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DIY Prop Maker’s Annual Halloween Horror Display is a Huge Hit

For horror movie fan and self-taught prop maker Noah Gutierrez, Halloween is the chance to show his stuff. Each year the Texas resident turns his family’s front yard into a tableau representing the stars of horror movie classics: “Friday the 13th,” “The Exorcist,” “The Ring,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” and more.

Years ago, Gutierrez started out by purchasing off-the-shelf masks and mannequins. But “that got to be expensive,” he told local newspaper Rowlett Lakeshore Times, “so now I make my own and do everything.”

“He said the heads alone can cost up to $300, so he began watching videos online and taught himself to make his own. He purchased mannequins for the bodies and added skin, bone and acrylic eyes to make them more realistic. He also shops around to find the perfect outfits so all of his props stay true to their movie, which can be a year-round effort.”

At this time of year, the Gutierrez’s yard has become locally known as the Nightmare on Hanover Court, and has transformed his sleepy neighborhood–which formerly had single-digit numbers of trick-or-treaters–into an attraction that hundreds of people come to visit from around the country.

You can see some behind-the-scenes photos on Facebook, and if you’d like to visit yourself, here’s the info:

Address: 2309 Hanover Ct., Rowlett, TX

Hours: Saturday 6-9 & Sunday 6-9pm