Linn’s Haunted House marks 40 years of scares

Linn’s Haunted House has been welcoming brave souls since 1984. Photo courtesy of Linn’s

Haunted house season is here. I remember being a kid and going to some questionable attractions when I lived in the Quad Cities. There was an old water and power company building near the bridge and dam that connected Rock Island and Milan on the Illinois side. It was the 1990s, so it was kind of a hybrid of chainsaw maniacs and scantily clad vampire gals emerging from coffins — a little early for the technological advances that would arrive 15 years later. There was also the lack of a safety code upheld by the local authority. (This also could have just been the Rock Island local authority, but who knows?)

Jaycee’s Haunted House started in the late 1970s and went strong until it finally closed in 2009. Ian Miller, who co-owns legendary Slaughterhouse in downtown Des Moines, grew up going to haunts in the 1980s. They obviously had a big influence on him, as he would later make a full-time career in the business of scaring patrons. 

“The Jaycee’s Haunted House at the old science center was one of the best I can remember,” Miller said. “Haunts in the 1980s were pure. There were no overlords claiming any ‘right way,’ and regulations were almost nonexistent. While we pride ourselves on our safety and security in the modern attraction era, you can’t beat what was happening back then — passionate people building the unadulterated, terrifying labyrinths of their nightmares with no oversight and with one collective goal: to generate screams.” 

Linn’s Haunted House, located at 3805 Sixth Ave. in Des Moines, is another classic establishment in the metro. It started as a neighborhood attraction in one man’s garage. Merlyn Linn, founder of Linn’s Supermarket, which he ran for more than 60 years, built a haunted house in the basement of the store in 1984. It quickly became a seasonal tradition in Des Moines. Even after he sold the grocery store business in 2016, the haunted house would remain.

Nadir Al-Najidi has a fun story about Linn’s that was not during Halloween season. 

Merlyn Linn created a Halloween tradition known to many with his haunted house in the basement of what was once Linn’s Supermarket. Photo courtesy of Linn’s

“I was 5 years old, and it was about a month before Halloween. I had to use the restroom, and the owner of Linn’s Supermarket told me that it was downstairs and where to go. So, I trekked down the long staircase and into the dark and spooky basement. I was terrified from the atmosphere. I couldn’t find the bathroom and was getting lost through all the twists and turns. Finally, I walked into a room with the gigantic black ape being hung from the wall. I thought it was real, and my heart raced. I did eventually find the restroom and was very… relieved. But that wasn’t where it stopped. I was walking back to the stairs, and there, standing on the steps, was the giant ape, and I ran deeper into the basement. It was the owner in costume waiting to give me the spooks. My mom eventually had to come rescue me.”

This year would mark its 40th; however, a fire occurred in the grocery store on the main floor, which set off the sprinklers and left 8 inches of standing water in the basement. Unfortunately, Merlyn and his wife, Shari, no longer own the building and can’t take out an insurance policy for the basement alone. The haunt is now the only source of income for the Linns, which makes the rebuild extremely important to them, their family and the rest of Des Moines. It will now cost the Linn’s nearly $20,000 in repairs to get the haunt ready to go by the first week of October. The family started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the money. You can find it at GoFundMe.com under “Help Linn’s Haunted House After Fire” or with this link: https://gofund.me/c45000c8.

Before signing off, I want to also make a recommendation to check out the 2019 Beck and Woods feature “Haunt” that was inspired by their adventures at a local haunt attraction from the Quad Cities in the 1990s. My friend, Justin Beahm from Cedar Rapids, did a special feature with the boys at that original location, and all I can say is you could feel the vibes. 

Happy Halloween! ♦

Kristian Day is a filmmaker and writer based in Des Moines. He also hosts the syndicated Iowa Basement Tapes radio program on 98.9 FM KFMG. Instagram: @kristianday | Twitter: @kristianmday