Are spook houses still a thing?

When I was young, the term “Spook House” was quite common. The Wikipedia even has an entry for “Spook House” but it just redirects to the entry for “Haunted House.”

The term “spook” has many meanings. I hear it used often when referring to a “spy”. Unfortunately, it also is a racial slur. I had assumed that it was because of this slur that the term “spook house” had gone away. Yet, all over the internet the past few years I see references to “spooky season.” If the word is bad, it apparently becomes fine if we add a “y” to the end. (The same cannot be said for “gypsy.” Some consider that to be a slur as well, including using the term “gyp.” In that case, either form is considered wrong.)

Have you ever seen a “spook house?” If so, where and when? Please leave a comment.

Houses versus Attractions

The best way to make sure potential customers can find you is to have an easy to remember name. If they don’t know your name yet, having a descriptive name helps greatly. Thus, if you have a haunted house called “The Gates of Hell,” anyone searching for a good “haunted house” will only find you if you use that term somewhere on your site/pages.

Having a name that includes the word “haunted” certainly helps — folks looking for a “haunted house” might be shown places called “haunted woods,” “haunted trail,” “haunted forest” or “haunted car wash.”

So I ask … would anyone these days search for a “spook house?” Perhaps that is why everything (at least around here) has consolidated to be “haunted.”

And this also might be why The Slaughterhouse lists a longer name when you see it online: The Slaughterhouse haunted attraction. Ever try searching for “slaughterhouse iowa?” I have a news alert for that term, and about 95% of the results are for something happening at an actual animal slaughterhouse around here 😉

And that makes me wonder: Does anyone search for “haunted attraction?” In all my years running this site, I don’t know if I have ever seen that show up in a search term that led someone to my site.

Disney theme parks were famous for saying “we don’t have rides, we have attractions.” I think that makes them sound fancier, and maybe that’s why so many new haunted houses do it. Slaughterhouse certainly is fancier than any other haunted house around here.

But if I hear of a “haunted car wash attraction,” we might need to have a discussion…

Until next time…

From Slaughterhouse to Haunted Barn to Tormented Souls to …?

The Slaughterhouse first opened as Big Al’s Slaughterhouse in 2010. It operated at at least three different locations before closing in 2013. Some of the remains of Slaughterhouse were purchased by the Ankney Haunted Barn. The “bone hallway” was one of the most visible things brought over.

In 2015, The Haunted Barn closed down as well, and I don’t know what happened to most of its props and supplies. When the Barn came back a few years later (2019?), only a few things seemed to remain from the previous version.

After closing again in 2021, the Haunted Barn inventory was sold off. Tormented Souls Haunt and Scream Park ended up with some of it.

There are now items at Tormented Souls that have existed at three different Des Moines haunted houses. (Actually, four, if you count the Haunted F/X home haunt.)

And with the closing of Tormented Souls in 2024, their inventory is for sale. Perhaps some of these items may go on to be in a fourth (or fifth) haunted house.

To be continued…

Service fees are scary

“If you don’t like it, don’t go.” This post is about one of the main reasons I don’t go to as many haunted houses as I used to. It will also address one of the main complaints I hear about the pricing I list on my site.

It wasn’t too long ago that haunted houses were in the $10-$15 price range – and that had tax included. All costs have gone up, so paying $25-$35 for a haunt doesn’t surprise me. What does surprise me is how much service fees can be.

Last year, I bought two tickets and the added taxes and fees was an extra $8.88. That was almost 15% on top of the advertised ticket price.

All of us understand “plus tax” since that since we have dealt with that our entire lives. But, all the haunts here used to just round the price up to include tax. That made sense when you were taking cash and didn’t want to have to deal with coins for change.

But today we live in a world dominated by credit cards and online sales. Online businesses save payroll for register clerks and can offer us lower prices. We have seen the downfall of many “brick and mortar” stores as the cheaper alternative – buying online with a credit card – gained popularity.

Yet, because of the extra fees to purchase online tickets, haunted houses are more expensive to buy online than buying at the “storefront.” Why do these ticket systems charge so much? Do any other types of online stores stick you with an extra fee just to buy stuff from them?

When we visited Linn’s Haunted House last year, we watched a family with kids (and their friends) drop $175 ($25 per person) to go thru. The cost is what it is. But, had there been taxes and service fees on top of that, they could have spent an additional $26.25 – more than the cost of a ticket! The fees would me like “buy seven, pay for eight” 😉

Every haunt can set their prices so what you pay is what they advertise, but they don’t. The closest we get to that is Zombie Hollow. They say they are a $20 haunt, but when you go to buy a ticket online, it is $18. After the taxes and service fees, the price $20.74. We’ll call them $20-ish. They certainly are one of the most honest of the bunch when it comes to telling folks how much it costs to go through their attraction.

“It seems like only yesterday” we had the very first local haunt to move to an online ticket system with fees. At the time, I listed the price as they posted it. I soon heard from numerous folks correcting me saying it was closer to $5 more. My site, they said, was not showing real prices.

With this in mind, I want to add a new price categories so there will be a Gate Price (if offered, which may or may not already include tax) and an Online Price (which will include taxes and service fees). This should make budgeting your Halloween excursions a bit easier.

For 2024, here are some references for pricing this upcoming Friday night:

  • Zombie Hollow – $18, but $20.74 after taxes and fees. ($2.74 extra).
  • Slaughterhouse – $35, but $40.22 after taxes and fees ($5.22 extra).
  • Sleepy Hollow Sports Park – $30, but $35.10 after taxes and fees ($5.10 extra).
  • Barnum Circus of Freaks – $25, and when I went to check out, it still said $25. Are there no fees at Barnum??? (There is an optional “Purchase Protection” of $2.13, but that’s something different.)

Just be aware that that advertised prices are not what you pay. While you may expect to pay sales tax, you may not expect to be hit with a few bucks more just for the privilege of buying a ticket 😉

And, to those of you who contact me about my “wrong prices,” I get it, and I’ll work on updating the site.

Until then…

Happy “Halfway to Halloween”

With Disney doing a “halfway to Halloween” event in 2022 (they started theirs’s about April 17th), it looks like this could become a thing similar to “Christmas in July.”

“Halfway to Halloween” is generally thought to fall around April 30th1. It’s 6 months from last October 31st and 6 more months until the next October1. However, the exact date can vary. For instance, in 2023, Disney celebrated “Halfway to Halloween” starting from April 17th23, and a show named “Halfway to Halloween” was released on April 25th4. So, it seems the celebration can span over a period of time in April.

Bing.com

I am typing this on October 30th, 2023, with the prediction that someone will be doing some kind of Halloween themed event around this time. Let’s see what happens…

Ames Haunted Forest Renaissance Faire?

11/20/2023 Update: Their website has been updated to have more info on the first page.

Coming to the haunted forest in 2024 will be a different type of walk thru the woods.. the new Ames Renaissance Faire. As of today, November 19, 2023, not much is on their official website – in fact, the main page doesn’t even give the date (never a good sign of being organized), but some clicking around reveals the weekend of April 13-14, 2024 will be the date.

There will probably not be any chainsaws…

Peak haunt has been achieved

Today is the day. The Friday before Halloween begins the weekend with the most haunted attractions operating. Lines at the popular haunts are expected to be the highest all month. With places like Sleepy Hollow Sports Park selling out many nights earlier in the month, it should be no shock if they sell out during this weekend too.

Slaughterhouse, established in 2010, is the haunt that put Des Moines on the national haunted house scene.

DMHH Tips

  1. If this is your weekend to go, spend the extra money and buy tickets online — especially if the haunt offers a timed ticketing system. For more traditional haunts, such as Linn’s Haunted House and the relatively new Haunted Woods in Carlisle, buying tickets at the entrance may be your only option, so show up right at opening to avoid expected long lines.
  2. Some haunts offer VIP passes that let you skip straight to the front of the line. If you only have one evening, consider spending the extra money to do this. It will cost more, but will enable you to do more than just stand in long lines all evening.
  3. Between a chance of rain and freezing temperatures, some outdoor haunts may reduce hours or not operate. Check their official website or Facebook page before heading out to make sure they are up and running.
  4. Remember that even some indoor haunts have outdoor lines (such as Linn’s). If you would rather not deal with the temperatures, consider visiting Merle Hay Mall to check out Future Nightmares (20 minute shows start the top of the hour) or try out a Virtual Reality Horror Escape Room at White Rabbit VR Arcade.
  5. And most of all … try to take a moment to appreciate the artistry and effort that goes in to these attractions. It is a high-risk business where they only get a few weekends to make it profitable. Bring your friends 🙂
Outdoor haunts like Haunted Woods in Carlisle may be impacted by weather. Check before heading out.

I expect to continue sharing news and haunt updates through Halloween. After that, I hope to bring news of other haunt happenings throughout the year, such as events at Slaughterhouse, Future Nightmares and any speciality events like this year’s “Haunted Tavern” that came through Des Moines.

Stay warm. Stay safe. And have fun!

Halloween silent disco

For those that remember Club Blood‘s silent disco at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park…

Club Blood at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park.

…there is a new silent disco in town just in time for Halloween weekend.

Iowa Silent Disco will be taking place this Saturday, October 28th, in Merle Hay Mall from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. They will be using the big space of White Rabbit VR Arcade to host this $10 event.

Their Facebook page is promoting “2 for 1 admission” if you show up before 10 p.m.

This is an all ages event, but there is a plan to have a full bar with alcohol for those 21 and older. The drinks will be served by FLIX Brewhouse.

Define “scary”. I’ll wait.

2023 marks the 14th year I have had the DMHauntedHouses.com website. In the years I spent interviewing folks at different area haunted houses, there was one important thing I learned:

“The other haunted house sucks!”

Basically everyone at a different haunted house.

Folks do not tend to go to haunted houses they dislike, and since most folks do not go to multiple haunts, you tend to run in to folks who dislike the haunts they are not choosing to go to. If you are at Haunted House A, you will find plenty of people there who think Haunted House B sucks. If you are at Haunted House B, you find plenty of people who think Haunted House A sucks.

Like music, sports, politics and even what color shoes someone wears, personal opinions vary. Choice is good.

But that other haunt is actually scary…

When it comes to “scary,” one size does not fit all.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you visit the haunts this year:

  1. If you keep a snake or a spider as a pet, you probably don’t find anything remotely scary about a room with spiders or snakes in it.
  2. If you love the circus and enjoy the funny antics of circus clowns, you probably don’t find anything remotely scary about a circus room full of clowns.
  3. If you are not afraid of the dark, you probably don’t find anything remotely scary about being in a dark room.

Some folks freak out just from the music and the decorations. Others admire them.

Some folks are terrified of enclosed spaces and freak out in crawlways. Others aren’t phased by that in the least.

Phobias are real

The easiest way to scare someone is to exploit a phobia they already have, but if you make a room that is covered with the number “13” on all the walls, how many folks going through would have triskaidekaphobia and be terrified by that?

Instead, haunts focus on more popular phobias — fear of the dark, fear of enclosed spaces, fear of spiders, etc. These may be the only truly “scary” things you find in a haunt. If you have those phobias, of course.

But the main thing haunts tend to use is jump scares. We should define those as “jump startles” rather than “scares.” For example, if I jump out in a business suit and yell “Hi!” you might jump, but I doubt a businessperson in a suit saying “hi” would be considered “scary” to most of us.

So when the scene doesn’t actually scare you, that doesn’t mean that haunt sucks. It just means it does not contain the things that scare you. Every haunted house has folks who think it is lame. Every haunted house has folks who pee their pants when they go through it. Even the most “sucky” haunt you can think of 😉

Words matter

Scary is subjective. In your reviews and posts about the haunts, saying “they had nothing in it that scared me” is much better than “they sucked.” One person’s pet is another person’s nightmare.

And most haunt folks are artists, creating these things out of a passion. While there are some that are corporate and just want to make money, many of the folks they employee do have an artistic passion for their work. Even if that work is wearing makeup and banging on a wall while they scream at you.

And if it doesn’t scare you, perhaps you can at least admire the work and artistry that went in to the experience.

Have fun!