Every neighborhood has that one house—the one that goes all in for Halloween. From front-yard graveyards to dancing skeletons and giant spiders, these homes take spooky season to the next level.
Editor’s Note: Events are subject to change, and many are only open to the public on select nights. Please check websites/Facebook pages before heading out, especially for weather updates that may close them temporarily.
Asbury Park. The Halloween House at 1107 Ridge Ave. has a spectacular display of lights, blow-ups and animatronics.
Bound Brook: The Skeleton House was established in 2016 when a family living in Queens upped their space with a house in NJ at 281 Chestnut St. Loving Halloween (and having gotten married the night before on Devils Night), their display includes 50 full-sized skeletons, not to mention 12-foot skeletons, horses, carriages and more.
Brick: Cynthia Young and her family chose a dead pirates theme for their display at 568 Iowa Avenue. Berkeley’s Nightmare Before Christmas at 153 Berkeley Dr. includes a Jack Skellington photo op, singing pumpkins, a flying Zero and lots of special effects.
Another home haunt in Brick is Lennon Acres, known as the Brick Tucky Graveyard, which welcomes brave visitors to 45 Birch Dr. from 5-9 pm Sundays to Thursdays, and 5-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Bridgewater: 13 Skeletons’ hauntings at 948 Rte. 202-206 include an epic daytime, front yard lawn display, a show, “Reverse the Curse” and a Rube Goldberg-inspired Halloween Machine.
And the Lukac family at 247 Carber St. in Bridgewater will have a massive display including a walk-through.
Cedar Grove: Labubu fever continues at Jason Sullivan’s house on Garrett St. He’s also collecting donations for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Cherry Hill: Each year, the DuBois family goes all out to give their neighbors the chills. Their haunted house will be outdoors, made up of over 5 rooms, and you can pick your own scare level! And the Del Purcio’s Haunted Estate at 1000 Robwill Pass has become such a popular fundraiser for St. Jude’s, people are swarming the neighborhood to see the walk-through with live actors.
Clifton: The are two houses across from each other that compete with each other for the best decorations: you be the judge, between 204 Clinton Ave. and 207 Clinton Ave. While you’re in the area, head to 562 Grove St. for its animated displays, sounds and smoke.
Colonia: One of the neighbors along Edgewood Avenue says there are spectacular spooktacular decorations for Halloween.
Dumont: The main attractions are along five blocks: homes on Seminole Avenue, between Prospect and Lafayette avenues; Sherwood Road, between Prospect Avenue and Hickory Street; and Berkley Place, just off of Cypress Road, near Selzer School.
Dunellen: This year’s theme for Nightmare on Whittier is The Curse of Whittier Cemetery. Look for the Pumpkin King, the Zombie King, witches and other creatures haunting 396 Whittier Ave. Come early, because the roads will be shut down due to the overwhelming support of the community.
East Brunswick: There’s a creepy carnival path filled with clowns at 221 Milltown Rd. The walk-through is spooky during the day and even scarier at night.
Fair Lawn: A Halloween display at 10-07 Henderson Blvd. takes on a Stranger Things theme.
Franklin Lakes: There are only three homes on the cul-de-sac off Franklin Farms Court, but it will be obvious which one is dedicated to frightening the neighborhood. There are 10 animatronics set up across the front yard. In between, there are other creepy decorations like a graveyard and a crime scene. At night, a red spotlight shines on the display, which makes it look even more eerie. The animatronics “come alive” at dusk (except if there is heavy rain).
Freehold: The Legend of Seton Hallows at 150 Seton Hall Dr. takes on “A Revival” this year, with more than 30 animatronics throughout Jack’s Lair, with its Deep Dark Woods, Chop Shop, Ghostly Voyage, Black Cemetery, Victorian Manor, Childish Nightmare, Haunted Acres and Big Top Treats. Nights are 6-10 pm, October 18 and 25, weather permitting. And what’s more epic? They build the sets the night before kickoff!
Hackensack: Clinton Place takes over the street with its massive display.
Hackettstown. Known as Mission Holiday Lights, this display takes up the entire yard at 265 Mission Rd. The display is on hiatus for personal reasons this year, but stay tuned for updates next year.
Hawthorne: Welcome to the Graveyard! There are blowups, lights and lots of skeletons at 80 8th Ave., which you can see nightly from sundown to 10 pm.
Antonio Rodrigues goes over the top every year at The Zombie House at 193 Lafayette Ave. in Hawthorne with an incredible display of 180 handmade and 3D printed zombies that take over almost every inch of his property.
Keyport: The Benitez family sure knows how to throw a party – a Halloween party, that is! They got married at 120 Main St. in 2023 and started building their epic set in September. There are tons of animatronics, projections, scary music and at times, actors wandering around.
Lake Hiawatha: The Sutloviches built their Beetlejuice display themselves at 34 Madison Ave. and River Drive.
Mahwah: The Creepy Hollow of Mahwah has a haunted cemetery out front, plus huge animatronics. The property is off Route 202 (Ramapo Valley Road) on the corner of West Ramapo Avenue and Glasgow Terrace, but don’t park in the church’s lot.
Neighbors say a house at 47 Glenmere Terrace in Mahwah has an incredible display with lots of animatronics, fog machines, coffins and a stagecoach.
Manville: Glenn and Donna Kaestner created the Roosevelt Hills Cemetery at 1610 Roosevelt Ave., a home haunt display they’ve put up since 2015. They use this as a fundraiser for Hope 4 Paws in Planfield. This year’s theme is a Victorian period cemetery from the deep routes of the south.
Margate City: Ari Goldberger’s late sister loved Halloween, and he realized his massive display is in tribute to her. The house at 8705 Ventnor Ave. is decked out for the season, with giant decorations taking over the property.
Marlton: Anthony and Christine Papaneri decorate their home at 535 Kettle Run Road every year. They have animatronic dinosaurs they bring out during their open house days when they also offer a walk-through.
Montclair. On Woodlawn Avenue (near Montclair State University), more than 60 skeletons have overtaken the lawn and house.
Also in Montclair, 96 Union St. has a spooky setup worth checking out, with its creepy decorations.
Morris Plains: At 24 Sedgefield Drive, (aka 24 Scarefield) Nick Calabrese changes the scene every year – and this year he’s focusing on a traditional Halloween with a cemetery, ghosts, witches and evil pumpkins. Also, at 89 Patriots Rd., the owner has won multiple competitions because the Halloween decorations are spooktacular.
Mountainside: Eric Couper of MC Home Improvements transforms his front yard on Apple Tree Lane into an epic haunted site. From eerie graveyards to lifelike monsters, Eric’s haunted yard draws visitors from all over.
Nutley: Pirates Swamp Cove will live up to its name by having the fog machine going all weekend in the swamp, plus a dungeon and captain’s quarters; watch out for the cannons at 59 Hillside Crescent. Then, take the drive to Cadmus Street for Nutley Halloween House, where “Foolish Mortals” abound, based on Disney’s The Haunted Mansion.
Oakland: The entire front lawn is aglow with Halloween lights and decorations at 116 Chicasaw Dr.
Ocean Township: Driving through the Wayside neighborhood, you can’t miss the highly decorated houses at 10 Nottingham Rd. and on Hartshorne Road.
Old Bridge: Neighbors want you to check out the display at 73 George Ave.
Park Ridge: Neighbors claim a small fraction of the yard at 138 Ridge Ave. is enough to make you want to see the entire set up.
Ramsey: The spooky walkthrough at 65 East Cedar Pl. is put on by the Guccione family. There’s a donation bin out front for Southern Paws.
Raritan: Kelly and JJ Marini outdo themselves every year with their All Souls Cemetery, which include dozens of skeletons clinging to the house.
Ridgewood: This free spooky maze at 124 Sheridan Terrace welcomes ghouls of all ages. Wander the maze and you’re sure to get turned around as you make your way through a secret passage. Come after dark and you may see a few creepy clowns, too. There’s also an intense house on West End Avenue that includes a zombie cemetery walkthrough. There’s a less spooky hour for kids before the main attraction opens each night.
River Vale:Â For over 10 years, the Zaccherio family and their best friends have decorated their houses on Hermann Avenue with a lot of great decorations. Every year, they dress up and make the decorations come alive.
Saddle Brook: A spooky home on Ackerman Avenue is holding a fundraiser called Skeletons for St. Jude.
Sea Girt: Marlin Manor at 1326 Laurel Ave. is full of surprises. They use projection mapping, lights, lasers, fog and animatronics for their display. There is a singing pumpkin patch, witch’s swamp, spooky graveyard, and 12-foot skeletons rising from the dark. The newest scene for 2025 features pirates; plus returning fan faves are based on Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, and the Bates Motel. The show runs nightly from 7-11 pm, rain or shine. Tune in to 88.9 FM to hear the full experience from your car. The family will collect donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Sparta: The Falbos create a massive display every year at their home at 82 Woodlawn Rd. The comedic twist includes Funnel Brains for sale, a Shish-Ka Bob stand serving Billy, Bloodweiser, and a spooky carnival.
Spotswood: The Haunted Manor & Walkthrough from Schuchardt’s Holiday House – with the 2025 theme of Out Buildings – will be open at 303 Manalapan Rd. from 6:30-10 pm October 17-18, 25-25 and 31. The event supports Feeding America.
Toms River: Terror on South Main is usually ready to send you running and screaming, but it’s on hiatus until 2026.
Terror on Cedar Inn Drive (No. 26) is open every night, but on October 25 and 30 you can visit for a live actor haunted house (that’s free!). You can also visit the Ferone Family Not So Spooky Light Show, which sets up a display at 184 Yellowbank Rd. as a fundraiser for the Popcorn Park Zoo.
3205 Equestrian Way in Toms River is another popular site, which is lit up every night until Halloween by Glenn and Vicky Grimstad. The house will be lit up every night until Halloween, with more animatronics added up until Halloween day. For “Toms River” Halloween on the 30th, there will be fog machines and eerie music and sounds.
Union Beach: The Gress House Holiday Light Spectacular takes place at 14 Johnson Ave. every year with lights and festive blow molds, both for Halloween and Christmas.
Upper Saddle River. The annual Halloween Haunted Scare will be open at Luke’s Luminous Lair, 15 Sunrise Ln.
Verona: Jared and Amanda Breslow worked hard on their display at 55 Mountain Road.
Waldwick: The Haunted Hallows at 146 Lindbergh Parkway has a huge display with full effects.
West Berlin: The Fairview Cemetery Home Haunt draws inspo from the terrifying tales of the Fairview Cemetery—the legend of the Mad Mortician and his sinister experiments say that the dead whisper but the living scream, so if you listen closely, you’ll hear the screams of those who never left. The family invites you to approach the cemetery gates on Halloween night.
Woodcliff Lake: The O’Briens have been decorated their house at 9 Lori Court for almost 10 years, with their famous mannequins dressed as zombies and witches; handcrafted displays that include a large spider on the roof, a casket and a guillotine; and spooky Halloween music blaring from their very own radio station.
Wood Ridge: After dark, dozens of life-sized animatronics come alive at 381 Center Street.
Editor’s Note: Events are subject to change, and some are only open to the public on select nights. Please check websites/Facebook pages before heading out, especially for weather updates that may close them down temporarily.
- Jennifer Amato contributed to this story.
Do you know a great Halloween house in your neighborhood? Let us know! Email a description and photos to jennifer@njfamily.com.
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