Dr. Slaughter’s closing after 18 years

After 18 years, Dr. Slaughter’s is closing it’s doors. What started as a birthday party in a basement, turned into one of the most popular haunted houses in Eastern Idaho. When asked why it’s closing, co-founder Darrell Wagner says, it’s time.

“A lot of it is is just that I’m getting older, it’s getting harder,” Wagner said. “All my senior staff, which I have 20-21 senior staff, are all getting burned out and stuff. So it’s just, it’s just getting a little bit harder each year.”

Dr. Slaughter’s is not only a haunted house, but it also supports the DARE organization, which helps students say no to drugs and alcohol. With Dr. Slaughter’s closing down, it’s unclear what the DARE program will do.

“We are stopping ourselves, but realistically the DARE organization owns the haunted house and everything in it,” Wagner said. “And I will do whatever I can to help them either stop or hopefully go in a different direction depending on what they decide.”

Dr. Slaughter’s served as a home away from home for the many kids who volunteered over the past 18 years. Wagner was not only their boss, but a counselor as well. Helping them is what has meant the most during his time at Dr. Slaughter’s.

“Specifically the last 10 years, when I realized what we were doing to help the kids that were actually my family, became really personal and stuff,” Wagner said. “That I was helping them come off the streets, giving them a safe place to be and have an actual family that they can hang out with because a lot of them were dealing with, you know, home life with addiction, home life with other issues and stuff.”

Wagner says they’re having one last weekend as a way to say thanks to the community for the support over the past 18 years. The last weekend is Friday, April 13th and Saturday, April 14th. It will be open from 7 pm until midnight.