The Land of Illusion
- When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31. Sunday hours start in October.
- Where: 8762 Thomas Road, Madison Twp.
- Cost: $29.95 general admission, $24.95 on Sundays. "Fast Pass" option $34.95. Parking $3.
- Info: call (513) 423-9960.
MADISON TWP. — Even though it hasn’t rained much lately, a new swamp has sprung up — at the Land of Illusion outside of Middletown.
The Halloween theme park, originally known for its haunted trail, opened for its 13th season on Friday, Sept. 10, with a new attraction: the Voodoo Bayou Shanty.
The shanty is an 8- to 10-minute walk-through of a dilapidated dwelling supposedly afflicted by an ancestral curse. If that sounds familiar to Hamilton-area residents, that’s because it’s the exact same attraction as last year’s Jackson Road Haunt, which didn’t get much notice in its debut. L.J. Parsley of Somerville, who originated the bayou with Dudley Halcomb of Hamilton, said, “If you can’t beat the big guys, join them.”
Parsley said “the numbers just weren’t there” last year, adding that “the cost of doing business was just phenomenal.” So he figured it was best to hook up with a well-established haunt.
Still, the Land of Illusion, too, was caught in the mire of the economy. Derron Oakley, one of the managers of the Land of Illusion, didn’t have attendance figures available but said, “Everybody was tightening down. No one was spending money. All we can hope for is a good year.”
Oakley thinks the new attraction will help, as well as the new price structure. Instead of charges for individual haunts at the site, there is now one price, $29.95, that includes admission to everything.
Another new addition is Club Zombie. This is not a haunt, but a dance club, with a DJ and a light show. Music videos are projected onto a screen, with a subwoofer pounding away.
Club Zombie and the Bayou join the Temple of Terror, Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate, 3-D Killer Klowns and the original Haunted Trail.
Meagan Powell, a repeat visitor from Middletown, said, “They’re very creative here. They’re always adding stuff. This one’s just different. They’ve got a lot more options.”
Ryan Tobin of Springboro came back because “It scares the crap out of me and I love scaring people.”
The Land of Illusion will remain open through Oct. 31.
About the Author