Halloween Haunts In Iowa

Johnson: Halloween, the night before the feast of All Saints (also called Hallowmas, or Allhallows), is fast approaching. The holiday is often associated with the ancient Celtic Druids. They believed that on October 31st, Saman, the Lord of the Dead, called forth hosts of evil spirits. The Celts lit great fires, ostensibly for warding the evil spirits away. Among the Celts, this night was the last evening of the year, and a propitious time for prophecy and looking to omens of the future. The Romans, when they conquered these people, included the holiday to their harvest festival held on November 1st in honor of Pomona, the goddess of fruits of the trees. We still celebrate the holiday today, and include festive rites borrowed from both Celts and Romans. We play games with fruit---such as bobbing for apples, and celebrate the harvest with tied corn stalks, candles in pumpkins, and gathering to tell scary stories about ghosts in front of bon fires.

Naturally, Christians are a little leery about celebrating this rather pagan holiday, so be careful whom you approach in your ghastly garb. There is that passage in Exodus about not suffering a witch to live...

     Across Iowa there are haunted houses and activities galore, and a few are listed here. We can not vouch for the authenticity of claims or the spookiness of the event.

     HALLOWEEN, SATAN'S LITTLE WHITE LIE, a lecture by the anti-occult group Galatians 4:16, will be held at the Iowa City Public Library on Oct. 28th at 7pm.

     HALLOWEEN HIKE, LOST ISLAND-HOUSTON PARK in SPENCER (712) 837-4866

     HALLOWEEN HIKE, ONEOTA CABIN, SPENCER (712) 448-2254

     HALLOWEEN MOVIE NIGHT, MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM, FORT DODGE (515) 573-2316

     HALLOWEEN NIGHT HIKE WHITETAIL RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA, POCAHONTAS (712) 335-4395

     HALLOWEEN TREASURE TRAIL, BOTANICAL CENTER, DES MOINES (515) 242-2934

     HAUNTED FOREST, WALNUT WOODS STATE PARK, DES MOINES (515) 830-1125

HAUNTED HALLS, RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, FORT DODGE (515) 574-5740

     HAUNTED HAYRACK RIDES, SLEEPY HOLLOW SPORTS PARK, DES MOINES (515) 262-4100

     HAUNTED HOUSE, ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH RECTORY, ADAIR

     HAUNTED HOUSE, NORTH DEVILS GLEN ROAD, CROW CREEK PARK, BETTENDORF

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HAUNTED HOUSE, 1431 WARREN STREET, DAVENPORT

     HAUNTED HOUSE, 3805 SIXTH AVE., DES MOINES (515) 282-6318

     HAUNTED HOUSE, 5401 E. UNIVERSITY AVE., DES MOINES (515) 265-4904

     HAUNTED HOUSE, EARLHAM, (515) 758-2808

     HAUNTED HOUSE, FORMER MOTHER OCEAN BLDG., 604-1/2 S. CENTER ST., MARSHALLTOWN

     HAUNTED HOUSE, MUSCATINE MALL, MUSCATINE

     HAUNTED HOUSE, PARK HOTEL, STORM LAKE (712) 662-7176

     HAUNTED HOUSE & LASER DELIRIUM, SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA, DES MOINES (515) 274-6868

     HAUNTED HOUSES, 112 SOUTH 1 ST., 1604 CARBONAD0 ROAD, OSKALOOSA

     HAUNTED POST OFFICE, OLD SPENCER POST OFFICE ON WEST FIFTH STREET, SPENCER

     Send your reports of home town Halloween spookiness to me here at Third Eye, we'd be happy to publish them!!