Tommy's Express makes a scare at its Haunted Tunnel

COLUMBUS, Neb. -- "It's kind of fun to dress up like I'm a kid again and see the expressions on people's faces,” said Owner Ben Conover. 

Tommy's Express Car Wash in Columbus welcomed the community for its annual spooky-themed Haunted Tunnel car wash on Friday. 

Conover said that the Haunted Tunnel has been happening since the first Tommy's Express. 

"So, our first Tommy's Express was Grand Island, so in 2021 that was our first year of Haunted Tunnel and was just crazy, cars line up six blocks down the street and cops directing traffic,” said Conover. 

The tunnel ran from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. as 15 members including staff, other owners, friends, and families dressed up as ghouls and goblins to get a scare out of those who dared to enter. 

"Usually, it's a ton of fun and it's people seeing how many kids they can cram into a car, so it's a good time,” said Conover. 

From start to finish, participants were met with creepy creatures, scary special effects, and terrifying surprises to take their breath away.

Although the tunnel is a franchise-wide concept, Conover said they put in the work to make it special. 

"You know we kind of go all out, we make a pretty huge investment in Halloween, and you know sometimes we'll see people go through two or three times," Conover said. "They'll come through and then they'll go get dinner and they'll come through again, so it's neat to see the excitement."

Members were able to go through the Haunted Tunnel for free with nonmember rides costing $20. 

Next up is the Tommy's Express in Norfolk on Saturday.