'Nightmare In Nassau,' Scary Attraction For Families In Westbury

WESTBURY, NY — "Nightmare in Nassau" is the brainchild of Frank Digiacomo, an NYPD chief who grew up in Bay Shore, and his retired FDNY partner.

The Halloween attraction opened on Friday and will provide scary fun in Westbury.

For the past five years, "Nightmare" was a free event in Bayside, Queens, where he had a successful test run and figured out how to operate the haunted house.

After the popularity, Digiacomo decided to connect with Samanea Mall.

"It turned out to be the best thing ever," Digiacomo told Patch. "The mall is so family-oriented. It's turning out to be a good experience, so far."

He hopes to get the word out effectively, and good word of mouth will bring families for the screams. After that, Digiacomo is expecting to sign a long-term lease with the mall on Old County Road.

This Halloween spectacle has two versions — a standard scary option in the evening and a less scary tour in the daytime, where "we tone the whole thing down."

While they recommend 12 and older for the scary haunted house, "some families, if they want to bring the little ones, they can bring them," Digiacomo said. "Some kids love the stuff."

Digiacomo said they give warnings to guests before starting the attraction, and they are listed on their website.

The exits are "well-marked and glow in the dark," he said.

Whichever option is chosen, the haunted house typically takes about 25 minutes to navigate across over 10,000 square feet. Plus, it's large enough to be wheelchair accessible.

"We have a lot of interactive parts with the actors. The space we have works very well for the haunted house."

It's located on the site where a Gap store stood.

"We actually use the dressing rooms as a jail cell," he said.

You can purchase timed tickets on the website. "Nightmare in Nassau" runs Thursday-Monday through Nov. 2.