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Okay, the haunted car wash Michigan gets every October is one of my favorite weird Halloween traditions. You get a clean car AND a jump scare, all without leaving your seat.
Tommy’s Express, the car wash chain that started right here in Holland, is bringing back its Tunnel of Terror for 2026. If you’ve been searching for a haunted car wash Michigan actually does well, this is the one.
How I checked this: on October 6 I opened all nine metro Detroit Tommy’s Express location pages and pulled the haunted car wash Michigan dates, hours and pricing off each one. Seven had 2026 details posted. Two did not, and they are named below rather than guessed at. I also checked the two other metro Detroit operators that run one of these most years — neither has 2026 dates up yet, and that section says so plainly.
Dates and locations · What it is like · Too scary for kids? · Other car washes · Before you go · FAQ
You pull in, the gate goes up, and the tunnel turns into a haunted house. Think costumed team members, jump scares, and creepy music while your car gets washed. Some locations add little tricks and treats before and after the tunnel too.
Heads up: during Tunnel of Terror hours, that location only runs the haunted wash. So if you just need a normal wash that night, go earlier in the day.
Honestly, it depends on your kid. Tommy’s says it may not be right for young children or anyone who scares easily, and some locations go more family-friendly than others.
My tip: check your location’s Facebook page for their vibe, and maybe do a daytime drive-by first so the tunnel isn’t totally new.
Every haunted car wash Michigan location below came off that site’s own page, not off a roundup. Seven have posted 2026 details. Two haven’t, and I’ve named them rather than guessing.
| Location | Dates | Nights | Hours | Member | Non-member |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Orion 861 Brown Rd. | Oct. 30–31 | Fri, Sat | 7–10 p.m. | Free | $20 |
| Royal Oak 31800 Woodward Ave. | Oct. 24–31 | Saturdays | 7–9 p.m. | Free | $25 |
| Southgate 15041 Dix Toledo Rd. | Oct. 23–30 | Fridays | 7–9 p.m. | Free | $25 |
| Taylor 12800 Telegraph Rd. | Oct. 23–24 | Fri, Sat | 7–9 p.m. | Free | $20 |
| Ypsilanti 5458 Carpenter Rd. | Oct. 23–31 | Fri, Sat | 6:30–9 p.m. | $25 | $25 |
| Fort Gratiot 4247 24th Ave. | Oct. 23–24 | Fri, Sat | 7–9 p.m. | $15 | $25 |
| Grand Blanc 5661 S. Saginaw Rd. | Oct. 23–25 | Fri–Sun | 7–10 p.m. | $15 | $25 |
Presale tickets: Lake Orion and Taylor both sell them on site. Ypsilanti and Fort Gratiot sell presale tickets that take $5 off. There’s no online option anywhere.
What I couldn’t confirm: Westland (37401 Ford Rd.) and Flint (3489 Miller Rd.) have no 2026 Tunnel of Terror posted on their location pages as of today. That doesn’t mean they’re not doing it — it might just not be up yet. I’d rather leave them off than send you somewhere on a guess, so check those two directly if they’re your closest.
To check any location yourself, find it on the Tommy’s Express locations page and scroll to its promotions and events section, or follow that location’s Facebook page. Each site posts its own details.
Tommy’s is not the only one. Two other metro Detroit operators run a haunted car wash most years — and neither has posted 2026 dates yet, so treat these as ones to watch rather than ones to drive to tonight.
3827 W. Vernor Hwy, Detroit. This is the one that started it here — the family calls itself Michigan’s first haunted car wash, and the owner has said he got the idea off TikTok in 2020. It is a different animal to Tommy’s: later, louder and genuinely aimed at adults. In 2024 it ran October 25–31, 8 p.m. to midnight, and the haunt added about $8 on top of whatever wash you picked, so roughly $20 all in. The people in the masks are family and staff, not hired actors, and the theme changes every year. Nothing is posted for 2026 as of October 6 — their Facebook page is where it shows up first.
Four locations across Chesterfield, Shelby Township, Clinton Township and Sterling Heights. Theirs is the family-friendly end of the haunted car wash Michigan scale — strobe lights and costumed employees, billed for all ages, and free with your wash rather than a separate ticket. They do one Friday night per location, 6 to 9 p.m., working through October. Their event page still shows 2024 dates and has not been touched since that November, so there is nothing confirmed for 2026.
Why it matters that these are one-night-per-location: unlike Tommy’s, which runs the same site across a weekend, these two put a single site on a single night. If it is posted and you want to go, that is the night — there is no backup.
👉 Still sorting costumes before you go? My Amazon lists: Halloween Costumes 2026 (kids, family and the zero-effort ones), Kids Halloween Costumes and Lazy Halloween Costumes. And because you will be out after dark either way — Halloween Night Safety: Glow Sticks, Flashlights and First Aid (16 items).
Seven metro Detroit sites have posted a haunted car wash Michigan date for 2026: Lake Orion, Royal Oak, Southgate, Taylor, Ypsilanti, Fort Gratiot and Grand Blanc. Westland and Flint had nothing listed when I checked on October 6. Dates and prices are in the table above.
Depends on the location. Each one sets its own member and guest pricing. Of the metro Detroit sites, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, Southgate and Taylor are free for TommyClub members; Fort Gratiot and Grand Blanc charge members $15; Ypsilanti charges members the full $25.
No. Just show up during event hours. A few locations sell presale tickets, but only in person at the car wash.
Plan on about 3 minutes in the tunnel, plus however long the line is. Lines get long the week before Halloween, so earlier in the month is your friend.
No. During Tunnel of Terror hours, that location only runs the haunted wash. Go earlier in the day if you want a normal one.
As Halloween outings go, a haunted car wash Michigan families can knock out in twenty minutes is cheap, easy and completely different — and you leave with a clean car. Grab the kids (the brave ones), roll the windows up, and enjoy.
If you’re building out the rest of the month, I’ve also got the best Halloween streets in Metro Detroit, Michigan Halloween train rides, costume ideas for the whole family and 47 Halloween treats.
For more Michigan finds and the best deals every day, join the Simply Sales Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/simplysalesalyssasarah
