Visit With Krampus at an Iowa Haunted House This Month

Halloween may be long over, but there's one Iowa haunted house that wants to bring that spooky spirit back for Christmas 2025! The Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction in Des Moines will reopen for one night only this December for... KRAMPUS!

What/Who is Krampus?

If you're not familiar with Krampus, he's described as the "devilish companion" of Santa Claus. According to the Britannica website, he's "a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime." Lore says Krampus hits naughty kids using birch rods, but some harsher interpretations say that he eats bad kids, or even drags them to hell!

Wikipedia says Krampus has been part of folkloric tradition in the Central and Eastern regions of the Alps for a long time, but the exact origins are unknown. December 5th is the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas, also known as Krampus Night. Legend says that's the night that Santa and Krampus go out to either reward or punish children.

Krampus Details

The Slaughterhouse, a popular haunted house located at 500 Locust Street in Des Moines, will host its annual event Krampus: Jingle Hell on Saturday, December 20th. There are two time slots available right now: one from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and one from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The site says that all ages are welcome, but they strongly recommend not bringing any kids under the age of 6. The event description reads:

"Embrace the darkness at our BLACKOUT show where the Christmas Beast has devoured the power lines! Feel the adrenaline surge through your veins as you navigate our subterranean lair, with only the red Rudolph Glow Necklaces provided to light your way.

Don't miss the opportunity to meet Krampus and our haunting Holiday ghouls! Bring your mischievous loved ones along and capture the terrifyingly memorable moments with a photo alongside these mysterious creatures."

Tickets for Krampus: Jingle Hell are on sale now for $35. You can purchase them online HERE.

Krampus Speakeasy

In addition to the Krampus event at Slaughterhouse on December 20th, the venue is also hosting a pop-up bar this month. Krampus at The Haunt, "Des Moines' macabre sipping destination," officially kicked off on December 5th for Slaughterhouse keyholders, but will open to the public starting this Friday, December 12th (ages 21+ ONLY). A post from Slaughterhouse's Facebook page reads:

"... our public hours will be Friday & Saturday 7-Midnight unless posted otherwise."

As you can see in the photo above, the color of the skull will indicate that night's availability.

For more information about the Krampus events at the Slaughterhouse in 2025, you can check out the official Facebook page HERE.

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READ MORE: Big Holiday Events Across Eastern Iowa For December 2025 [LIST]