Phantom Fall Fest for Families at Adventureland in Des Moines, Iowa
Phantom Fall Fest has been around for a few years now in the Des Moines metro. This Halloween-inspired event is held at Adventureland Park. To be honest, this event has not been at the top of our list because we are not the biggest thrillers when it comes to scary things, but we decided to give it a try this year and I was pleasantly impressed with how family-friendly it can be. Phantom Fall Fest definitely gets spookier the darker and later it gets! Here are all the details and some of my best tips for those families with littles who would like to visit Phantom Fall Fest and still have fun!
Other Halloween Guides for Des Moines:
- Halloween Events in Des Moines
- Halloween Light Displays in Des Moines
- Halloween Pop-Up Bars
- Trunk or Treat Events in Des Moines
Dates and Time
Phantom Fall Fest will be held on weekends only in October.
Hours: Select Fridays 6 to 10 p.m., Saturdays Noon to 10 p.m., and Sundays Noon to 9 p.m. Please note that family-friendly fun is during the day before 6 p.m. Adventureland Park does a great job advertising this on marketing materials. Once 6 p.m. hits the haunted house and scare zone actors come out into the park.
Kid-Friendly Events
Daytime activities are perfect for the littlest kids to come visit Adventureland Park during Phantom Fall Fest. Opening until 6 p.m. you can find the following fun activities that are included with admission. Take a look at all the details here.
- Trick or Treat Trail – until 5 p.m. on Main Street
- Hay Maze
- Pumpkin Painting
- Scream Contest
- Kid Costume Contest
- Scary-oke
Haunted Houses
Haunted Houses are your typical maze/closed-off area that you wait in line to go through. These areas will be the scariest. Our family at first decided we were not going to do any, but we ended up doing Spirits of the Swamp right at 6 p.m. when it was still daylight out. The actors did a great job at being spooky, but not too scary. At this time, there are a lot of younger kids in the park and I think they keep their scare levels at a minimum.
- CarnEvil – scary carnival
- Cornstalkers – corn maze meets chemical spill
- Spirits of the Swamp – bayou ghost town
- mAlice in Wonderland – Experience this terrifying rabbit hole
Scare Zones
The scare zones are themed fun experiences that you walk through as you get to different areas of the park. These are fun and not too scary. We walked through all four scare zones.
- Deadsville
- Nordic Nightmare
- The Fallen
- Hellbillies
Food and Drink
There are some concession stands open for snacks, lunch, and dinner. There are also fun, Halloween-themed for adults and kids! Such as Jell-O syringes (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Worm Graveyard Funnel Cake, Dippin Dots in a Skull, and more. Adults can also enjoy some red wine out of a blood bag!
Rides
We enjoyed the rides on a nice fall day compared to the heat of summer! There are select rides open during Phantom Fall Fest. You can view the list of rides and timing here.
Family-style rides are available only on Saturday and Sunday before 6 p.m. During this time, the park is more of a family-friendly Halloween-themed event. After 6 p.m., only the more thrilling rides will be available including the The Underground.
Chaperone Policy
Guests aged 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age (with a valid ID) to enter the park at all times. Limit four (4) minors per chaperone.
Cash Not Included
Be sure to bring your credit card! Adventureland is a cashless park. All purchases must be made on credit cards or gift cards. There are kiosks in the park where you can load cash on a gift card to spend in the park.
Admission Prices
- Friday & Sunday – $39.99 per person
- Saturday – $49.99 per person
All haunted houses, rides, and scare zones are included with admission. There are options to add on Speedy Pass and other extras. You can also save some money if you purchase online. You can purchase tickets here.
Family-Friendly Tips for Phantom Fall Fest
After our first experience here are some of my best tips for a family-friendly experience.
- Arrive a little later in the afternoon about 2 to 3 p.m. This gives enough time to ride the rides and do the family-friendly activities.
- Around 6 p.m. head towards the back of the park near the Hellbillies Scare Zone and Spirits of the Swamp haunted house. We found this to be fun and scary, but not too scary for our family. It was still light out and the Spirits of the Swamp haunted house is open from the top, so it is not dark inside. The actors were also fun with the kids. Not too scary and had fun.
- Work your way back to the front and walk through each scare zone.
- We left the park at about 7:30 p.m. and had a blast!
- PLEASE NOTE: Each family is different. You know your kiddos and family best. Do what is best for you!
