House of 1,000 Screams Will Leave You Terrified

Davenport's House of 1000 Screams owner Rod Keding has always had a passion for all things Halloween. "It really started when I was 10 and my uncle and I started decorating our front yard. A couple years later, and we had our first haunted house," Keding says.  "After I returned from military service, I started decorating my front yard again, and like before it just grew and grew until we decided its time to get back to doing a haunted house. Halloween is one of those holidays that's like Christmas, very exciting and involved, something that you can really connect with."

A haunted house veteran of twenty years, Keding has brought his vision to life this year in the form of House of 1,000 Screams. Keding says the two floor haunted house takes inspiration from many sources, including classic horror films. "I do incorporate some of the earlier horror movies... Some things that just never die out, like Michael Myers for example, the minute people hear that theme song, it immediately puts them on edge and sends shivers up the spine."

So what can visitors expect when they enter House of 1,000 Screams? Well, in short, to be petrified. "When people come through our haunted house, we want them to be scared, absolutely terrified. We have it setup for the classical one-on-one scare." Keding says.

In addition to featuring animatronics, the haunted house employs plenty of actors who will terrify you when you least expect it. Keding says the actors help bring the thrills to a new level. "It makes it far more personal and keeps them on their toes. Don't get me wrong, animatronics have come a long way, but there's no interaction, no emotion. They do their thing and then reset. It doesn't necessarily set us apart from the others, I think I just employ the technique more than the others."

Keding says that while watching scary movies at home can be fun, nothing compares to the thrill of being scared in person. "People need to get out and enjoy the moment. Its exhilarating, fun, and can be a great experience. Its something you can do with a significant other, friends, couples, date night, so many options. Yes, it can be pricey, but what isn't anymore, its only once a year and Halloween is one of those holidays you can really get in to, I mean seriously get into. With the costumes and masks, just pure fun. You have plenty of time to sit around, get out while you can." he says.

But don't take our word for it. Check out House of 1,000 Screams for yourself this weekend. They are located at 827 West 4th Street in downtown Davenport. Hours are every Friday and Saturday in October from 7PM-midnight.