Welcome to Your Nightmarez
Enter… If You Dare
In the chill of October nights in Tomball, Texas, the suburban streets come to life with a different sort of energy. Shadows creep along the grounds of 19210 Nasworthy Drive, and the muffled sounds of screams drift out into the crisp night air. Groups of neighbors and thrill-seekers cluster at the curb in front of the house, waiting their turn to step into one of Houston’s most cherished Halloween traditions: Nightmarez Haunted House.
Built over the course of many years from a simple family porch decoration project to one of the most talked about home haunts in the Houston area, Nightmarez has become an institution to some and an October bucket list for many others. Lines form each year before the gates open, and there is no website, flashy marketing campaign, or admission fee required to get your hands on tickets. So how did a family haunted house with no professional connections end up drawing crowds of thousands each October in Tomball? To find out, let’s take a look back at the story of how Nightmarez Haunted House became one of Houston’s most popular home haunted attractions.
Nightmarez Haunted House History
The story of Nightmarez Haunted House doesn’t start in Tomball but at Stacy and Drew Lovell’s Pasadena home. Fifteen years ago, the couple set out a few porch decorations and offered neighborhood trick-or-treaters a quick scare. What began as a playful setup quickly grew into a full-blown Halloween obsession. Word spread that this was no ordinary haunt, and soon friends and family joined in to help expand the scenes. Each year, the haunt grew larger and scarier, fueled by a dedicated band of volunteers. One memorable visitor—a college student who wandered through for fun—became so inspired that he joined the crew and eventually turned into a full-time member of Nightmarez. What started as a family tradition has since evolved into one of Tomball’s most beloved haunted houses, driven by creativity, community, and a passion for fright.
The Nightmarez Move to Tomball
In 2014 the Lovell family relocated to Tomball, which opened the opportunity to expand the Nightmarez haunt into a full-blown operation. The family continued to expand their volunteer base, eventually settling on a 25 person team that would set up the house each year and run it throughout October. As word spread of the family operation expanding and upgrading, Nightmarez became more and more popular with Halloween lovers and families around Houston, eventually resulting in lines of several hundred people each night at the Tomball home. Despite not charging admission, the Nightmarez Haunted House is said to offer quality scares that rival many of the more well known and expensive attractions in the Houston area.
A Visit from Your Nightmarez
Inside, fog creeps across the ground, eerie lights cut through the darkness, and unsettling sights and sounds surround every guest. The creators of Nightmarez design each room with painstaking detail, blending professional-level skill with a fierce commitment to creepiness. Their work highlights the dedication of seasoned haunt builders while showcasing the DIY spirit that gives this family haunt its unforgettable charm. Every room is a blend of theater and macabre creativity, leading into the next, with each scare coming at the visitor relentlessly as full rooms of volunteers draw blood-curdling screams and a mix of terror and exhilaration from those brave enough to enter.
Nightmarez Haunted House experiences blast you with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. But as soon as you walk through the door you see who the real star of the show is—the volunteers. Teenagers, college kids, and adults of all ages morph into monsters, ghouls and ghastly specters. And they play their roles with non-stop gusto, diving into the action to get you screaming and laughing again. From the looks on their faces, it’s easy to tell that each one is enjoying the experience immensely. The love of scaring that these volunteers exhibit is palpable, and that feeling only extends to the Lovell family who have made Nightmarez their annual tradition for well over a decade now. Year after year, visitors return to Tomball to support the family and the entire staff of volunteers behind this Halloween icon.
Tips for the Brave Visitors
If you plan on visiting Nightmarez Haunted House, there are a few things to keep in mind. As mentioned, the lines can get long, especially later in the month as Halloween draws near. Plan on getting there early if you don’t want to risk waiting for hours in the October Tomball chill. Don’t expect to find a lot of available parking either, as most visitors are forced to leave their cars on the street and walk over to join the throngs of costumed patrons lined up outside the front of Nightmarez Haunted House. Admission is free, but donations are accepted, and really should be if you plan on taking advantage of this horror-fueled adrenaline rush. These volunteers work hard to put on this event year after year, and keeping them fed is one of the best ways to show your support.
Why Nightmarez Haunted House Stands Out
In a city like Houston with some of the largest commercial haunted attractions in the country, it might be a wonder that a volunteer staffed family haunt can hold its own and continue to attract thousands of visitors every October. Sure, the Nightmarez Haunted House doesn’t have the budget of one of Houston’s stadium-sized attractions or a marketing team crafting flashy advertisements to lure you in, but that’s not what the family-run haunt is going for. What they do offer instead is a more personal and homegrown experience that brings to life a passion and love of Halloween that is impossible to find in many of the large scale operations dotting the Texas landscape. Nightmarez Haunted House continues to show that the scariest and most memorable haunts aren’t the ones with the most cash behind them, but the ones with the most heart, care, and creativity.
If you are looking for an October fright that feels a little more personal, a little more authentic, and a little more legendary, then make the drive to Tomball this Halloween. Slip through the gates, follow the screams, and see for yourself why Nightmarez Haunted House is one of Houston’s most unforgettable—and most deliciously terrifying—Halloween traditions.