LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Just in time for Halloween, a new, niche horror shop is opening in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood.

Jenny Kiefer has been a fan of horror since she was a child, so she’s excited to be opening Butcher Cabin Books as an adult, in partnership with her mother.

Kiefer says the storefront was originally a butcher shop decades ago. That and the wood paneling on the walls went into the name, “Butcher Cabin Books.”

The horror shop on Barrett Avenue will feature new and used books, as well as local art, jewelry and trinkets.

“Louisville has this really big alternative scene, and it’s kind of this niche in that alternative scene that’s not been filled,” Kiefer said.

Kiefer has been buying up a wide variety of horror literature for more than a year in preparation for the opening of her bookstore. She plans to feature titles a lot of people have probably never heard of.

“Definitely one aspect of this store that’s really important to us is to get people to sort of branch out,” she explained.

With her own first horror novel set near the small town of Livingston, Kentucky coming out in early 2024, Kiefer looks forward to featuring other Kentucky authors and storylines in her shop.

“There’s a lot of creepy history in Kentucky. There’s a lot of creepy places. There’s just a lot to draw from,” she said. “The landscaping in Kentucky, I think, can be really spooky. There’s lots of rural areas of woods and things like that, and so I think yeah, just more horror needs to be set in Kentucky.”

Kiefer hopes the outside of her building will draw Kentuckians in. She and her mom painted the Goosebumps-inspired exterior in bright red. Many would say it looks like blood, however, Kiefer says it also looks to some like strawberry syrup.

“Sometimes when we’re working in here we’ll hear people walking down the street talk about it and say they’re excited about it,” Kiefer said.

She says it’ll be the perfect spot to connect with likeminded fear fiends beyond just during the month of October.

“I think horror readers and people who read horror read all year around. I know it’s spooky season for me all year round,” she smiled.

In adult to adult horror literature, Butcher Cabin Books will also have kids’ books and merchandise.

The store’s grand opening is set for October 15 and 16 at 990 Barrett Avenue. There will be raffles and prizes, as well as free tote bags given out to the first 20 customers. Fright Bites Food Truck will also be on-site.

Kiefer has also planned a couple of events for the shop. On October 30, during Boo on Barrett, author Clay McLeod Chapman will be doing a reading of his new novel Ghost Eaters inside the store. On November 12, Lexington horror writer Laurel Hightower will do a live recording of her podcast, Graveyard Coffee Talk  from Butcher Cabin Books.

More information is listed on Butcher Cabin Book’s website.