Help Linn's Haunted House After the Fire

My name is Jennifer Baker, and my husband Bryon and I - along with the Linn Family - are starting this fundraiser for my grandparents, Merlyn and Shari Linn - the owners of Linn’s Haunted House in Des Moines, Iowa. Merlyn Linn bought Linn’s Supermarket (then, Lutz Valu Mart) on a whim in his early 20’s. He worked his tail off there, 7 days a week, for over 60 years - until he sold it back in 2016. Merlyn had 4 kids and always loved finding fun things for them and the neighbor kids to do. When his kids were young he started a neighborhood haunted house in his garage. Everyone loved it so much, he decided to expand it and built one in the basement of the supermarket. Linn’s Haunted House opened in 1984 and has been an iconic part of Halloween in Des Moines ever since. Back in 2016, Merlyn decided it was time to get out of the grocery business. But the haunted house had to stay, it was his pride and joy. At 85 years old, he still looks forward to opening the haunted house every October. In addition, it is now the only source of income for him and Shari. The only stipulation when selling the grocery store, is that Merlyn would get to keep running the haunted house in the basement. So, that was put in the contract when the store was leased in 2016, and later purchased in 2020.

Recently, there was a fire that started within the building's basement. While the cause and origin are unknown pending further investigation from the Des Moines Fire Department, what is clear is the extent of the damage. Since Merlyn and Shari don't own the building they are unable to hold an insurance policy on the basement alone.

While the fire was relatively small, the sprinklers were set off, which caused extensive damage to the haunted house walls, wiring, and equipment. We're hoping to raise funds to be able to quickly turn around and be ready for this season! Every little bit helps.

We'd like to express our gratitude to the community for supporting us for all these years and to the Des Moines Fire Department for responding quickly to help limit the damage and for their continued investigation into the cause of the fire.