Perhaps the most amazing family-run haunted house in Los Angeles is located in Van Nuys

About a month ago, as Kenny Enya lay in a hospital bed after suffering a stroke, he had one main concern: Would his Halloween decorations be finished in time?

“The only thing he had to worry about was going out and getting the job done,” says Anna Lovelace, his partner of 32 years.

After all, if the elaborate front yard isn’t fully assembled by October 31, eight months of work could go to waste. This is the eighth and final year that the Enea family of four will transform their Van Nuys property into a spooky attraction that scares thousands of visitors every Halloween.

Today, 62-year-old Enya, is on the road to a full recovery Hatteras Halloween House — its official name, based on the street that bordered the house — was wrapped in extra days. The family is planning a large-scale party on Friday featuring a tarot reader, a handful of actors and even a wedding: Lovelis and Enea decide that after more than three decades together, it’s time to tie the knot. Their daughters, Nia and Rena Lovelace, both in their mid-20s, will serve as “best man” and bridesmaid.

The Hatteras Halloween House has become one of the most popular venues in the San Fernando Valley, an area now known for its extravagant do-it-yourself Halloween displays, especially in Burbank. Entering means walking through a small cemetery before encountering a winding array of thematic spaces – a skeleton sitting in front of a rickety antique piano gives way to a rickety bridge, soft marshes, a tea temple filled with dolls, a chapel and an exorcism chamber.

The exhibits are so massive that as the facades of the bridge and chapel began to take shape, the family received a visit from the city inspector. Nia says a neighbor complained that the family was building an unpermitted ADU.

“They thought it was an actual extension of the house,” Anna says. “We said, ‘No, it’s Halloween decorations.’ The inspector came and I told him: No, it is foam.

One part of the dwelling is lit by bloody hands holding plastic tea candles. Stairs leading to nowhere hide bones and body parts in their lower abdomen. Handwritten notes, courtesy of a story Nia dreamed up, spread across the space and hint at an enveloping backstory. A slow, abstract waltz to a moody soundtrack, courtesy of Rina, sets the mystical pace. A mix of store-bought animatronics, handmade props and found objects – antique lamps, creatures with elongated necks and an assortment of mystical and enchanting trinkets, fill every corner.

Think of it as a collection of intimate rooms, each holding new discoveries and surprises. You might want to move away, for example, if you spy a snake near a misty water fountain. Elsewhere, the closet never stops shuddering as we wait for its door to open. Months have passed since the construction of the perimeter walls and the vintage-inspired wooden covered bridge – managed by Enya and Anna A Construction company Luxuries such as vacations are skipped as the family appreciates that not an evening or a weekend goes by without some work being done in the haunted house. Anna estimates the total cost somewhere in the $20,000 range. Rina was quick to joke: “Don’t ask about the DWP bill.”

In a way, the place feels like an extension of the family home. On a recent afternoon, the four of them, plus Darragh Hetrick, Nia’s partner, gathered in a living room that looked like a combination of an antique shop, a tarot tent and an apothecary’s sanctuary. Or perhaps an embodiment of a witch’s charms—candles, crystals, and fairy-tale objects (a little mermaid hanging on one wall)—decorate the space.

“It’s not just Halloween,” Enya says. “We’re kind of drawn to the dark side of everything in life. Everything is a little left of center. And a lot left of center.”

“We’re looking to marry dark and light,” says Anna, noting that she has been fascinated by Halloween, costumes and masks since her early childhood.

The family’s quarters started out relatively modest – a hodgepodge of Halloween decorations. But in the past four years, especially, the couple and their children have been experimenting with different themes. Last year, for example, there was a “hotel inferno” featuring rooms themed after demented clowns or Terror at Sea. In other years, they conducted experiments with aliens, with a 12-foot spaceship suspended above the proceedings.

It has become a family craft project taken to the extreme. Anna says she wanted something that neighborhood kids could try for free. Many neighbors began participating, either dropping off old Halloween decor or even acting out the place. Enya says the project has brought him joy during our stressful and divisive cultural climate.

“In these times that we’re going through in this country and in the world, there’s no politics and there’s no religion here,” Enya says. “We’re literally having a good time. There’s no left or right. Everybody’s fair. There’s no left or right. Everybody’s fair. There’s no right or left. Everybody’s fair. There’s no right or left. Everybody’s fair. There’s no right or left. Everybody’s fair.” In itAnd have a good time. I see the experience of people who deal with children, and everyone is very happy. Can’t we have that worldwide? “I know that’s what Pollyanna’s thinking, but we can give this little piece of Van Nuys’ happiness.”

Many cottages throughout the San Fernando Valley have received a lot of attention in the Southland in recent years. Created by Jen Spincic in 2020 Halloween in Burbank and beyond A map and website to index them all. Spincic accompaniment Instagram Contains detailed information on some of the most popular ones, which this year included a house that is a combination of “Wicked” and “The Wizard of Oz” Creepy exploration Everything clowns And joyful celebration Disney inspired culture.

“It’s really exploded in the last three years,” Spencech says. “More and more people are decorating. It’s a destination. I see people on the news keep calling it ‘Halloween Town.'”

Halloween in 2025 often extends into late summer, with conventions, theme parks and movies celebrating the spooky mood coming year-round. Spincic also attributes the growth to our cultural climate, where people need community-based, stress-free places to gather around. “Nowadays, everyone hates each other, because of political differences or whatever,” Spincic says. “It brings people together. People laugh, connect and talk.”

But all of this raises a question. Obviously, the Hatteras Halloween House brings family closer. Nia can talk for more than five minutes explaining the byzantine narrative she’s created for the chase. Rinna speaks proudly about experimenting with the jazzy sounds of the soundtrack (both daughters were members of the defunct Los Angeles rock band Hey Violet). Can they really give up the chase?

Nia says the family is nostalgic for the days before their home was turned into a destination, when they explored the creativity and artwork of others.

“They bought a cabin and want to spend some time building it next year,” Nia says of her parents. “I don’t think we can do anything. My mom and I will be there next year to put up some props, but before we started doing the tours, we would go to the Reign of Terror (in Thousand Oaks), and all the haunted houses. It was a family tradition.”

Enya says he also needs a break. This year they worked with the local fire department to make sure the venue complied with the rules, and on Halloween night they hired actors and security personnel. But before Enea can relax, Anna thinks of a series of dreams for the future – perhaps the family will open a Halloween-themed pizza parlor, or perhaps a “haunted” house that can be rented out.

“My ideas are endless,” she says. “I just have to figure out how to attract Kenny to him.”

Moments after the family talked about retiring the haunted house, for example, they also talked excitedly about the Krampus figure they had purchased that would be appearing this Christmas season. They may be able to remove the haunted place from the yard, but don’t expect the Hatteras House to remain completely quiet at night.