Downtown, fairgrounds haunts help charities

Oct. 29, 2020

Fans of haunted houses can catch two charitable offerings in Sioux Falls for the next few days.

Twisted Nightmare has a new home this year at 8th & Railroad Center. The attraction has been raising money for the Fraternal Order of Police and a few other organizations since its start in 2014.

It has taken over the Rug & Relic space along the boardwalk and has spent the past six weeks turning it into a “nightmare.”

Inside, guides will lead people through the haunts.

“We’re a little different because we’re tour-based,” said Chad Barker, one of the organizers. “We don’t let you run free. We think that sets us apart. Each tour guide tells a different story and tailors the tour to the group.”

If someone in the group is afraid of clowns or spiders, the guide will make sure to capitalize on that.

The fan-favorite “elevator” experience is back, and there’s a new Madame Gayle’s Seance Room that should be a hit, Barker said.

Twisted Nightmare is open Thursday through Sunday. Tours start at 7 p.m. and go until 10 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Tickets are $12. Bring a nonperishable item for Feeding South Dakota, and get a $2 discount. Contactless payment will be available.

Face masks are required, and sanitizing stations will be available, Barker said. Volunteers will go through and sanitize touch points between groups.

“We’re also doing smaller group sizes. Before, if you were a group of two, we would combine you with another group. Now, whoever you come with is who you go through with.”

The Jaycees Feargrounds is back at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds this year. The organization converts the Fine Arts Building on the south end of the property into its haunted attraction.

To help lessen the spread of COVID-19, the attraction’s layout has been altered, said Tamara Parliament, marketing director for the Jaycees board. There are fewer long, dark hallways between rooms, and the rooms are larger so people can spread out more.

Scare actors and volunteers wear face masks, and while guests aren’t required to wear one, “we are asking that everyone heavily consider it,” Parliament said.

The haunted attraction serves as a fundraiser for Jaycees projects, including its Holiday Gifts for Kids program.

Tours started earlier this month and continue nightly through Halloween. Ticket sales start at 6:45 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They also can be purchased online for a $5 discount off the $15 general admission and $20 fast-pass prices.

“It has been a tough year on people, and we still want people to have have fun and come out,” Parliament said.

Haunted warehouse returns with pandemic adaptations

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Downtown, fairgrounds haunts help charities

Fans of haunted houses can catch two charitable offerings in Sioux Falls for the next few days.

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