FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Six acres of horror have taken over Fresno as Fresno Fright Nights brings a quarter-mile journey of terrifying sights, sounds and larger-than-life animatronics to the Central Valley.
The Halloween attraction features an abandoned chemical plant where experiments have gone wrong, followed by a cemetery filled with bone-chilling sights and sounds. Just when visitors think they’ve made it out, a river of blood leads them toward the end of the experience.
But behind the scares is a passion for Halloween that has been growing for years.
At the center of it all is 18-year-old Antonio Lucas, a lifelong Halloween enthusiast who has collected more than 450 life-sized animatronics and Halloween decorations.
“This is my animatronic collection. I’ve been collecting since I was three years old,” Lucas said.
His collection includes familiar horror icons like Freddy Fazbear, along with creepy clown-themed displays and other Halloween favorites. Around 150 of his props are featured at Fresno Fright Nights.
Lucas said his love for Halloween started at home, inspired by his parents, who also enjoyed the holiday.
“My parents just kind of liked Halloween. They had a few props, and I just kind of wanted to build on that,” he said. “I kept it growing, kept it growing.”
That childhood hobby eventually turned into home haunts and, later, professional haunted attractions.
His first professional haunt was The Scare Factory, located in a former Walmart near Shaw and Brawley avenues. Now, he is bringing his growing collection to a larger audience in Fresno.
For Lucas, the experience is about more than creating frightening scenes. It’s also about bringing people together.
“I love to see the community come together and just share their enjoyment for Halloween,” he said. “They may not be as big as I am on it, but seeing their smiles and all the compliments, it’s worth it every second of it.”
And the attraction is especially close to home. Lucas lives just a minute down the road from the site, which makes the event feel like an extension of his own neighborhood.
“This is my home haunt. I call it my home haunt because I live literally a minute down the road in the neighborhood right here,” he said.
While many people wait all year for Halloween, Lucas says the holiday is a year-round commitment.
“It’s an all-year-round thing for me. 365 days out of the year,” he said.
For those looking to get into the Halloween spirit, Fresno Fright Nights is open for the next two weekends at Island Waterpark in Fresno. Visitors can experience the quarter-mile haunt and see a portion of Lucas’s massive collection before Halloween arrives.