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 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
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: iowapodcast.com · doingdesmoines.com
last checked: 2026-06-06