CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — It's that time of year again!
With help from loyal viewers, The National Desk has created a list of homemade Halloween displays across Southern New England.
While some are scary, others are cute, “witch” is the point!
Either way, these yard haunts are sure to both delight and fright this season.
Just “creep” in mind the displays are weather-permitting. Some are open daily, while others are lit on certain days only. If you're not in the area, you can enjoy them virtually!
Dead End Cemetery, 21 Albro Lane, Coventry, R.I.
For 29 years, Ken Lynch has been decorating his home at 21 Albro Lane in Coventry -- all 2.4 acres of it -- for Halloween.
His wife, Gail, used to always help set up, as she created tombstones, painted tapestries, and more.
But Gail died suddenly on March 27, 2021. She had a heart attack andcollapsed in Ken’s arms one month after she retired.
Ken said he thought about giving up decorating.
Instead, he decided to carry on their tradition and continues to dedicate the display to her memory.
Gail’s the one that got me doing this," he said.Now, he said, the display is bigger and better than ever, as well as features a memorial to her.
He's has at least 450 tombstones and more animatronics than he can count.
"I love doing this," Lynch said. "It's the best time of the year. I like it better than Christmas."
The display is lit nightly starting at dusk until at least 10 p.m. EDT.
"I keep the lights on a little later on Halloween," Lynch said.
Mike and Joanne Daniels are at it again!
The couple plans a new theme for their display each Halloween.
For spooky season 2023, it's "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
Mike told The National Desk the display features most of the characters from the movie. He said there will be plenty of photo ops for guests.
The display is synchronized to music, including many songs from the movie. Guests can follow along in their cars by tuning in to 89.9 F.M.
There is also a donation bin, as the couple is collecting donations for Spirit of Children, a fundraising campaign that benefits Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The campaign provides costumes, accessories, decorations, and anything else needed for a Halloween party, including volunteers from area Spirit stores.
The display is open every Thursday through Sunday from dusk until about 10 p.m.
Learn more on Facebook.
For the sixth year in a row, Dave Lemire and Rochell Tice are inviting everyone to the Spyntinglin Manor!
This display features skeletons and beasts roaming in a haunted forest.
But that's not all -- an indoor display is in the works!
"Our indoor Haunted Garage Display will also be available the last two weekends of October and Halloween night," the family note in an email.
The couple said donations are encouraged -- but not mandatory -- for two non-profit organizations, including the Scituate Animal Shelter, as well as Vintage Pet Rescue. Contributions can be made online on behalf of Spyntinglin Manor and will directly benefit the non-profits.
"We do not collect or handle any donations here. We simply promote their worthy causes," the family said.
The display is lit nightly from dusk until 10 p.m.
Learn more about the display on Facebook.
Old Tunk Hill Terror Tour, 21 Old Tunk Hill Road, Scituate, R.I.
This year marks the second year Ken and Melissa Cunningham have created a Halloween display.
Ken described it as a “spooky” indoor walk-through that's family-friendly.
There’s also an outside display with coffins, graveyards, skeletons and ghosts, as well as animatronics and live actors.
Ken said there’s “something for everyone.”
The display is open Thursday through Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., as well as Friday and Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Visit Old Tunk Hill Terror Tour on Facebook for more.
The front lawn at 46 Elm Dr. in Cranston is covered with intricately carved jack-o'-lanterns.
It’s the handiwork of Tim Perry, who lives at the home with his wife, Sue.
He's been carving pumpkins for nearly 20 years.
They are craft pumpkins, so I can save them and add more every year,” Perry told The National Desk.Perry's previous displays have featured hundreds of carved pumpkins. He started with 500. Then, he hit at least 660. He reached 1,000 in 2022 and he's up to even more this year -- 1,400!
The pumpkins feature ghouls and goblins, as well as some of his favorite rock stars, including Rob Zombie, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Prince, Freddie Mercury, and more.
As he has done in the past, Perry will again be accepting donations on behalf of the American Cancer Society, as his wife, Sue, was recently disagnosed with two forms of cancer.
The display is lit nightly until 11 p.m.
Learn more on Perry's Facebook page.
Haunted Castle,27 Saratoga Road, North Kingstown, R.I.
Enter this walk-through hall of horrors at your own risk!
This display is a haunted castle that leads to a creep carnival.
Look out for the massive skeleton!
The family has been creating the spooky scene at this location for five years.
They told The National Desk it's open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Four skeletons wearing bow ties and top hats carry a coffin, while ghosts and goblins groan outside a church at North Street Haunting Grounds.
Pete and Nancy Souza, along with their daughter, Alexandria, said creating the display is all about “family fun time.”
They started in 2010 with a grim reaper and later designed a cemetery. Then, added all sorts of spooky sights, including the church.
Pete said most of the display, including its massive “stone” wall, is handmade out of backdrop plastic.
Other props are created using Styrofoam, wood, fishing wire and PVC piping, while many of the animatronics are powered with windshield wiper motors.
The creepy scene will be lit Thursday through Sundaystarting at dusk.
Learn more on Facebook.
1555 Cranston St., Cranston, R.I.
Decorating at 1555 Cranston St. in Cranston is a family affair.
JessicaRosales-Gousie told The National Desk she and her husband, along with their children and a family friend, created the haunted house.
The display features a skeleton, a pumpkin head, a mummy, and a witch, all standing at 12-feet tall. There's also a werewolf that's nearly 10-feet tall.
"I have a few smaller skeletons, as well as a Cerberus, lights in the house and mini statues with each of the tall guys," Rosales-Gousie noted in an email.
There's also a flying bat, glowing skulls, jack-o-lanterns, and dancing skeletons -- all lit by spotlights.
Rosales-Gousie also said she's setting up a fog machine, too.
The lights will be on every night 6 p.m. to 11pm.
Oak Ave. Haunt, 40 Oak Ave., Riverside, R.I.
The Oak Ave. Haunt is a labor of love for Kit Espada and her family.
A fire destroyed part of their home in 2021, but they returned last year and are back again this year.
Espada told The National Desk this year's theme is witches, pumpkins, and scarecrows!
Plus, the family is collecting donations. There’s a bin at their display, encouraging guests to donate non-perishable food items for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that helps feed people in need.
The display is open every night dark until 9:30 p.m.
Marsha and Brian Giroux, along with their four children, love Halloween.
They said their family-friendly display is perfect for little boils and ghouls because it is less about frights and more about lights!
“We started decorating for Halloween years ago because our kids saw a decorated house and asked if we could do that, too!” Marsha said.
"The thing we love most about Halloween is the trick-or-treaters!” she added. “It’s our one night to see our visitors face-to-face.”
The display features glowing inflatables, blinking homemade jug jack-o'-lanterns, and “chasing lights” on the peaks of the house.
Look out for a 9-foot-tall Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas," as well as a massive dragon and multiple ghosts.
They also invite the whole neighborhood over for a dance party on All Hallows Eve, with a DJ playing festive music all night, welcoming hundreds of guests.
"We are looking forward to another record year of trick-or-treaters," Marsha said.
The lights are on night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., which Marsha said they might extend as the holiday approaches.
Learn more on Facebook.
The House on Lakecrest, 11 Lakecrest Circle, Warwick, R.I.
TheMoussally family said this year's creation is their "biggest display yet!!!"
Fred told The National Desk he and his son, Anthony, starting working on the walk-through haunt in early-August.
There are four themed pathways, with each having its own spooky room. They are filled with clowns and zombies -- and there's even a butcher’s market!
Strobe lights, smoke machines and creepy music complete the horror scene.
"This year at the end of the display we have a surprise that no one will expect," Fred wrote in an email.
The family is collecting donations for theWarwick Animal Shelter.
The display is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:45 p.m. to 10 p.m., as well as Sundays from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Halloween night, it will be open from6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fred encouraged visitors to park at the top of the street and walk to the display, as the home is located on a cul-de-sac.
"We hope everyone enjoys the display," Fred said. "Happy Halloween from Fred, Anthony, Arianna, and Renee Moussally."
Learn more on Facebook.
The Haunted Mansion, 149 Rowe Ave., Pawtucket, R.I.
Rick and Leslie Manson are at it again with their haunted mansion!
This year marks the eighth consecutive year the pair have been greeting guests.
"Each and every year, parents and children drive by asking if we will be doing the display because it's something they look forward to," Rick said.
Watch out for the haunted graveyard and the creepy carnival!
This display is lit nightly from 6:30 p.m to 9 p.m. If you visit on Halloween night, you just might get a cup of hot chocolate!
"We are motivated by bringing joy to the kids in the area," Rick said.
*****It will be closed from October 13 through October 21.*****
Killer Klowns, 106 Echo Road, Glocester R.I.
For Rick and Leslie Manson, Halloween decorating runs in the family!
Their daughter, Sydney, said she and her boyfriend, Marc, also have a display at their home.
“Clearly, our inspiration came from them and also growing up with my dad and his Halloween obsession,” Sydney told The National Desk.
Sydney and Marc have been decorating their home for three years now.
It features Slim and Shorty and other characters from the horror movie "Killer Klowns from Outer Space." But that's not all!
"As you walk by the boarded up house, you will see it transition to a graveyard scene and end with Buzz Saw in his his smoky butcher shop with limbs hanging from the ceiling," Sydney said.
The is display lit night from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Good Witches of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Ave., Warwick R.I.
Renee Volpe-Simas said she and her husband are having fun building a display that people of all ages can enjoy.
Massive spiders are crawling all over the house, while skeletons are perched on the roof.
The home is aglow in purple lights, with 12 witches guarding the property.
"The witches have been a hit and we are always adding surprises right up until Halloween," Volpe-Simas said, adding that more props are coming soon. "We have a zombie section planned and a few big surprises we hope to finish by Halloween."
She also said she and her husband love visitors.
"We love seeing the littles light up with joy over all the little surprises," she said.
Volpe-Simas said the display is perfect for viewing day and night.
TheNot-So-Scary Halloween Drive-Thru Display and Spooktacular Musical Light Show, 106 Ten Rod Road in Exeter, R.I.
Anthony and Helen Gemma said their goal is "to make this Halloween Season as fun as it can be" for people of all ages.
Their family-friendly display features more than 250 inflatables and an elaborate light show.
"To keep it new and exciting, we change, add lights and inflatables throughout the season so that each time that you visit you can get a different experience," they noted on Facebook. "There are over 20 different songs coordinated to 20 different musical light shows. Make sure you roll down your window as well to take in the different scents of the Halloween pumped in throughout the display."
They also reminded guests to tune into 106.1 FM "to be fully immersed in this magical Drive-Thru experience."
As they do each year, they are accepting donations to The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, whichprovides resources, education and direct support to local families impacted by cancer.
The nonprofit was established in honor of Anthony's mother, Gloria, "who loved Halloween so much and sadly lost her battle with breast cancer" in 2002.
The display is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It stays open until 10 p.m. on weekends.
The Haunted Cemetery of Lakewood, 74 Holmes Road, Warwick, R.I.
Melissa and Steve DeMelo's annual display is bad to the bone, as it is chock full of skeletons "living" it up in a cemetery!
The couple has been decorating their yard for Halloween the last six years.
Most of the skeletons are dressed as pirates, with some aboard a hand-crafted pirate ship.
There are also witches and ghouls roaming throughout the cemetery.
The display is lit nightly starting at dusk, with the walk-through path open on weekends.
The Sachs Family Lights Extravaganza is new and improved for 2023.
The display includes at least 12,000 pixels and is synchronized to several spooky songs.
Justin Sachs said they added new songs this year!
The full show takes about an hour from start to finish.
The display also features spiders crawling along the roof and siding, with jack-o-lanterns grinning on the front of the house.
The display is lit nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. until Halloween night.
Learn more about the display on Facebook.
The party starts at the Lewis family's home on October 13!
This Halloween spectacular features lights that are synchronized to music.
Songs include "Spooky Scary Skeletons," "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," the theme from "Ghostbusters" and much more.
"We have always enjoyed decorating our home as a family event," according to the family's website. "We have been decorating our home since December 1996 but this is our most ambitious project yet."
Follow along on 106.9 FM.
The display will be lit Sunday through Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., as well as Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Learn more about the display at Lewisholiday.com.
Trivium, 596 Potter Road North Kingstown, R.I.
Witches, skeletons, and beasts -- oh, my!
Mason and Samuel Elefsiades said their walk-through display is free, but added there's an optional donation that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The boys said they set up their display each year with their father, Thomas.
It takes them about three weekends to complete.
"We turn the lists on every night at dusk and shut them off at 9 during the week and 10 on weekends," they said, noting that the lights will likely be on a little later on Halloween night.
"You can go through during the day too if little kids are too scared to go at night," they said.
Joe and Christy Del Regno's Spook-way of Terror, 5 Kenson Dr., East Greenwich, R.I.
Joe and Christy Del Regno have been decorating their home each Halloween for at least 20 years, with their latest creepy creation at 5 Kenson Dr. in East Greenwich.
Every year, the couple adds more props and special effects.
A giant ghost jumps out at guests brave enough to enter the walkway and a scarecrow rises up from the dead!
The display features all sorts of creatures: zombies, crawling demons, hairy spiders, devilish demons, a possessed three-headed dog, as well as flames flickering in the trees.
Joe said it usually takes him 70 hours to complete the creepy cemetery. He added that the display hasn’t always been so elaborate.
"It didn’t start like this,” he said. “It started with one figure and 20 years later, it’s grown into this. We’ve got eight industrial strength fog machines, and, just to let you know, it’s taken me 20 years just to figure out how not to blow all the circuits, so I have this amped up to 10 different lines and I had two additional power boxes installed in my house.”
The display is open two days -- October 28 and October 31 -- from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Porreca’s Carved Pumpkin Creations, 787 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, R.I.
Cristina and Joseph Porreca, along with their loved ones, celebrate an annual tradition by carving pumpkins and showing off the glowing gourds.
This year, they are hoping to craft at least 80 jack-o-lanterns!
“Our family looks forward to this every year,” Cristina said. “We love seeing all the kids enjoy knowing their parents don't have to pay and they even get candy. The kids drive us. We know how much they love it.”
The pretty pumpkins will be aglow starting at dusk until 9 p.m. on Halloween night.
Some lucky trick-or-treaters even get to take a pumpkin home, as they start giving their carved creations away at the end of the night.
ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmp5mknryvedaoqaWcX6LCtMCMrJyeZZikuqa5wJ2cZqCRobmww8SepWacmai9ra3YrGShmaWjwaawjKGmrquVYrGmr86rmK2hn6PAbr%2FKnqOerJ%2BjwG62wJyiZqddoa6vwMSrpaxloKq6sbfIp6pmq6Cesaa%2B0maeoaejqcBus86bo6Kmo2K0s63Vnqqtp56awG6vxKacrZ2irnqnrculZJqtpKq6r3nNop6hrJ2Wv6Z5wZ6dqKqVYrCpvsisq6aZow%3D%3D