LOUDONVILLE – What was once a Girl Scout camp in Loudonville is being transformed into something scarier this fall.
Mansfield native Keith Bartram and his family are transforming a former Girl Scout lodge and cabins near Landoll’s Mohican Castle into a haunted attraction called Camp Deadwood, which will be open weekends from Friday, Oct. 6 to Saturday Nov. 4 with extended hours over Halloween.
Keith’s father Coby Bartram, who also owns Mansfield-based America’s Best Siding and Bartram Auto Sales, purchased the property at an auction in July. At that time, the mostly-wooded, 282-acre piece of land was sold in ten parcels to seven bidders for a sum of about $1.7 million at an auction.
Coby Bartram purchased parcel number five, which featured the former owner’s cabin, the former Girl Scout Camp’s lodge, several cabins and a swimming pool on just under 50 acres of land.
“It’s a diamond in the rough, but we’re looking to breathe fresh life into the property” Coby’s son, Keith Bartram said.
The cabins and the lodge need renovated and there’s a tree growing in the pool, but the family intends to clean up the space. Eventually, they hope to offer cabin rentals and space that could be used for retreats or as a wedding venue.
“If we could have got more acres we would’ve started a hunting facility,” Bartram said.
But they found out about the auction only a day before it happened and couldn’t come up with a plan to immediately purchase more of the parcels.
“And when we saw it, we thought it would be a neat place to hold a wedding,” he said. “But I think we would like it to be … more like a conference center … I think it’d be a beautiful place for a wedding, but we don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves.”
Further, he explained, that he’s already had groups express interest in holding monthly retreats at the property.
But before they jump into renovations, the Bartrams decided to take advantage of the camp’s creepiness.
“It doesn’t need much work to make it look creepy,” Keith Bartram said.
The attraction, which the Bartrams are calling “Camp Deadwood,” will open in early October. It will be open Friday and Saturday nights from Friday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Nov. 4. Plus, it will be open Thursday, Oct. 26 to Tuesday, Oct. 31 to accommodate more people near Halloween.
Visitors can arrive at the gate, 3042 County Road 3175 in Loudonville, beginning at 6 p.m., where they’ll be asked to give a group name and phone number.
Then, they can head down the road to the River Run Family Campground, 3070 County Road 3175, where parking is available and food trucks, carnival games and other festivities will be set up for people as they wait their turn.
Guests will be texted when it’s their turn and be transported by bus to the former Girl Scout Camp, or as Keith Bartram describes it, “the middle of nowhere,” where an hour-long series of scenes will be set up throughout about an acre of the property, which features the camp’s lodge. The first group leaves at dusk.
General Admission will cost $20 at the gate and a fast-pass can be purchased for $30, but discounted tickets are available online. This price does not include the carnival food or activities.
For additional information, visit campdeadwood.com or call 419-651-5531.
