frights and stay in character. Some actors are well seasoned. Their characters are well-developed and they easily pull off a good fright. I have read some critical remarks about the actors getting a little over enthusiastic and being too extreme, especially for younger visitors. We did not see this on the night we visited. I believe the Turners reinforce training and try to stay on top of actors’ behavior or effects that are not working out well.
I saw no cheap masks or shabby costuming. Characters were well made up, exceptional in most cases, but very good in others.
With the aid of today’s technology, GPS, we had no trouble finding the Haunted Hydro. Directions are also on the website. The haunted attraction is easily identifiable from the road. It is well lit with a large facade of towers and gargoyles. The parking area is more than adequate with security and staff to assist in parking.
Did the atmosphere outside prepare you for what was inside? No, inside was absolutely awesome, so that is a good thing!
Out of all the questions we answered to come with the scores for each category, we gave two 10s; one was in staff members being friendly, helpful and easy to find. The other 10 was in impressive effects. My favorite room was a total black out hall and room. Initially we were surprised by an actor up high, and then plunged into absolute darkness. After feeling our way around, suddenly a low lit area just appeared. I swear it wasn’t there before. A ‘how did they do that?’ moment.
Enough Sound FX? (35% of score): 9
Sound FX Effective? (15% of score): 8.9
Sounds Appropriate? (25% of score): 9
Creative, Original FX? (10% of score): 9.7
Special FX Effective? (15% of score): 9.8
When the doors open, there is a pre show of ‘Ghoulabration’ dancers. The program is somewhat mediocre, but a few of the performers are exceptionally funny and entertaining which helps with the over-all entertainment value. I consider this more of a distraction while Mr. Turner explains how things work, and the actors get ready without it looking like instructions or preparation time. The theme is about the Hydro of the past, when it was a water treatment plant. It leaves the actors pretty open, but the room d������������������cor fits well.
Small groups are sent through. All members of the group get equal attention. There is no rush job. You have the time to enjoy the room designs and to explore the effects. They have a new program called ‘Shock Collar’. It is to experience an extreme haunt encounter. We chose not to go quite that extreme. I believe you have to eat something disgusting and suffer some disgusting smells which most of us were not interested in, but we did crawl inside a real casket, was shut in and rolled down a slope. This was pretty awesome, but may not be for anyone who is claustrophobic.
MASTER: 100 reviews of 60 unique haunts in 10 years.
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APPRENTICE: 5 reviews of 5 unique haunts in the past year.
NOVICE: Entry-level team.
1333 Tiffin Street, Fremont, Ohio 43420