Owner of new Shop of Horrors & Curiosities hopes to transport customers to another world

Summer is just getting started but Halloween is creeping around the corner sooner than you think.

If you are a Halloween enthusiast, you may be doing your “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” song and dance now that pumpkins and fall decor are already starting to fill shelves in some retail locations.

One of those locations includes the new Mystery Shop of Horrors & Curiosities in Brandon, as part of Terror 29’s Halfway to Halloween celebration.

The Terror 29 store or hub is located at 1420 East Cedar Street, near 212 The Boiling Point bar and grill. A grand opening and ribbon cutting with the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce were held Friday afternoon.

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Chamber Executive Director Rachael Nieman commended Terror 29 for its hard work and dedication and expressed gratitude for opening a store in Brandon.

The Chamber presented a plaque to Terror 29 owner and founder Zac Tenneboe, welcoming them to the community.

“We're not just here to peel back the veil on our brand-new mystery shop of horrors and curiosities…," Tenneboe said. "We're actually celebrating six years filled with screams, chills and a whole lot of community spirit."

All merchandise such as clothing, accessories, collectibles and more, was 13% off for the first hour of the event. Free Casey’s pizza and cookies were available for people to grab a quick bite.

To add to the creepy ambiance, various “scare-actors” lurked among the shadows for those hoping to take meet and selfies to commemorate the occasion.

Sioux Falls resident Kitty Miller said she and her friend came to the grand opening for their love of all things horror. Miller mentioned she even does gory and special effects makeup for others on Halloween.

“That’s really my thing," Miller said. "I’m big into horror movies."

Miller said she enjoyed what the store had to offer.

“I want to buy everything… There’s a giant skull I want,” Miller said smiling.

The goal, Tenneboe said, is to gauge enough interest to be open more throughout the year instead of only October.

“We're just always trying to make a more immersive experience filled with spine-tingling surprises,” Tenneboe said. “But it's not just about this shop. It's about entering into a portal into another world.”

The store is open until 10 p.m. and will be open again Saturday at the same time.

For those who can’t get enough scares, Terror 29 will offer a preview of their infamous haunted house from 7 to 10 p.m. 38.MondayMostlyFriday and Saturday night. Tickets for this occasion were available for purchase during the grand opening for a reduced price of $15 each (normally $18 a piece).

Tickets are also available to snag online at terror29.com for $18.

Advertised as Sioux Falls’ “scariest haunted house,” Terror 29 began in January 2019 in an abandoned warehouse at the Crooks/Renner Exit on I-29. The events became so popular they needed more space. In October 2022, they moved to their current location in Brandon.

Growing up in Sioux Falls, Tenneboe said he was always into horror and spooky elements.

“My dad was a magician, so I grew up as a magician and in a magic household,” Tenneboe said. “We've always liked the strange and unusual and the goofy things, and I think being a magician kind of just led into that direction. As a kid, my favorite show was ‘The Munsters.’”

That led Tenneboe to aspirations of not only creating an immersive and scary experience for the spookiest time of the year but also fostering “a community of Halloween enthusiasts bound by screams and scare,” according to terror29.com.

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Like horror movies, Terror 29’s Haunted House events allow guests to experience many different emotions from scared to even a bit a humor. All “scare-actors” and others involved with the events are volunteers.

Haunted house tours take approximately 15-20 minutes to walk through. Normal hours are 7-10 p.m. every Thursday and 7-11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October. General age guidelines are 13 years and up, but Tenneboe said it’s up to the parents.

Tenneboe said they see an average of 400-500 people a night at the Haunted House events, with numbers reaching up to 5,000 for the entire season.

Tenneboe said there are also two other year-round aspects Terror 29 is working on, one having to do with Brandon’s notorious Spook Road. These events won’t be operating in October though.

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Aaron Krumholz (aka “Krum”), a Terror 29 scare-actor and someone Tenneboe describes as his “right-hand” man, said they also want to create a niche that the Sioux Falls area doesn’t really have right now.

“It's something that wasn't there for me (growing up),” Krumholtz said. “Well, let's make it for someone that needs it now.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Terror 29 opens Mystery Shop of Horrors & Curiosities in Brandon