Entry No. 2 — the Des Moines file — filed under: speakeasy
The Haunt
“the only bar in the world inside a haunted-attraction space”
Billed as the only bar in the world inside a haunted-attraction space, The Haunt is a speakeasy tucked in the basement of 500 Locust, in the center of the Slaughterhouse haunt. A small skull marks the spot. The theme is 'run down, covered in cobwebs and a bit bloody,' the drinks include absinthe and a deep mocktail list, and early access famously required finding hidden keys stashed around the city.
The story
You don't usually look for high-proof absinthe tucked into the guts of a year-round haunted house, but that's precisely what sits waiting in the basement of 500 Locust. Built directly into the centerpiece of The Slaughterhouse—Des Moines's long-running horror attraction—The Haunt operates as a subterranean speakeasy that leans entirely into macabre immersive theater. Before opening its doors to the public, the crew behind it ran a scavenger hunt, stashing physical keys around the city that served as the only way to gain early entry.
Step down into the cellar and the polish of downtown Des Moines disappears. The aesthetic is intentionally run-down, slathered in cobwebs, and streaked with blood, creating the vibe of a backroom hideout for the haunt's performers and horror obsessives. While October brings peak crowds for the haunt itself, the bar runs year-round on weekend nights, occasionally locking the doors back up for exclusive, keyholder-only events.
What it's like
Finding the door requires playing along with the trick. Although the main venue uses a Locust Street address, you need to slip around the corner off 5th Avenue and look beside the parking garage for a subtle skull marking the doorway. Inside, the low-lit basement space centers on slow absinthe pours and a solid menu of zero-proof mocktails. Hours are strictly limited—typically Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight—so confirm they're open before heading down.
The move: Go for the dare of it: order the absinthe service and let the spooky immersive theater set the mood, then debate which of you would survive the haunt next door. Best on a Friday or Saturday night when it's actually open.
📍 Before you go The Locust Street address and skull mark the haunt's frontage, but the bar's own door is around the corner off 5th Avenue, beside a parking garage downtown, so head there rather than the Locust entrance. Metered street parking sits across from the door and around the block. It runs as a weekend-night spot with very limited hours, so treat it as a destination you plan around rather than drop in on, and confirm before driving over. The immersive theme peaks in the Halloween season, though it operates year-round. You are steps from the Court Avenue district to the south for dinner or a nightcap, and the downtown skywalk threads the area if the weather turns.
- 📍 Downtown / Western Gateway
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 500 Locust St, Des Moines, IA
Hours: Reported Friday and Saturday 7pm-midnight; limited hours, confirm before going
Pair it with
- Good News, Darling — Trade horror-attraction cobwebs for sleek 26-seat intimacy by heading two blocks east to this hidden cocktail room behind Hello, Marjorie.
- In Confidence — Keep the subterranean theme going with a visit to this blind-tiger speakeasy hidden behind a kitchen door in the basement of Hotel Fort Des Moines.
- Ken's - a not so secret speakeasy — Continue your basement bar hunt across the river in the East Village at this un-signposted haunt beneath the Iowa Taproom.
- Alleged Lee's — Head to the East Village after your drink to balance theatrical horror with Prohibition history and a 130-year-old hand-carved bar.
Good to know
Where is the actual entrance to The Haunt?
Ignore the Locust Street address for entry. Walk around the corner onto 5th Avenue beside the parking garage and look for the small skull marked near the basement door.
Do you need a hidden key to get in?
No. While early access required finding keys hidden around Des Moines—and special Keyholder nights are still held—the bar is generally open to the public during normal operating hours.
What drinks are available?
The bar specializes in traditional absinthe service along with a deep, dedicated mocktail list.
Is the bar only open around Halloween?
No, The Haunt operates year-round, though its schedule is limited mostly to Friday and Saturday nights.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: iowapodcast.com · doingdesmoines.com · slaughterhousedm.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-06