USS Nightmare – 2015 Review

Overall Score – 4.8/5

(all ratings scored out of 5)

Curb Appeal – 4.8/5
Scare Factor – 4.8/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 4.8/5
Creativity – 4.6/5

Donna (The Frightmaster) – The USS Nightmare has always been a force to reckon with on the tri-state haunt scene.  For the past 25 years the boat has been terrorizing young and old people and all in between with it’s sinister “Captain” and dark, creepy halls.     It has been a scary experience that left you with nightmares and a fear of cruise ships for years.  It was good in the past but this year it has changed….

First of all – expectations are high for this haunt.  Knowing that going in it is a very long and a very creepy, dark haunt.  This year all of those expectations were blown away!  The boat actually has changed – yes, changed to the point that I was blown away by the “”new boat””.  The trip into darkness starts off innocently enough with a short history of the William S Mitchell boat and then…..a big surprise!  Many of the animatronics that I have seen in the past are gone – replaced by more sinister characters.  The halls and rooms are changed and noticeably darker allowing the suspense to build between scenes.  The actors are top of the line, convincing, scary, funny at times but very good and stayed in character throughout the haunt.
The make-up is extraordinary and done Hollywood style by a former “Face-Off” contestant named Gabby.  New rooms have been added and the walk through time extended about 10 min from last year’s haunt to an unprecedented 30 min to make it through.  The whole boat seems to have undergone a make-over from last year transforming it into an even darker, truly evil place haunted by the spirits of the dead captain and crew members of the dredging vessel William S. Mitchell.
This year after walking through the boat, I was truly convinced that I had barely survived a haunted ship and was lucky to get out!

Overall – best year yet for the USS Nightmare!!!!  Love, love, loved it!!!!

Todd – The USS Nightmare is always a good haunt. It’s surely unique, being on a boat and all, and this is utilized in every way.

The most surprising thing about this haunt is how long it is. Mind you, the boat isn’t small – but the length of this haunt easily feels twice as long as you would expect looking at it from the outside.

USS Nightmare excels in detail. Many areas are small and confined but that doesn’t stop them from supporting the theme in every way. This year I purposely took my time to observe the surroundings and there’s a LOT going on. So much so that the line between prop and authenticity is blurred at times.

The actors are top notch. They never broke character – even when making one last run to the bathroom before the doors opened.

We were treated to an extensive conversations afterwards with the head of their makeup and effects as well as other staff. Without going into detail, I will simply say that a lot of talent is on their team and it’s very evident that much time and passion is put into this iconic haunt.

This one is not to be missed and from what it sounds like, attending on one of the extreme weekends may just be worth a second trip.

Gus – USS Nightmare is such a unique haunted experience. Formerly an old dredging vessel, it now lurks under a bridge, waiting. While it may not look very large from the outside, be assured that it chock to the brim with horrors of all different types. The actors well made up and are highly engaging, which is nicely interspersed with incredible scene design. Just when you’ve forgotten you’re on a boat, you take a stroll over the scaffolding with the Ohio river rushing underneath. One piece of advice: Be nice to the Captain or he’ll feed you to the beast!

Gayle – Without a doubt my favorite haunt in Cincinnati!

There was so much about this haunt I loved:  from the fact it’s the only floating haunt, it’s creepy and eerie, with a LONG maze of terrors inside.  I was both scared, startled AND entertained…all at the same time.  I haven’t seen anywhere the level of detail and artwork in any other haunt.  The actors are extremely passionate and will both scare you…and make you laugh.  Love this.  Their costumes and makeup are top-notch…considering they have a contestant from season 7 of Face/Off working here.  The props are so well done and I’ve not quite seen so much enthusiasm from such a large group.  There was much about this haunt that is new as well…and I loved every single area.  The areas that are filled with screams to the eerily quiet areas where the visitor is walking, step by step anticipating something spooky to happen, to the dimly lit, foggy areas filled with body bags…all fantastically done.  I loved the balcony overlook, loved the Captain, the creepy, kooky dentist, the tight spaces, the areas where there are twists and turns and general misdirection…and so many well-made decorations!  WOW!!  This is well worth the trip…perhaps more than once to get glimpses of what may have been missed.  Super scary, super fun…and definitely my favorite!!  Great work crew!!!

Bill – I can’t say enough good things about this haunt. This was my first time here, and I was completely amazed. The fact that the haunt was built on a boat was awesome, and they carried the story to only be about the boat. The makeup and props were world class and could easily be part of a movie production. The scares were great… you had build up and without constant “kids jumping out and screaming in your face”. The actors never broke character, making the experience a personal one. I was engaged from entering until the end. You can tell that everyone that works there loves what they do. This is by far my favorite Haunt of the year, and I can’t wait to go again.