Viral Dallas Christmas mansion attracts attention with Halloween display
Viral mansion attracts attention with Halloween display
A Dallas mansion that became known as the viral Christmas house is fast becoming the viral Halloween house. The city of Dallas ended up spending $25,000 in taxpayer dollars to control traffic around the house last December.
DALLAS - A Dallas mansion that became known as the viral Christmas house is fast becoming the viral Halloween house.
The city of Dallas ended up spending $25,000 in taxpayer dollars to control traffic around the house last December.
Viral Dallas House
What we know:
Even on a Monday in the middle of the day, there were onlookers outside a mansion in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas.
Last December, the house became a TikTok sensation. Videos shared by celebrities turned it into a must-see Christmas lights destination, attracting hundreds of people to the narrow neighborhood street each night.
While it was fun for onlookers, it was a traffic nightmare and headache for many people who live on the street. The city of Dallas said traffic control during Christmas ended up costing taxpayers about $25,000.
Now, the same home is quickly becoming a TikTok Halloween sensation.
What they're saying:
The home’s owner told FOX 4 that he has put up a similar Halloween display for the past three years. He said he does it for the kids.
"I saw it on TikTok first, and she is a huge horror fan, so I was like, ‘Let’s go check it out.’ I didn’t tell her. I was like, ‘I have something to show you,’" said Maddy Jones, who was visiting the house on Monday. "They are dropping the address in TikTok comments. I found it that way."
Dallas home with viral Christmas lights cost taxpayers $25K
A Dallas mansion that went viral on social media because of its Christmas light display ended up costing the city about $25,000.
The other side:
In December, Dallas City Council members discussed changing ordinances to help control the traffic in Preston Hollow or any other neighborhood that might gain future viral fame.
They proposed capping the number of people who can visit a home over a period of days at 100. They also asked city staff to define "excessive light."
"We’re calling this extraordinary neighborhood events. It’s really about extraordinary neighborhood disruption," said Dallas Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis. "The proper place for commercial-sized decorations is not within a quiet residential neighborhood."
Dallas officials said they originally planned to have a new ordinance drafted and ready for a vote in June. Instead, code compliance and other departments are still collaborating on a solution.
They’re now expected to brief the Dallas Quality of Life Committee on Oct. 20 on ways to mitigate various types of concerns in neighborhoods ranging from displays to events.
The Source: FOX 4's Lori Brown gathered information for this story by talking to the homeowner, people who were visiting the house on Monday, and Dallas city staff. Other details come from past news coverage.