The Doom Haunted Attraction officially opened on Friday, Sept. 29 in Idaho Falls, introducing new features to the nonprofit haunt to make it scarier than ever.
Previously known as Planet Doom, the attraction has undergone big changes in the last year while rebranding as Doom.
Opening night had lines of visitors waiting to enter the haunted attraction. Photo credit: Gabriela Fletcher
“We’ve made it a lot scarier,” said Brent Wilson, the general manager of Doom. ”When we first opened, the D.A.R.E. board who manages the nonprofit wanted us to be a little bit more family-friendly. And after about four years, I just said, ‘Hey, that’s not the kind of haunt I necessarily want, and I know it’s not the kind of haunt our customers want. I want to ramp it up.'”
At 32,000 square feet, Doom is Eastern Idaho’s largest indoor haunted attraction. The haunted house is a long maze that takes about 30 minutes to walk through. It features over 35 animatronic monsters and characters throughout the attraction. There is no minimum age for entry, but Doom’s website suggests it’s not for “young children or the easily offended.”
Doom has a long history of caring and scaring in the Idaho Falls community. The location was originally the site of Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror for 18 years before Wilson took over and Planet Doom was born in 2018.
According to an article from East Idaho News, Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror was the main source of funding for the county D.A.R.E. program before it closed. Following in Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror steps, Doom is a nonprofit partnered with Bonneville County and donates 100% of its profits to the D.A.R.E. program.
Wilson says the D.A.R.E. program was left with very little funding when it was announced that Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror would be closing, and he was inspired to take on the challenge.
“One of my friends sent me a picture of the … sign Dr. Slaughter saying going out of business,” Wilson said. “And she was like, ’You got to take over. You got to take your haunt to the next level and make sure that D.A.R.E. board has money to keep the program going.’ And I lost a few friends to drugs growing up, so it’s an issue that’s near and dear to my heart.”
Another tradition carried on from Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror is the Doom dance team that entertains guests in line with chilling dance routines while they wait to enter the attraction. The dance team is made up of local teens— 13-18 — who practice year-round. The actors inside the haunt are local volunteers from the community.
The Doom haunted attraction is open for the Halloween season. Photo credit: Gabriela Fletcher
Wilson described Doom as a labor of love due to his passion for the community and his love for all things spooky.
The Doom Haunted Attraction is located at 680 First St. in Idaho Falls. It is open Thursday-Saturday and on Halloween night. Doom uses timed tickets to avoid long lines and wait times, so tickets are available for purchase online. To purchase tickets or find more information, visit the Doom Haunt website.
