Dent Schoolhouse: Still Scary with the Lights On

A dark legend encompasses the Dent Schoolhouse which opened in 1894.  The janitor, Charlie McFree, was found to have kidnapped and murdered several of the students.  This ultimately led to the school closing its doors in the 1950s. The grizzly remains of the students were found in the basement of the school after an angry mob stormed the school demanding to know what had happened to the missing students and to follow-up on a rancid smell plaguing the school. Charlie the janitor was never found despite being the main suspect. The school is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the murdered children with Charlie still looking for a few more victims.

Dent Schoolhouse and Dunkin Donuts sponsored a special night out to allow us the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the Dent Schoolhouse and see what all the screaming was about. Have a peek inside Cincinnati’s Scariest Haunted House.

Making the Monsters

Stepping foot into the make-up studio is truly something to behold. Masks line the wall just waiting for their moment to scare. Vanity lighting, salon chairs, and airbrush areas are the envy of many in the industry.  The make-up artists can crank out 70  plus actors in a matter of hours. A quick tutorial taught us the basics of creating life-like bruises, scrapes, and cuts.  The secret is in the textured sponge!! Armed with my newfound knowledge and a fresh “black eye” I was ready to take on the rest of the Schoolhouse.

Lights On Tour At The Dent Schoolhouse

The Dent Schoolhouse is known as one of the tightest themed haunted attractions in America, therefore everything in the schoolhouse is themed as if the schoolhouse shut down in the 1950s. Whether you are visiting the PTA carnival or hanging out in the cafeteria, guests will feel like a student as they walk the dark hallways.

I will be the first to tell you that even with the lights on this haunted attraction will creep you out. The real artifacts and antiques that are spread throughout the entire schoolhouse add a macabre sensation.  With the lights on you can appreciate all the details that have gone in to make this place truly horrifying.

A Few Creepy Facts

• The catacombs section of the schoolhouse is home to almost 4,000 handmade human skulls. After they were assembled they each had to be sealed with a fire-resistant lacquer, therefore this was truly a labor of love.  If you haven’t been fortunate enough to visit the Chapel of Bones in Portugal, this is pretty darn close.
•  The haunt is home to over 200+ prop jack o’ lanterns.
• The school’s bell tower still houses the original bell and it works!
• It takes roughly 25+ minutes to walk through the Schoolhouse with the lights off.
• For those who can’t handle the horror, there are hallways and doors that allow for an easy emergency exit.
• The Schoolhouse is said to be haunted and hosts paranormal tours in October.
• The Dent Schoolhouse is nationally known!

Special Events

• You can experience the Schoolhouse with the lights on and no monsters. This is perfect for those with younger children who may not be ready for the lights off.
• Lights Out Tour- For a truly horrifying and pee your pants experience take the lights out tour. The Lights Out Tour is when the Schoolhouse goes completely black. You are only given a glow stick as your guide. Depending on how brave you, opt for a different color glow stick which allows the monsters to touch you!! OH HELL NO!!!
• The Schoolhouse is ringing in the holiday season with A Christmas Nightmare.

Check out the schedule of their special events here!

Always remember the goal of a good haunted attraction is to get you to pee your pants or even better poop yourself. Actors are often quite proud when they are able to accomplish such a feat and it has happened numerous times at Dent.  My advice, bring a change of pants with you.

Discounted Tickets For The Dent Schoolhouse

Get tickets for the Dent School House at all 47 Greater Cincinnati area Dunkin Donuts locations.

Donut Time

During our visit to the Dent School House, Dunkin Donuts hosted a fun make your own monster donut competition. This is a great Halloween activity for those with kids.  Get a dozen donuts, a few decorations, and bam! instant edible craft! My favorite kind. I was even more excited when my guest and I won the competition for the most unique monsters! Woohoo!!

A special thanks to The Dent Schoolhouse and Dunkin Donuts for sponsoring this post. We had a gruesome evening! 

Looking for more fun things to do in Cincinnati? Check out our top date night ideas!  25 Date Night Ideas in Cincinnati

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