Category: Yard Displays

Land of the Giants in Ankeny

A week or so ago, I was asked if I’d heard of Land of the Giants in Ankeny. I had not, but over the following week I started seeing it pop up all over social media. Here is their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/landofthegiantsankenyia

They are doing a better job at generating online buzz for their front yard than many haunted houses do 😉

Land of the Giants is a huge corner yard full of those giant Halloween props like you find at Home Depot and Lowes. And by “full of” I mean FULL of. Here are a few images:

Land of the Giants – Ankeny, IA
Land of the Giants – Ankeny, IA
Land of the Giants – Ankeny, IA
Land of the Giants – Ankeny, IA

Every neighborhood needs a house like this 😉 though I don’t think the Karens will appreciate it.

Video

I also have two different videos about it. This one was shared with this DMHauntedHouses audience:

…and this version (different footage) was shared on my Doing Des Moines project:

If you are in the area, drive by 4908 NW 7th St. and check it out. And while you are there, neighbors across the corner had a lemonade stand set up 😉 And that one takes Cash App and Venmo.

Until next time…

Return to Hogwarts yard display

Wow, for the final year of the Pirate-Potter House display, they went all out. If you get a chance, drive by here and walk through their recreation of Dragon Alley (in their garage), or through the “greenhouse” (I had those screaming Mandrake plants) then out back into the Forbidden Forest where you might spot the Three Broomsticks. They have amazing attention to detail!

When you approach, you see Harry Potter’s home on Privet Drive 😉

Harry Potter House (2026) – Privet Drive

There is also a Quidditch game going on.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Quidditch

Over at the garage, they have recreated Diagon Alley.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Diagon Alley

You even run into Dumbledore in his office.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Dumbledore

Around the side of the house is the greenhouse, home of those screaming Mandrake plants. You can even pull one out of its planter 😉 and make it scream at you.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Greenhouse

Heading behind the house leads you past Hagrid’s hut.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Hagrid

And that gets you to the Forbidden Forest.

Harry Potter House (2026) – Forbidden Forest

Above, see that little black box on the gate? Throughout the display they have audio that triggers when you are near certain scenes. It is very nicely done.

2026 will be the final year for this cool display.

There is so much more to this place, but this sample should show you what it is all about. I haven’t seen anything like is anywhere else in town. If you know of anything similar, leave a comment, please. We’d love to check it out.

Final year for Pirate-Potter House

Thanks to a post on Facebook from Des Moines Parent, we learned that this will be the last year for the elaborate Pirate-Potter House display. If you are unfamiliar, this place is a work of art featuring many hand-made props and decorations. They change themes from year to year, but are back with a Harry Potter theme for 2026.

2026 will be the final year for this cool display.

To give you an idea of how elaborate it is, here is nt video interview I did with them in 2023:

Be sure to drive by and check it out!

Harry Potter meets PirateS?

The Harry Potter House is back for 2022. Located at 3720 Brook Ridge Ct in Des Moines, this house gets quite the themed overlay this time of year. Drive by and check out the large-size Hogwarts Express train poking out from the building, and see skeleton versions of your favorite Harry Potter characters in the yard. It’s quite the display!

News coverage:

https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-des-moines-pirate-potter-house-is-a-free-haunted-house-for-all-ages/41521562#

Home Haunts/Yard Displays wanted.

Do you have a cool Halloween yard display or home haunt you’d like folks to know about? Submit it and we will add it to the directory. Please include any special notes (like nights it will be operating, parking restrictions in the neighborhood, etc.). Let’s see if we can at least have cool Halloween things to drive by and look at if we don’t have as many haunts go actually go in to this year.