Last Updated: 10/25/2023
Per requests, here is a one-page breakdown of haunt ticket costs. These prices are meant to reflect the “full and normal” price you would pay if you just showed up. Some of these haunts have discounts for buying tickets in advance. Some require buying tickets in advance. Most with advance sales have extra service fees.
TODO:
- This list currently shows the base price but should be updated to describe any taxes, service fees, or parking fees that are required.
- Some haunts have discounted tickets for children.
- Some haunts offer more expensive line skip or VIP experiences.
2010-2022
I have started building a Google Spreadsheet with the front gate ticket prices I have going back to 2010. There are many omissions and likely many errors as well. If you can help fill in any gaps, I’d appreciate your help!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GU1E1xYPogxeVkJuOW11Iq8IVX1PcaQk2ZrfE-HX7Fc/edit?usp=sharing
2023 Advertised Prices
- $69.99 (plus $21 parking) – Adventureland (much less online)
- $30 – Sleepy Hollow
- $30-$25 – Slaughterhouse
- $25 – Ames Haunted Forest
- $25 – Barnum Circus of Freaks (new for 2023)
- $25 – Linn’s Haunted House
- $22 – Tormented Souls
- $20 – Haunted Woods (Carlisle)
- $18 – Zombie Hollow (Winterset, new for 2023)
- $15 – Future Nightmares (show, new for 2023)
- $15 – Haunted Cornfield
- $15 – Trail of Terror (Baxter)
- $10 – The Haunt 3.0 (Colfax home haunt)
Further away from Des Moines, the prices get lower, and include fundraiser haunts and such:
- $15 – Mayhem Haunted House (Ottumwa)
- $10 – Mysfit Farm’s Haunted Barn (Marshalltown)
- $5 – Bouton Haunted Church 😉
NOTE: This does not include any add-ons like VIP or line skip passes.
Pricing Breakdown
The most expensive ticket price goes to Adventureland for their $69.99 admission and $21 parking. You can generally find an online sale to bring the ticket price down ($39.99-$49.99 depending on the day, as of 10/17/2023). There are also fees ($4) and taxes which make the cheapest ticket for one person to go currently $69.27, plus parking. Certain levels of pass holders get in free, and can purchase low price “bring a friend” passes, so consider that since the park has been offering a chance to buy a discounted pass for next year, which includes Phantom Fall Fest for this year.
The second most expensive experience is Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, which is $30 online with a $2.50 service fee (plus tax). Taxes bring it to $34.60. As their billboards say, “one low price.” Even though it’s the second most expensive price in town, like Adventureland, it offers multiple haunted houses*.
* Without knowing how long each haunt is, it’s hard to tell what the “scare per minute” actually is at either of these two. Standing in line once for a $25 haunt that takes 20 minutes to go through might be a better value than paying $25 to stand in four times for four 5-minute haunted houses, for example.
The next price point appears to be $30 for peak nights of Slaughterhouse. Off peak nights are $25, matching the price of Ames Haunted Forest, Barnum Circus of Freaks and Linn’s Haunted House.
Haunted Woods in Carlisle checks in at $20 (cash only, so no online service fees).
Zombie Hollow offers an unusual $18 price, but the operator explains that is due to the required online ticket having a service fee ($1.13) plus tax, making the actual cost $20.47.
At $15 (lowered from their original $20 price), Future Nightmares in Merle Hay Mall offers a different type of experience. This is a sit down twenty minute show featuring haunted house special effects and scares. Being at the mall, there is plenty of parking and the experience is fully indoors, including the waiting area. They recently started selling tickets online so I will update this with their fees once I know them. There are also other things to do nearby, such as Combat Live Laser Tag (running a $5 special), and White Rabbit VR Arcade.
THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED when I have time to explore more about the “actual price” including service fees and taxes. Ultimately I want this website to inform you on what you pay, and it currently is a bit misleading since some places add tax while others include it, and some have extra service fees (including extra fees for using a credit card).
More to come…