Category: Haunt News

Future Nightmares & White Rabbit VR added to the calendar

Future Nightmares asked to be added to the calendar. I originally didn’t plan to have them, or White Rabbit VR, anywhere but the index since they are not traditional haunted houses and that’s what this site is about. What do you consider them? Please leave a comment.

For now, they have both been added. Future Nightmares pointed out:

…the amount of pro haunted house props from Distortions Unlimited and Fright Props inside Future Nightmares are well above most average haunts in Des Moines…. that is why we are definitely a HAUNT… the only difference …. you don’t go through a dark maze… so we are 100% Handicap accessible… unlike most places in des moines everyone gets the same exact intense show !

We have a story and the audience participates in scenerios with tons of high end Haunted house FX and animatronics around them THE WHOLE TIME… 

But I guess if walking a maze is what qualifies as a “Haunt” for this… 

then yea I guess not ….

Future Nightmares

Works for me 🙂 What say you?

VR haunted house!

The White Rabbit Virtual Reality Arcade in Merle Hay Mall is offering four different virtual reality haunted house experiences this year. Each one can take up to an hour to get through, and can be done solo (just you) or with up to four people. The experience is described as a haunted house escape room.

I have added them to the index and plan to check it out very soon.

I did my first VR experience in the early 1990s (Dactyl Nightmare from Virtuality) and have been a fan ever since. The VR explosion in the 90s did not last, but it seems back better than ever these days.

More to come…

VR haunted house at Merle Hay Mall

Merle Hay Mall just shared on Facebook that the White Rabbit VR Arcade has four virtual haunted houses available. Up to four guests can go through them (virtually) at a time, and the experience can take up to an hour.

I am very intrigued with this, since I first experienced VR in the early 1990s playing Dactyl Nightmare at a Dave & Busters in Dallas, Texas. More recently, I played some scary programs on a $300 Oculus Quest standalone VR helmet and the quality just blew me away.

I have reached out to White Rabbit VR to learn more. If it turns out it is a good fit for listing on this site, I will get them added.

Zombie Hollow in WInterset

Zombie Hollow was the most amazing walk through Halloween display around during its years in Urbandale, Iowa. A few years ago, the creator moved to Winterset.

For 2023, Zombie Hollow is now a commercial haunt experience in Winterset. They have been added to the index, the map and calendar.

Due to limited parking, you must by a timed ticket in advance. Find out more about this must-see Halloween experience here:

Zombie Hollow

The Mare Witch Project returns…

The Carlisle Haunted Woods is back this year, and even has a website. Last year, I could find nothing about this except a photo of a flyer someone sent to me. This year, I can point people to an official website.

It is running A LOT of nights – 14! That gets it right up there with some of the other well-established haunts in the area.

There is also a one-night Carlisle “Haunted Trail” event as part of a city festival, but that is a different thing.

Get details here:

Carlisle Haunted Woods

Club Blood is back (but not at Sleepy Hollow)

Fan-favorite Club Blood is back again, at least in name. The previous Club Blood was an all-ages “silent disco” attraction at Sleepy Hollow Sports park. It was decorated with hand-painted floor-to-ceiling banners of classic horror movie icons in different poses. (The wonderful work of their staff artist and set decorator, Tina.)

This year, Des Moines gets Club Blood again, but it will be an bar at Adventureland’s Phantom Fall Feast. Those of you who know area haunt history may recall that a former general manager of Sleepy Hollow went to for work Adventureland, but it is unlikely this had anything to do with them using the name (he left just before the park was sold to Palace Entertainment a few years ago). The naming of Club Blood is likely just a coincidence (Kansas City’s Worlds of Fun also featured a Club Blood scene in its vampire haunted house, if I recall).

But who knows. Sleepy Hollow always used the phrase “All night fright” in its TV ads (I made many of those TV ads over the years), and last year Adventureland started using “Fright all night.” After Club Blood this year, maybe we’ll see the amusement park add Blazing Jack-o-Lanterns or something next year 😉