In the heart of Polk County sits an abandoned warehouse that springs back to life each Halloween.

"It started from Halloween parties that got out of control," Joe Phillips said.

The truck broker had an idea: create a haunted house with rich sets, aggressive actors and a duration longer than a haunted house found at theme parks.

"It's a much more intense, in-your-face fear," Phillips said.

"The Shallow Grave" haunted house isn't shallow with its deep theming. And it's not all that much of a grave since Avery Joens and her friends are very much alive and well.

"I was ducking and I was, like, 'Oh my God!' because there were a lot of things in there," Megan Ricks, 12, said.

That's until we got halfway through.

"You want me to go first?" I ask?

"Yes!" Avery said.

"I am a theme guy, so I like to tell the story, draw you in, so you're already nervous before you get inside," Phillips said. And that makes sense as to why there are actors waiting to greet you in the parking lot.

What's worse than actors surrounding you just outside your car or going through one haunted house? Try a second haunted house right next door.

The "Haunted Hills" house is joined under the same warehouse roof as "ADHD," a house poking fun at phobias. Here, ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Haunt Disorder.

"We have two attractions here, currently, with plans for expansion," Phillips said.

Cassidy Carlson, 12, already has ideas for Phillips' third haunted attraction next year.
"I think it was good, but it could have been scarier,” Cassidy said. She offered a suggestion of using more special effects in 2015.

And if you don't make it this year, another haunt season is already on the drawing board.

"We start building in March," Phillips said.

NOTE: The haunted houses are both open Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend, starting at 7 p.m. The houses will be closed on Sunday night. Find more information on dates and times, go here.

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