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LEE'S SUMMIT & INDEPENDENCE

Dinner Under the Square, Then the Dark Nightmares Haunted Forest

Burgers in the Courthouse Exchange's carved-rock dining room on Independence Square, then east to Buckner for Dark Nightmares, a 1.2-mile haunted trail through the woods.

About $96–$116 for two3 hrs 52 minEstimated fitBack Oct 30
Plan this date
Map of the stops for Dinner Under the Square, Then the Dark Nightmares Haunted ForestA map of the whole metro, not to scale, north at the top, with straight lines between stops. Stop 1, Courthouse Exchange, the start. Stop 2, Dark Nightmares Haunted Forest, 12.8 miles from stop 1, 37 min drive. The route is about 12.8 miles end to end. Neighborhoods shown: Independence.INDEPENDENCEMO-21037 min driveSTART Courthouse ExchangeDark Nightmares Haunted Forest12N2 miDinner Under the Square, Then the Dark…FoodStopDriveStraight lines between stops, not driving directions.Not to scale, north up. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The route is about 12.8 miles end to end. © OpenStreetMap

Whole route inGoogle Maps Apple Maps

Also close by
  • Historic Independence Square, outdoors, 1 min walk from stop 1
  • Main Street Coffee House, coffee, 1 min walk from stop 1
  • Ophelia's Restaurant and Inn, food, 2 min walk from stop 1
  • 1859 Jail, Marshal's Home and Museum, museum, 3 min walk from stop 1
  • Harry S Truman National Historic Site (the Truman Home), museum, 8 min walk from stop 1

The stops

  1. Courthouse ExchangeDinner below street level. Prices are not posted, so the date counts an estimate.about 75 min · 113 W Lexington Ave, Independence, MO 64050 · hours freshly checked · then 37 min driveWebsite Google Maps Apple Maps
  2. Dark Nightmares Haunted ForestThe trail, then the fire pit.about 120 min · 33100 US-24, Buckner, MO 64016Website Google Maps Apple Maps

How the night flows

Dark Nightmares opens at 6:30 PM on Oct 30 and 31 and sells its last tickets at midnight; $33 a person, cash taken at the door (times and price from Visit KC). It is rated R; 14 and up suggested. Bring a flashlight and shoes for mud.

Good to know

Reservations
Not needed
Parking
Confirm parking at each stop; Halloween weekend lots fill early.
Getting around
Driving
Setting
Outdoors
Alcohol
Optional
What to wear
Warm layers; a costume if you like.

Before you go

Hours not confirmed for Dark Nightmares Haunted Forest. Check their pages first; they keep their own hours.

Hours, prices and reservations change. Anything we haven't recently source-checked is marked “Confirm today” in the planner rather than presented as fact. Check the venue's own page before you head out.

We last looked over this date on October 26, 2026. That is a review of the plan, not a promise that every detail is current.

Spot something closed, moved or wrong? Tell us so it can be fixed.

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