Two El Paso car washes are about to get a lot spookier. Tommy's Express Car Wash is bringing its annual Halloween-themed Tunnel of Terror back to its Eastside and Westside locations in October, transforming ordinary wash tunnels into haunted attractions complete with jump scares, masked employees and spooky sound effects, all while drivers stay buckled into their own vehicles.
According to KFOX, the event will run at the Tommy's Express site at 11330 Montwood Drive in East El Paso and at 5704 N. Mesa St. in West El Paso. Tommy's Express is a national car wash franchise, and this marks the local chapter of a company-wide seasonal push that the business says is meant to give Halloween fans a scare from the comfort of their vehicles.
Dates, Hours and Prices Vary by Site
Company-wide, Tommy's Express says this year's Tunnel of Terror will run between Oct. 9 and Oct. 31, though the exact days and hours differ from one location to the next. The company notes that each site sets its own pricing and rules, and it encourages customers to check the event page for location-specific details before heading out.
Guests generally don't need to register ahead of time or buy tickets, though the chain's event page notes that some locations offer presale tickets that can be purchased on-site. During a location's designated Tunnel of Terror hours, that site typically offers only the haunted experience rather than a regular car wash.
What to Expect Inside the Tunnel
Once a vehicle rolls up and the gate arm rises, drivers should expect about three minutes of terror, per the company's own description of the experience. Jump scares, dressed-up team members and spooky music work together to rattle nerves inside the tunnel, and guests are told they'll remain inside their vehicles the entire time, emerging with a clean car once the scares are over.
Pricing has fluctuated in past years. When El Paso's locations held their fourth annual Tunnel of Terror in October 2025, KFOX's report at the time put the cost at $25 for non-members and $10 for TommyClub members, while a separate report from KTSM listed the wash at $20 with the experience free for TommyClub members. Neither figure is confirmed for this year's event, and the current admission pricing for El Paso's 2026 event has not been published.
Part of a Broader Texas Rollout
El Paso isn't the only Texas market getting the haunted treatment. Participating Tommy's Express locations this year also include Houston, Odessa, San Antonio, Denton, Amarillo and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the company. Last year's El Paso installments ran over two separate weekends, with the Eastside Montwood location hosting its event on a Friday and Saturday in mid-October from 7 to 10 p.m., and the Westside Mesa Street location following the next weekend during the same evening hours, per KFOX's coverage at the time. Whether this year's schedule follows that same weekend format has not been confirmed for the current season.
KTSM's earlier report described the concept simply as a Halloween-themed haunted car wash, a description that still fits as the chain expands its footprint across the state. For now, Tommy's Express is directing curious drivers to its own event page for the specific dates, hours and costs at each participating wash before they line up for their three minutes of terror.
