It’s a neighborhood Halloween display that’s built a cult following in the D.C. area over the past decade for its spooky vibes and unique attention to detail.
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax takes you to “The Nightmare on Conservation Drive!”
On a crisp fall night, the neon lights, fog from the smoke machines and spooky music in the background form the perfect backdrop as you walk the grounds of this Springfield, Virginia, home, taking in iconic moments from your favorite Halloween horror films.
Dreamed up by the father-daughter duo, Frank and Kim Smith, the “Nightmare on Conservation Drive” has gone from a few items to hundreds of Halloween-themed decorations, including animatronic displays, self-operating electronic haunts and even an entire chorus of singing pumpkins!
That’s the real kicker here: Everything you’ll see — should you dare to visit — is handmade by the Smiths. Engineers by trade, the two not only design and build each item, but they also rig and wire everything to give you the best haunting experience.
By the way, did you know the whole experience is free?
The Smiths told Matt they first started the Nightmare on Conservation Drive back in 2013, when Kim moved back to the area. The father-daughter pair say their initial inspiration for the decorations was a shared love of spooky movies and Stephen King’s scariest novels.
They say they made “the Nightmare” just for themselves at first, but the neighborhood quickly took notice, and they became pretty popular to those walking or driving around in search of the best Halloween displays. Fast forward to 2024, and Matt met families who drove in all the way from rural Virginia and Maryland just to get a glimpse.
Today, the Nightmare on Conservation Drive has depictions of scenes on display from most Halloween/horror movies you might think of as iconic.
On his journey through “the Nightmare,” Matt stumbled into the well from “Silence of the Lambs,” went to prom with “Carrie,” entered into the famous hallway from the elevator door scene in “The Shining” and nearly made “Beetlejuice” appear.
And that’s just to name a few.
Come along with Matt on his video tour that’s sure to be full of tricks and treats!
To get a virtual walk-through, learn a little more about the project, and see how you can visit to experience this one-of-a-kind, family-friendly, haunted attraction, you can visit Frank and Kim’s website.
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