Park Place in Glenwood, IA

Seniors.FYI Elite Community Awards

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Pros

• Guests are awestruck from the moment they arrive.
• The venue's sheer size leaves visitors impressed and eager to return.
• It’s described as a wonderland of horrors that everyone can enjoy.
• It is well put together and offers a lengthy, immersive walkthrough.
• They have a lot of fun during their visit.
• The old motel setting adds cool ambience.
• The Christmas events are scary, fun, and highly recommendable.
• The staff are great and contribute to a memorable experience.
• The VIP pass is well worth it and adds significant value.
• Four haunts in one provide excellent value and entertainment.
• The actors, makeup, and sets are top-notch, delivering immersive scares.
• The haunt is considered one of the best in the Midwest, with many planning to return.

Cons

• They note that some staff scream loudly in guests’ ears, making the experience unenjoyable.
• They feel the event needs more older actors and fewer young kids.
• They think the Christmas event wasn’t scary and wasn’t worth their time due to too many kids.
• They criticize management for an hour-long wait to reach the last room.
• They complain about slow security and excessive outside waiting.
• They are disappointed that the promised elevator experience did not occur.
• They find the gift shop lame.
• They point out crowd-flow issues, with groups of patrons disrupting the experience.

Review

Park Place in Glenwood is best suited for serious haunt enthusiasts and multi-generational groups that want a fully immersive, cinematic scare experience. The venue stacks four distinct haunts into a single visit, plus seasonal and specialty events, delivering a marathon of visuals, effects, and performances that reward commitment with a long, steadily escalating journey. It appeals especially to teens and adults who crave elaborate production values, meticulous makeup, and performers who stay in character for the duration of a multi-room narrative. For repeat visits, the appeal multiplies: seasons, themes, and the end-room selfie and gift areas provide reasons to extend the experience beyond a single night. The setting, an old site with authentic industrial aesthetics, amplifies the sense of immersion, making Park Place feel like a horror film you walk through rather than a conventional attraction.

But there are clear reasons some guests should consider alternatives. Those who prioritize a compact, predictable outing may find the experience overly long or unevenly paced. The attraction’s popularity translates into substantial lines, and some guests report waits that stretch into hours, especially during peak times or weekends. A handful of guests also found the flow imperfect, noting that promised elements such as split-group experiences or elevator sections did not materialize as advertised. For individuals with sensitivities to loud environments, overly frenetic crowds, or intense jump scares, the tempo can feel daunting or exhausting. Families with younger children or anyone seeking a gentler, less aggressive scare should look for a more relaxed option.

The strongest advantages here, stellar production value, dedicated actors, and an expansive, multi-room format, substantially offset the drawbacks. Guests repeatedly praise the ingenuity of the sets, the creativity of the scares, and the depth of the four-haunt lineup. The consistency of top-tier makeup and performance keeps the adrenaline high from room to room, while the long duration (roughly 30 to 40 minutes for the core experiences, with added components during special events) ensures value for the ticket price. The look and feel of the old hospital complex, coupled with meticulously timed effects and clever transitions, deliver an experience that feels unique in the Midwest. Even when line management isn’t perfect, the payoff in atmosphere, storytelling, and craft remains compelling.

From a family and social perspective, Park Place shines as a shared memory-making destination. Reviews emphasize multi-generational appeal: adults, teens, and grandparents alike report enjoying the atmosphere, the scares, and the camaraderie of navigating a sprawling venue together. The venue often earns extra points for extra touches, actor-led moments in lines, photo opportunities, and end-of-visit attractions like a museum display and gift shop, that extend the experience beyond the horror itself. The ability to bundle tickets for multiple events and to opt for fast passes or season passes adds practical value for families or groups who plan to return, keeping future visits affordable and predictable in a calendar that increasingly features year-round fright experiences.

Practical operation tips should guide decisions for anyone leaning in. Arriving early or selecting off-peak windows helps mitigate the most frustrating element, long lines. Investing in a fast pass or a season pass typically pays off for frequent visitors, reducing the sting of the crowd and shortening the overall time commitment. Expect to walk and stand for extended periods, so wear comfortable footwear and be prepared for significant walking distances within a residential area where street parking is the norm. Bring ear protection if noise levels feel overwhelming, and brace for a linear flow that occasionally mingles with other groups, which can disrupt pacing. With those adjustments, most guests depart feeling they have experienced something genuinely special and thoroughly worth the investment.

Bottom line: Park Place stands out as the premier haunted attraction in the region for those who want a substantive, multi-piece horror experience with superb production quality, highly credible actors, and a year-round appetite for novelty. It is the choice for serious thrill seekers and for families willing to endure lines for a long-form, immersive journey that culminates in memorable finale moments and post-visit nostalgia. Those who crave a quick, quiet, or ultra-accessible outing, or who must avoid intense sensory environments, should consider alternatives that cater to a calmer pace or a shorter duration. For many, the payoff of Park Place, depth of theme, sophistication of design, and the communal energy of a well-executed haunt, justifies the wait, the crowds, and the occasional hiccup in flow. When in the Omaha-Glenwood corridor and craving a standout scare, Park Place remains the decisive recommendation.

Places of Worship

• Frontline Nazarene Church (0.2 miles)
• Holy Rosary Church (0.8 miles)
• Glenwood Community Church (1.4 miles)
• Calvary Baptist Church (1.9 miles)
• United Methodist Church (3.7 miles)
• First Lutheran Church (8.3 miles)
• Methodist Health System (8.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Glenwood State Hospital School (0.3 miles)
• Glenwood Resource Center (0.4 miles)
• Alegent Health - Glenwood Clinic (0.6 miles)
• Ridge Family Practice PC (14.6 miles)
• Mercy Hospital - CHI Health (16.4 miles)

Restaurants

• House of Ananda Yoga (0.3 miles)
• Adriano's Brick Oven (0.4 miles)
• El Portal (0.5 miles)
• El Portal Mexican Restaurant (0.5 miles)
• McDonald's (0.8 miles)
• Bodega Victoriana Winery (2.9 miles)
• The Hangout (8.4 miles)

Physicians

• Robert K Fryzek (0.4 miles)
• Alegent Health Clinic - Primary Care (0.8 miles)
• Cass Family Medicine (8 miles)
• Thomas Baer MD (8.4 miles)
• Methodist Physicians Clinic (8.4 miles)
• Mark D Frey MD (10.4 miles)
• Medical Clinic PC (10.5 miles)

Transportation

• Hendrix Taxidermy Studio (0.4 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (4.5 miles)
• Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF) (14.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Medicap Pharmacy (0.8 miles)
• Heritage Pharmacy (8.1 miles)
• Stoner Drug (10.6 miles)
• Offutt Satellite Pharmacy (11.1 miles)
• Walgreens (11.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (11.3 miles)
• Summit Plaza (13.7 miles)

Parks

• Mile Hill Lake Park (2.5 miles)
• Falconwood Park (9.8 miles)
• American Heroes Park (10.1 miles)
• Lake Manawa State Park (12.4 miles)
• Looking Glass Park (12.5 miles)
• Clear Water Falls Park (13.4 miles)
• Willow Slough State Game Management Area (14.8 miles)