Driven by a voracious appetite for fright, Central Iowa fans of haunted house experiences continue to seek the best venues for adrenaline rushes. One dark destination stands apart from the others, a haunt with a novel-length backstory and themed experiences all year: The Slaughterhouse.
A growing fanbase awaits the latest offering from the immersive fright franchise developed by Ian Miller, Slaughterhouse founder.
“With a personal love for everything cinematic, I make sure to take extra time and care in detailing the overall design of the sets and settings, including characters to ensure that there is a very narrative-driven story line that informs the visitor’s experience,” Miller said.
The idea of launching a permanent haunted attraction was “a passion and a longtime interest” for Miller, who hosted versions of the Slaughterhouse at various locations around Des Moines from 2010 to 2017.
“I wanted it to be as immersive as possible and not necessarily just another haunted house,” he said. “Patrons to haunted houses at that time didn’t necessarily have an understanding for nonlinear experiences.”
The Slaughterhouse as we know it today debuted in the former Barnum Factory on Locust Street in 2018 with a Slipknot-themed experience, which Miller produced in collaboration with the Des Moines band. The lore and legend has only deepened since then.
“We do have a 100-page, novel-backed story,” Miller said, “the most detailed backstory of any haunted attraction in America — most likely in the world — for IP attractions.”
The Slaughterhouse novel, published Halloween 2017, is called The Biggs: A Family Affair: The Tell-All Account of America’s Most Heinous Cannibals. You can download the Kindle version for free on Amazon, with the warning it’s “NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.” A timeline summarizing 165 years of Biggs family history can be found on the Slaughterhouse website, and involves H.H. Holmes, WWI, twincest, the 1981 Farm Crisis, Terry Branstad, GMO corn, Gulf War Syndrome and plenty of cannibalism.
The actors entrusted with transporting visitors into the safe but spine-tingling world of the Slaughterhouse are carefully selected and trained, Miller said. Haunting this haunt involves cooking up a rich backstory and a role in the lore. The theme for 2024’s Halloween haunt is “Year of the Stitches.”
Most haunts rely on seasonal employment and seasonal income, but Slaughterhouse is a multi-faceted, 12-month operation. They host a live escape-room experience throughout the year outside of the haunted house hours. Miller claims that it is “the most frightening live escape experience in Iowa.”
Called “The Slaughterhouse Level 1: Purgatory,” the escape room is billed as, “You and up to 7 of your closest allies have 60 minutes to find and save victim 1 in the first ever live game of its kind.” This not-so-willing victim is fodder for a game of Hide and Creep. There are two to three actors within the experience, as players work to find and release the victim before time runs out. Miller warns it’s a tough escape challenge to conquer.
If you’d prefer a more casual experience in this infernal venue, Slaughterhouse hosts a “spookeasy” every Friday and Saturday night outside of October.
“We have a full-service bar that offers a very thematic speakeasy experience,” Miller explained.
“Some people have dubbed it the spookeasy because it’s very much like having a drink inside of a haunted house.”
Of course, nothing can be too easy. Everything is located in a subterranean downtown Des Moines location. The speakeasy is intended to be a bit of a challenge to get to, earning attendees some creepy cachet.
In everything Slaughterhouse does, “It’s a celebration of the [Halloween] season,” Miller said.
“We now have families who make this their tradition. That is a complete success in my book.”
John Busbee produces a weekly arts & culture radio show, The Culture Buzz, broadcast and streaming Wednesdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT at kfmg.org. Find more TheCultureBuzz.com. This article was originally published in Little Village’s October 2024 issue.
