HAUNTED HOUSE GUIDE: Where to go for scares, fun across the Dayton region

Oct. 4—Spooky season is in full swing with several haunted attractions open throughout the Dayton area.

From Springfield to Middletown, the region boasts eight haunted attractions in addition to several home haunts.

Here are 11 places to check out for bone-chilling scares and Halloween fun.

1. DAYTON SCREAM PARK

Location: 4040 Wright Way Road in Dayton

Details: Dayton Scream Park is back with new scenes, state-of-the-art special effects and live actors.

Last year, owner Lance Compton bought the property beside the land he previously leased for the park and built a new compound. The new compound featured seven main areas with over 30 scenes and 60 actors. It took guests around 45 to 60 minutes to explore.

Dayton Scream Park is open Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29. Tickets are sold from dark until midnight for $20 on Fridays and $25 on Saturdays. The park offers a VIP option that takes guests to the front of the line for an additional $20 on Fridays and $25 on Saturdays. The park also has a concession stand and free parking.

For more information about Dayton Scream Park, visit www.daytonscreampark.com or the compound's Facebook page.

2. LAFFIN' LIZZY'S HAUNTED FUNHOUSE

Location: 4103 Shadow Leaf Dr. in Bellbrook

Details: What started as a high school service project has turned into a five-year outdoor haunt with clowns, chainsaws, jump scares, cotton candy-scented fog and much more.

Todd Anderson has always had a love for Halloween. At 11 years old, he worked at the Fairborn Jaycees Haunted House, which was once located on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road. He always wanted to do his own haunt and inspiration struck thanks to his daughter, Hailey. When Hailey was a senior in high school, she needed to do a community project, so he decided to create a haunted house and ask guests to bring pet donations for SISCA.

This year the father-daughter team and Hailey's husband, Matthew Eakins, have made the haunt bigger than previous years. This year's haunt features the addition of a trap door. If guests go through it, they will return to the beginning of the haunt.

Laffin' Lizzy's Haunted Funhouse is a free home haunt open every Saturday through October in addition to Halloween night. The haunt is open from 5 to 6 p.m. without actors and 6:10 to 9 p.m. as a full haunt including actors.

For more information, visit the home haunt's Facebook page (@hauntedfunhouse).

3. THE LAND OF ILLUSION HAUNTED SCREAM PARK

Location: 8762 Thomas Road in Middletown

Details: The Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park is open with five haunted houses and a haunted trail.

Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of other entertainment options at the park including themed weekends. There will be food, treats and drinks available at the park.

The Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park is open from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. Tickets start at $20.

For more information about The Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park, visit www.landofillusion.com or the park's Facebook page.

4. HARSHMANVILLE HAUNT

Location: 4998 Harshmanville Road in Huber Heights

Details: Harshmanville Haunt is a walk-through home haunt with multiple jump-scares, different scenes and a separate, large "clowntown."

Amanda Henry and her husband, Ervin Woodruff, have been decorating since 2012. They started at their former home on Pease Avenue in West Carrollton where they showcasedmultiple animatronics and props. When they moved to Harshmanville Road in 2018 their creativity grew exponentially.

Harshmanville Haunt is open 7:30 p.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, weather permitting.

For more information, visit the haunt's Facebook page.

5. HELL'S DUNGEON

Details: Hell's Dungeon, an all-indoor haunted attraction, is back with 27,000 square feet of thrills.

The haunted attraction, located on the backside of Eastown Shopping Center, features a story that includes Rufus, the resident Devil, and The Firewoods, a family of sadistic cannibals.

Hell's Dungeon is open 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 4. Admission is $26.

For more information about Hell's Dungeon, visit www.survivehellsdungeon.com or the attraction's Facebook page.

6. HEMLOCK HOLLOW

Location: 5989 Rosalie Road in Huber Heights

Details: Autumn Leigh and her husband, David Kushner, are sharing their love for Halloween through an interactive yard display for guests to walk through featuring several selfie opportunities.

This year guests can expect 150 hand-carved pumpkins, hundreds of handmade skulls and bones, over 20 new animatronics, a full carnival area with games and more.

Hemlock Hollow is expected to begin the first weekend in October until Nov. 5. Guests can view the display 24/7. Lights and animatronics will run on weeknights with full effects including fog and actors running on weekends.

The home haunt is free but it is partnered with Skeletons for St. Jude, a nationwide effort of haunters to raise $100,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the 2023 Halloween and holiday seasons.

For more information about Hemlock Hollow, visit the home haunt's Facebook (@HemlockHollowHaunt) or Instagram pages (@Hemlock_Hollow_Haunt).

7. BRIMSTONE HAUNT

Location: 525 Brimstone Road in Wilmington

Details: Brimstone Haunt is back with six terrifying attractions this season including the new Cranium Crusher.

The haunt is open Friday and Saturday nights through October. The ticket office opens at 7 p.m. and attractions will begin as soon as it's dark. The ticket office closes at 11:30 p.m. Guests can also purchase tickets online. Parking costs $3 cash at the door.

A combo ticket including the Haunted Hayride, Forgotten Forest and Psychosis is available for $32 online. Tickets for each attraction can be purchased separately.

For more information about Brimstone Haunt, visit www.brimstonehaunt.com or the attraction's Facebook page.

8. FACE YOUR FEARS: HOTEL OF TERROR

Location: 1291 Cold Springs Road in Springfield

Details: Face Your Fears: Hotel of Terror is back for another season of bone-chilling fun.

The haunted attraction is located in a four-story farmhouse that truly looks like a hotel from the 1850s. The house has been abandoned since 1940.

Face Your Fears: Hotel of Terror is open Friday and Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight through Oct. 28. Tickets are $20 and touch passes are available.

For more information about Face Your Fears: Hotel of Terror, visit www.faceyourfearshaunt.com or the haunted hotel's Facebook page.

9. RIVERSIDE JAYCEES HAUNTED CASTLE OF CARNAGE & TRAIL

Location: 1213 Old Harshman Road in Riverside

Details: Riverside Jaycees Haunted Castle of Carnage & Trail is opening for its 38th season. This all-volunteer attraction is the longest- running haunt in the Miami Valley.

The haunted attraction is open 8 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 29. Guests must be in line by 9:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $17. A VIP/FAST PASS option is available for $25.

For more information about Riverside Jaycees Haunted Castle of Carnage, visit www.riverside-jaycees.com or the haunted attraction's Facebook page.

10. TERROR MAZE

Location: 6988 Springfield-Jamestown Road in Springfield

Details: Terror Maze, a family-owned haunt, is back with trails and mazes through the woods.

The haunted attraction is open Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight through Oct. 28. Tickets are $17.

For more information about Terror Maze, visit www.terrormaze.com or the haunted attraction's Facebook page.

11. NIGHTMARE MANOR

Location: 1601 S. University Blvd. Suite A in Middletown

Details: Nightmare Manor is back with lots of new scenes, monsters and surprises. Attendees can expect three new areas on the trail and a few new rooms inside.

The haunted attraction is open 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays throughout October.

For more information about Nightmare Manor, visit www.nightmaremanorhaunt.com or the haunted attraction's Facebook page.