Livermore family creates massive haunted house in their backyard

By Katie Nielsen

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    LIVERMORE, California (KPIX) — One East Bay family takes Halloween to a whole new level with a massive haunted house they build in their backyard.

The house is at Sonoma Avenue and Wall Street in Livermore, right across from Granada High School, and for the past 10 years, the Profumo family has gone all out to scare their neighbors.

This is only one small room in the 1,300-square-foot haunted house that Livermore resident Steve Profumo builds with his family each year, because they just love Halloween that much.

“I would say when I was younger I did it because I liked scaring people, and now it’s more about the whole thing. It’s the setup, seeing all the families go through,” said Profumo.

That setup isn’t for the faint of heart. Steve, his wife Michelle, and their two kids, Nolan and Avery, start working on the haunted house in August. They construct an entire building next to their house.

By day, Steve works as an electric estimator for PG&E and said the haunted house gives him a creative outlet for one of his passions — monsters.

“From a young age, I was always into monsters. I remember drawing them when I was young. I went to a haunted house trick or treating when I was real little and that inspired me to go, ‘Oh, I want to do that.’ You know? And it just kind of happens now,” said Profumo.

Steve Profumo didn’t want to show too much of the inside so that people are still surprised when they go through, and he’s got some other secrets he’s keeping too.

KPIX asked him how much it cost to create the haunted house.

“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to say because I don’t want my wife to hear,” said Profumo.

Safe to say it’s in the tens of thousands, but for Steve Profumo, it’s all about sharing his passion for Halloween.

“Make memories they’re going to remember. I remember when I went through a haunted house and got scared from a little kid. So, I’m sure things we’re doing that are scaring younger kids or even adults, they’ll remember it from years on,” said Profumo.

The Frightmare Home Haunt is at 697 Sonoma Avenue in Livermore. It’s open from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. every night through Oct. 31. It’s recommended for kids aged 10 and up. Admission is free, but the suggested donation is some canned food, as they donate all the proceeds to the Tri-Valley Haven Food bank.

The Profumos estimate there will be more than 2,000 people who go through the haunted house this year.

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