Reviews

2009 REViEWS

ActiveDayton.com

City Beat Review

THE HAUNTED CAVE: Roaming creatures stalk the ticketing area prior to the decent down the steep hill towards the entrance to Lewisburg's Haunted Cave. Buried nearly a hundred feet beneath the ground in an abandoned old limestone mine lies one of the most frightening haunts on the face of God's green Earth! Warnings about bats that inhabit the spooky cavern are interrupted by an apparent electrical malfunction that briefly interrupts power causing the lights to fail! A maintenance technician hurries to the rescue, spraying the circuit box with a fire extinguisher, and restoring everyone's ability to see. Short circuit resolved, the lengthy adventure gets underway across a wooden bridge-like walkway that leads deep into the intimidating Cave. Flashes of lightning and clasps of thunder accompany the otherwise lightless expedition that soon finds sudden surprises emerging from previously unseen, amphibious ghouls splashing about in the surrounding waters, madly growling and snarling, and reaching out to touch and grab at passersby! Unsure footing contributes to the uncertainity of the exploration, as the unstable catwalk begins to rock back and forth beneath your feet as the course progresses through wild brush overgrowing the walkway, and terminating at an impressive CGI surprise! Ghastly sounds and mystifying music lead the trek through living walls, incinerating flames, and into an eerily lit swamp. Monsters attack from both sides as the next to impossible struggle of drudging through the marshy quagmire finally leads back to dry land, right in the midst of a bone-chilling cemetery, where chained coffins shake and vibrate on their own, and condemned spirits adamantly defy death! Irate gravediggers bang their shovels noisily, as ghosts hover about; animated spiders crawl across freshly tilled dirt; poisonous snakes hiss and spew forth venom; undead souls spring forth from upright caskets; and the Grim Reaper zips by overhead! Yet to come are mummies, mad doctors, bloody corpses, and body parts that still move around despite being detatched from their rightful owners! A tragic murder brings about a horrific surprise that yields to a sudden, gun battling car chase; statutory invasions taking place in an immoral jail cell; decapitations; dark maze and fog filled fence maze that contains numerous dead ends and ranting, misdirecting lunatics. Round and round you go until the one and only escape delivers you to Hell, and the presence of The Devil himself, and a companion She-devil! The Prince of Darkness shines laser-like projections from his fingertips as powerful blasts of fire rocket upward, and his amplified voice echoes tormenting laughter all throughout the Cave! Several possible paths to freedom are introduced, one of which leads to a successful getaway, providing you can locate it, but others return you back to Lucifer's abode, where the Fallen Archangel and his unhallowed Hellcat wickedly threaten and taunt your predicament, promising to keep you there for all eternity! Wire mazes; blinding strobes; unnerving alarms; deafening screams; dense fog; claustrophobic passages and entrapments; and total chaos serve to confuse and disorient the desperate plight for escape, while intimidating chainsaws, sparks, a spinning vortex, spongy floors, and a multitude of other surprises overwhelm your emotions, as you desperately seek to uncover that lone beaten path that leads to elusive freedom from Satan's abomination, and The Lewisburg Haunted Cave!
Analysis:
LENGTH - 10, Unmatched from a duration perspective. 50+ minutes, and easily longer depending on the amount of time required to complete the various entrapments.
ACTORS - 9+, Good make-up and costuming throughout. Dialogue is likewise good, and interactions are more aggressive and threatening than in the past, although there are still some undersized actors. Loss of original Devil is most unfortunate, and his replacement needs to step things up considerably and take charge of his domain. The introduction of a She-devil companion helps, but she too needs to be more assertive, especially since this is the most climactic scene. Dimension of touch makes the experience that much more realistic. Gravediggers present a most intimidating sight. Fence maze character appropriately misguides you into several dead ends. Last season's Doll “dealer” has appropriately met his demise Still can't help but miss the ghoul whose hand was ablaze with fire a few seasons ago. Total Characters = 60+.
SCARINESS - 9.5, Perhaps the most legitimately spooky environment in the industry! Bewildering strobes; loud, frightening music, sounds, and screams; agitated creatures, endless entrapments, subtle touching and grabbing, and numerous surprises combine to assault all the senses. Coming face to face with The Devil himself is indescribable! And the scene is far more chaotic than ever before! If the new Devils can raise the bar, then "10" is on the horizon!
DESIGN - 9.5, Genuinely scary and intense, even though there's still a huge reliance on darkness. Theme holds throughout, and length is unmatched. Devil Maze that repeatedly results in multiple, ungodly encounters with the King Demon and his mate has undergone some expansion, and remains an amazing finisher! Multiple claustrophobic hallways suit the area to a tee, and are among the most impassable we've seen. Light maze has grown as well. Impressive swamp scene has received some needed attention, and works much better this season, although its borrowed from Industrial Nightmare. Christmas scene didn't belong, and has rightfully disappeared as it didn't fit the attraction's theme. Similarly catagorized dollhouse surprise has been relocated to a position of less prominence. The attraction begins in subtle darkness, and climaxes in utter chaos!
PROPS - 9.5, Debut of CGI surprise keeps with the times, and has a good home. Swamp scene has been tweaked and revitalized. Claustrophobic passages and surprise are outstanding! Cemeteries are magnificent with a nice compliment of animated startles. Use of fire is most effective, and realistically impressive. Additional decor and a little less darkness would max it out.
VALUE - 10, $10 with their website coupon reflects a $1 price increase for 2009, but still the best “bang for the buck” in the business. The investment earns customers admission to one of the region's best haunted attractions, boasting nearly an hour's worth of terror!
RATING: 9.5, Another amazing effort of total assault! The Cave gets better every year, and has become one of the best, most intense haunted attractions in the State of Ohio! This definite HAUNT OF THE YEAR contender is not to be missed! And, don't forget to pick up some inexpensive snacks from "Mama Cat" at the concession stand when visiting The Haunted Cave, where getting in is easy, but getting out may KILL you!

2008 REViEWS

THE HAUNTED CAVE: Cemetery plots and caskets are among the increased décor outside the decent down the steep hill towards the entrance to Lewisburg's Haunted Cave. Roaming creatures surprise and terrorize the ticketing area; an astounding Mortician, Lewis Deburg politely measures “bodies” while offering his services just in case some members of your group don't survive the experience, and a mysterious Gatekeeper guards the entrance to the intimidating subterranean. And then it begins! Buried a hundred feet beneath the ground in an abandoned old limestone mine lies one of the most frightening haunts on the face of the Earth! Just prior to entering, an apparent electrical malfunction briefly interrupts power to the lights until a maintenance technician equipped with a fire extinguisher hurries to the rescue! Short circuit resolved, and lights restored, the adventure gets underway with the navigation across a wooden bridge-like walkway that leads deep into the darkened cavern. Lightning flashes, thunder clasps, and sudden surprises emerge from the surrounding waters, as hidden, amphibious ghouls reach out gently touching and grabbing at passersby, while others aggressively propel themselves along the catwalk. More unexpected happenings arise from an abandoned old cornfield, then a collection of dolls en route to one of the attractions new major surprises, the Cave’s Swamp! Up ahead, hands are seen reaching up out of the marshy quagmire as a previous visitor futilely attempts to prevent his certain drowning, while swamp monsters attack from all directions! Narrowly escaping the wetlands leads to more uncertainty courtesy of a reckless hit and run driver, and more Cave dwelling spooks that reach down grasping at you from above! Mystifying fog, and flames highlight a visit to a spooky old graveyard, where coffins deliver still more surprises. Irate monsters, skeletons and flying ghosts haunt the eerie boneyard, where an undead soul is propelled forward out of an upright casket, and screams bloody murder as she's projected almost directly into your path! Coffins mysteriously open and close on their own, a skeleton flies back and forth on a zip line overhead, and gravediggers unnervingly prepare soon to be needed earthen tombs! Gunshots, a funeral parlor, and caged prisoners are still to come as “Living Walls” impede progress through a darkened corridor, where a torturous ghoul rips the head off an innocent victim. Dark mazes give way to another of the fence-like variety, where a crazed loony misdirects scare seekers into several foggy dead ends. The entrapment is hounded by a werewolf-like creature, and wicked monsters emitting laser projections from their fingertips! Round and round you go until the one and only escape delivers you into the presence of The Devil himself, seated on an elevated throne amid powerful blasts of fire shooting up all around him! The Demon King's voice amplifies and echoes throughout the Cave, as The Prince of Darkness happily welcomes you to Hell, and introduces several possible paths to freedom. One leads to a successful getaway, providing you can locate the secluded route, while others return you back to Lucifer's abode, where the Fallen Archangel wickedly laughs and taunts at your predicament, leads you into more temptation, and the entire process begins all over again! Wire mazes, strobes, unnerving sounds, more fog, and claustrophobic passages confuse and disorient the bravest of souls, while intimidating chainsaws, sparks, a spinning vortex, spongy floors, and a multitude of other surprises overwhelm your emotions, as you desperately seek to uncover that lone beaten path that allows you to escape Satan's abomination, and The Lewisburg Haunted Cave!
Analysis:
LENGTH - 10, 55 minutes, and easily more depending on the amount of time required to complete the various entrapments.
ACTORS - 9, Energetic performances throughout. Dialogue was good, although somewhat better last season, and there were some undersized actors. Dimension of touch makes the experience that much more realistic. Actually being contacted by some of the characters totally destroys one's already frail sense of stability. Gravediggers are a most intimidating sight, and Devil is still by far the best. Body part salesman has been appropriately eliminated, although Doll “dealer” is a similar type character, and body bag fiend was stronger a season ago promising to place a member of the group inside one of the “deathtraps” as opposed to this year’s challenge to play chicken. Increased aggressiveness and more threatening interactions could raise the score even higher. Ghoul whose hand was ablaze with fire last year was a sight sorely missed.
SCARINESS - 9.5?, Quite an intense atmosphere in a legitimately spooky environment. New additions have raised the fear value. Bewildering strobes; loud, frightening music, sounds, and screams; agitated creatures, endless entrapments, and subtle touching, combine to assault all your senses.
DESIGN – 9.5?, Dark, and genuinely scary. Length is unmatched and increased queue line décor and activities are a clever addition. Devil Maze that repeatedly results in multiple ungodly encounters with Satan himself is arguably the best climax in the business! Claustrophobic hallway is a most appropriate addition to that area, and one of the most seemingly impassable versions we’ve seen! Christmas scene is uneventful and seems misplaced, as does the dollhouse surprise, which disrupts the flow of other more frightening encounters with its sudden randomness, and violates the attraction’s scary theme. New swamp scene is outstanding, but mimics the original at Industrial Nightmare, and comes to an abrupt, interrupted end when a monster halts progression prior to what appears to be completion, then leads you in another direction.
PROPS - 9.5?, Swamp scene and claustrophobic passages are welcomed additions! Cemeteries are magnificent with a nice compliment of animated surprises. Use of fire is most effective, and realistically impressive.
VALUE - 10, Quite possibly the most “bang for the buck” in the business with no price increase from a year ago. Costing only $9 with their website coupon, that investment treats visitors to one of the region's best attractions, and an hours worth of terror!
RATING: 9.5?, Another amazing effort! Over the course of the last few years, the Cave has become one of the best, most unique haunted attractions in the State of Ohio, and a definite contender for HAUNT OF THE YEAR honors! If you plan to visit only a handful of haunts this season, or haven't been there in awhile, do yourself a favor and schedule a visit to The Haunted Cave! Getting in is easy, getting out may KILL you!

Reviewed 10/6/08

2007 REVIEWS

THE HAUNTED CAVE:  A pair of cemetery plots rest quietly alongside the decent down the steep hill towards the entrance to Lewisburg's Haunted Cave.  Buried a hundred feet beneath the ground in an abandoned old limestone mine lies one of the most frightening haunts on the face of the Earth!  A Gatekeeper guards the entrance to the intimidating subterranean, while an astounding Mortician politely offers his services just in case some members of your group don't survive the experience!  While waiting to enter, an apparent electrical malfunction briefly interrupts power to the lights, until a maintenance technician equipped with a fire extinguisher comes to the rescue!  Navigating a wooden bridge-like walkway leads deep into the darkened cavern, where lightning flashes, thunder clasps, and sudden surprises emerge from the surrounding waters.  Hidden ghouls reach out and gently touch and grab at you as the intimidating journey forces you to fight your way through brush that's overgrown the walkway.  Mystifying fog, and flames highlight a visit to a spooky old graveyard, where coffins deliver more surprises, spooks reach down grasping at you from above, a near collision with a hit and run driver is narrowly avoided, and illuminated jack-o-lanterns light the way.  Irate monsters, skeletons and flying ghosts haunt the eerie boneyard, where an undead soul is propelled forward out of an upright casket, and screams bloody murder as she's projected practically directly into your path!  Coffins mysteriously open and close on their own, gravediggers loudly slam down their shovels, gunshots ring out from a disgruntled Undertaker, upset that you're trespassing on his hallowed ground, and a victim runs past screaming in agony because his hands have been set on fire!!  Caged prisoners desperately plea for help, while a Jailer-like character attempts to bag and capture a member of your group, intending to incarcerate him with the other hostages.  Living walls are encountered through a darkened maze that yields to another of the fence-like variety.  A crazed loony repeatedly misdirects you into several fog-filled dead ends, until the one and only escape delivers you into the presence of The Devil himself, seated on an elevated throne amid powerful blasts of fire shooting up all around him!  The Demon King's voice amplifies and echoes throughout the cave, as The Prince of Darkness happily welcomes you to Hell, and introduces you to four possible paths of escape.   One leads to a successful getaway, providing you can locate an obscured route, while others return you back to Lucifer's abode, where the Fallen Archangel wickedly laughs and taunts at your predicament, and leads you into more temptation!  Wire mazes, strobes, unnerving sounds, and more fog confuse and disorient the bravest of souls, while intimidating chainsaws, a spinning vortex, and a multitude of surprises overwhelm your emotions, as you desperately seek to uncover that lone beaten path that allows you to escape Satan's abomination, and The Lewisburg Haunted Cave!

Analysis:
LENGTH - 10, 30 minutes, and possibly more depending on the amount of time required to complete the various entrapments.
ACTORS - 9+, Just a tremendous job by the entire cast.  Energetically loud screams, and interacting dialogue throughout.  Adding the dimension of touch makes the experience that much more realistic.  Actually being contacted by some of the characters totally destroys one's already frail sense of stability.  Increased aggressiveness in the right spots could raise the score even higher, although they'd have to be careful not to go overboard when nudging someone in order not to offend, or provoke a retaliatory response.  Devil is by far the best. 
SCARINESS - 9+, Quite an intense atmosphere in a legitimately spooky environment.  Bewildering strobes; loud, frightening music, sounds, and screams; agitated creatures, and subtle touching, combine to assault all your senses.
DESIGN - 9½, Lengthy, dark, and genuinely scary, except for one failed attempt at humor (selling body parts for $1.99/lb) that seems to be the downfall of more and more otherwise frightening attractions.  Queue line activities are a nice addition.  Particularly like the maze that repeatedly results in multiple confrontations with possibly the best climax in the business - that ungodly encounter with Satan The Devil. 
PROPS - 9, Cemeteries are magnificent with a nice compliment of animatronics.  Use of fire is most effective, and realistically impressive.
VALUE - 9+, A $1 price increase from a year ago, raises the cost of admission to $9 with their website coupon.  For that investment, you're treated to 
RATING:  9, The Cave has become one of the best, most unique haunted attractions in the State of Ohio!  Introduction of some of this year's most impressive technoligocal advances (shock walls, claustrophobia) could possibly solidify Lewisburg's Cave as our HAUNT OF THE YEAR!  If you plan on visiting only a handful of haunts this season, or haven't been there in a few years, don't miss The Haunted Cave! 

Getting in is easy, getting out may KILL you!

Reviewed 10/13/07

2006 REVIEWS

THE HAUNTED CAVE AT LEWISBURG:  A hundred feet beneath the ground, in an abandoned limestone mine lies one of the creepiest haunts around.  An old wooden bridge-like walkway leads you deep into the cave where a sudden surprise emerges from the surrounding waters.  Coffins, flames, sparks, gunshots, and a loud revving engine, are just some of the unnerving elements that play on your senses during your visit to this underground cavern.  One member of the group must participate in a creepy ceremony - placing flowers on an unmarked grave, that terminates with another surprise. The tour guide meets an unexpected fate, leading up to an awesome encounter with The Devil that offers several potential escape routes.  One leads to a successful getaway, but others dump you right back into Satan's abode, and he sits there glaring at you, and wickedly laughing at your inability to free yourself from his presence!  Wire mazes, fog, and strobes confuse and intimidate the bravest of souls, who must endure a spinning vortex, multiple chainsaws, and a few other surprises that might overrun their emotions while desperately seeking the only way out of The Haunted Cave.

Analysis:
LENGTH - 10, 30 min. 
ACTORS - 9, A lot of interaction from a variety of  irate, demanding beings.  Devil is by far the best.
SCARINESS - 9, A welcome return to spookiness.  Could benefit from additional mood setting background music to supplement the attraction, but quite intimidating as it is.
DESIGN - 91⁄2, Genuinely scary.  Particularly like the maze that repeatedly brings you back in front of Lucifer himself! 
PROPS - 9, Tons of decor, but timing is off on some of the animatronics, possibly due to group size being too large. 
VALUE - 9, No price increase for this refreshingly revamped attraction.
Final Score:  9, The most improved haunt of 2006.  Make the drive to Lewisburg and experience The Haunted Cave.

reviewed 10/7/06

If you're wanting a truly unique experience that you can bring the whole family to than the Haunted Cave At Lewisburg is your ticket to fear. Bring the family. Bring your friends. Bring someone with a fear of the dark.

The Haunted Cave at Lewisburg opens with a blood curdling scream!Wednesday, October 04, 2006The 2006 season of the Haunted Cave at Lewisburg opened Friday night with a blood curdling scream!In its 33rd haunting season the Haunted Cave staff has completely recreated the production to take the level of terror to new heights. The cave is 100 feet beneath Lewisburg, Ohio, in a long-abandoned mine, making it Ohio's only underground Halloween attraction. The cave has acres of endless caverns, lakes of bottomless dark water and it is home to over 30,000 bats. The Haunted Cave is Ohio's longest, darkest and creepiest Halloween attraction.The local groups involved in this years scare are the Northmont Science Olympiad team, Northmont Junior ROTC, Boy Scout troop 246, Northmont INTERACT and the civil air patrol cadets from New Lebanon. Many of these groups have been working franticly since June of this year to rethink, redesign and rebuild the haunted cave production to be one of the "best haunts" ever!Traditional favorites can still be found in the attraction; however, the visitors may not find them where they once did.Enhancements this year are like none other. There are longer trails, more startles, and so many terrifying surprises. Jim Witter's, who is the mechanical and electronics specialist, has pulled out all kinds of new tricks this year. His efforts and the efforts of so many others have been creating new scenes, lighting, animatronics, and props that all come together in what will be a very memorable haunting season.Two new major additions, which are a real departure from years past, include "The Cage" and "Satan's Altar." The guests that found their way out of the cave were seen leaving crying, laughing and holding on to each other tightly."Our crowds this weekend were fantastic", commented Mark Schaefer, who just celebrated his 50th birthday. "We had great attendance for opening weekend. The word must be out that this years cave is really something new and special!"If you like to be scared, really scared, the haunted cave staff welcomes you to attend this year's production. Performances will run every Friday and Saturday night from 7 p.m. to midnight, now through October.For more information and directions please go to the web site: www.hauntedcaveatlewisburg.com or call at (937)-962-5602. Discounts can be found on the web site, on local Domino's pizza boxes, and at other local supporting retailers. 
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From Jason in Lima, OH "I wrote to you earlier this year about our experiences last year. Well, I would like to say that this year was awesome! The Cave was great to say the least".