Dent Schoolhouse leaves students screaming

Meghan DiGiovanna

Dent Schoolhouse features multiple floors with new and improved scary moments every year. “Walking down the stairs was so creepy” Reddy said. The whole attraction takes 30-35 minutes making it one of the longest in Ohio due to its many doors and the school’s large size.

Meghan DiGiovanna

The Dent Schoolhouse is known as one of the most frightening haunted houses in America and thrill seekers will be happy to know it is located in Ohio.

The haunt is based off the story of the Dent schoolhouses janitor, Charlie, in 1942. The story goes that students who attended the Dent Schoolhouse mysteriously began to disappear, it was suspected that they had run away.

Students began to complain of a bad smell coming from the school’s basement, which when asked, Charlie said was clogged pipes. Soon students began to suspect Charlie of having something to do with the disappearances.

Eventually police found the schools basement to hold the remains of the students Charlie had murdered. The victim student’s “spirits” are rumored to linger in the basement of the Dent schoolhouse to this day.

“I think the scariest part was walking into the basement because of the backstory of the place. It was the basement where [Charlie] kept the dead children,” freshman Emily Reddy said of her experience at the Dent Schoolhouse.

The Dent Schoolhouse has been reviewed by USA Today, HGTV, ABC News, Huffington Post and more as one of the scariest, top and must see haunts in America.

“It felt like my heart was beating fast the next day because it was so scary,” Reddy said.

Actors featured in the attraction portray the roles of Charlie, the students and other characters from the school’s backstory and wear professional grade make-up.

“it was scary walking in because to get to the doors, you walk through the playground and there was someone swinging on the swing set and then they followed you inside,” Reddy said.

The attraction features actors following and popping out at those who chose to enter the school. While the experience is known to be intense, actors can not touch or harm anyone and police are always on duty.

“Lots of things pop out at you… I was so young [when I went] and it was so scary,” Reddy said.

The Dent Schoolhouse is open certain nights Sept.-Oct. and this year two days will be added in Nov. featuring special “lights out tours” where people can experience the attraction in complete darkness.

To learn more about the Dent Schoolhouse, purchase tickets and see the attractions full hours go to their website.