Halloween season is in full swing, and one of St. Louis’s best-known scares is in Soulard. A new profile in St. Louis Magazine looks at how founder Larry Kirchner built a business around haunting.
A haunt with a long history
The Darkness opened in the mid-1990s in an old factory building near Soulard Market. It has earned a national reputation among haunted attraction fans, with more than 200 animations and sets spread across roughly 27,000 square feet, according to attraction guides. The attraction went through a major renovation in 2025, replacing an older section with a new maze.
Escape rooms as a business strategy
Kirchner says a series of escape rooms was the key to making the numbers work. St. Louis Escape, in the building next door, now has eight immersive rooms plus blacklight mini golf and pinball machines, with themes such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Island, and Tomb of Dracula. Because the rooms draw customers year-round, Kirchner says they help fund the yearly updates to the haunted house. He also owns Blacklight Productions and Creepyworld in Fenton.
St. Louis as a haunt capital
Kirchner says he brought the haunted house industry’s trade show to St. Louis, and that the city has long been a center for the business. The Darkness has also hosted behind-the-scenes tours for other haunted attraction owners.
If you want to go
- Hours vary during the season, so check the attraction’s website. In a past season, October hours were Thursday through Sunday, with nightly openings the week before Halloween.
- Parking in Soulard can be tight, so plan extra time.
- Pair a haunt visit with an escape room or dinner nearby, but avoid a huge meal right before going in.
- The attraction is intense and not suited to young children, so check age recommendations.
Why it matters
The story is a good example of a local entrepreneur adapting. By adding steady, year-round attractions, Kirchner built a stable business around a seasonal product.
