Haunted House Highlights: Nightmare in the Wilderness

The woods are a common setting in horror movies. As nighttime falls and fog rolls in, you never know what may be lurking around the trees up ahead. A haunted house in Lodi has utilized the eerie setting of the woods and combined it with a local urban legend to create Nightmare in the Wilderness.


As the legend goes, about 150 years ago the Smith family once lived in an old farm house situated on an apple orchard near Medina. A stranger appeared in town one day and was drawn to the Smith house. The next morning, the family, and the stranger, were all found dead. The family and the stranger were buried in a forest just past the apple orchard. Although the Smith house has since been torn down, till this day apparitions can be seen roaming the forest and forsaken orchard.

After being told this ghostly story, visitors at Nightmare in the Wilderness are taken on a 1/2 mile hayride out into the haunted forest and left to fend for themselves. More than 80 beasts, clowns, monsters and surprises await along the Psycho Path. If you survive the trail, a wagon will take you back to the Apple Cabin for some much needed refreshments and treats.

The haunt has been in business since 1993. Many of the dedicated actors have been working at the haunted house for more than seven years, allowing them to perfect their costumes, makeup and scares!

Tickets cost $17 for adults and $12 for children. Children ages 5 and under are free. The haunt accepts cash only! Nightmare in the Wilderness is open Fridays and Saturdays through Halloween.

Nightmare in the Wilderness hours:
Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 p.m.-midnight

Nightmare in the Wilderness is at 7665 Lafayette Road in Lodi.

For more information, visit Nightmare in the Wilderness.

Halloween is right around the corner, which means haunted houses are popping up all over the city. Over the next couple weeks, I'll be highlighting some of the creepiest, ghoulish and most sinister haunted houses Northeast Ohio has to offer.