The legendary Akron Haunted Schoolhouse got a pretty gruesome makeover this summer.
Don’t worry. Many of the scenes that generations of fans have come to love and look forward to every year since it first opened in 1974 are still there.
But chances are you won’t recognize the indoor waiting room when it opens for the season this month on Friday the Thirteenth.
The space that was home to a rather boring zig-zagging queue and ax-throwing stalls has been completely gutted.
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It is now an immersive space.
The new entrance is like walking into a creepy town square.
There are faux storefronts along with a real working bar.
The new town, where guests will wait for their turn to tour the legendary haunt, is a feast for the eyes and ears.
There are a dozen moving animatronic beasts that snarl and growl.
Lightning and thunder go off.
And there are some hidden surprises like a creepy arm that pulls back the curtains in an upstairs window and a doorbell that offers an unexpected surprise for guests.