Skeletons are taking over on Wheeler St. SW.
A family of skeletons roast marshmallows over a campfire. A trio of skeleton witches stir a cauldron. And there is even a group of skeleton racoons digging through a trash can.
All this and so much more can be seen if you drive by 411 Wheeler St. SW, which has loving been dubbed The Skeleton House.
Homeowner Jamie Estep said she has always loved Halloween, and her yard decorations are her way of sharing that love with other people.
“It was always a fun time for me, and now it’s very nostalgic,” she said. “With this yard, I’m really hoping to create for today’s children the kind of memories I have from my childhood.
“It seems like Halloween is not as big of a deal as it once was. People aren’t trick-or-treating as much, and people aren’t handing out candy as much. So I hope this encourages more people to bring that back.”
Estep said the Halloween décor started out small in 2019 when she lived at another location and got a skeleton horse.
“It started with just the horse, and then I bought two skeletons,” she said. “Then each year I kept adding and adding.”
Things really kicked into high gear when she moved into her home on Wheeler.
“When I moved here I had a much bigger yard and so much more space to play around with,” she said. “So I added the trees. I also added in a second big skeleton to go with the one I already had, and then I just kept adding.
“People ask me if I’m going to stop, but honestly if I think of an idea, it’s going to happen. If I start running out of room there’s always the roof!”
This year, Estep began a Facebook page to let more people in the community know about her “haunted” yard.
“Neighborhood people see it, but I’d like the whole town to see it,” she said. “It’s kind of a secluded area down here, and unless you live here or know somebody here, you would have no reason to ever come down this way.”
She encouraged anyone who would like to see things in person to come at least twice. Once during the day and once after dark.
“I always tell people to come during the day because you see a lot more of the details, but you should also come at night,” she said. “That’s because at night things are a bit spooky and everything is lit up to add to the atmosphere.”
Estep is looking forward to seeing trick-or-treaters this year.
“Last year we had around 120 trick-or-treaters which was really good, but I’d love to see even more this year,” she said.
To find out more about The Skeleton House and see more pictures search for The Skeleton House on Facebook.
