Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: Is This The Most Impressive Halloween House In Brooklyn?
By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 31, 2018
Modified Oct 31, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 24
By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 31, 2018
Modified Oct 31, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Nobody does Halloween better than New York. There's the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, the impressive displays at homes in Carroll Gardens and the surrounding neighborhoods, the 78th Precinct's haunted house, the masterful Boerum Hill jack o'lantern massacre, and numerous puppy Halloween contests to obsess over. Hell, there's even a haunted subway ride now. But we have one last amazing display to bring to your attention: Is this Prospect Park South residence the most impressive Halloween house in the city?
Located at the corner of Albemarle and Argyle, this Halloween house stands out as the most decorated home in a neighborhood that is proudly pro-Halloween decorations. And to quote Stefan, this house has everything: there are skeletons climbing the turret; dead bodies and other creatures buried in the front yard; skeletons, witches and jack o'lantern ghouls taking up all the room on the porch; creepy dolls and giant spider webs; and of course, ridiculous homemade clown paintings. Then when night comes, video projections of ghosts and spirits appear in the windows (and many of the other creatures come to animatronic life as well).
We spoke to owner David Lindsay-Abaire about how one goes about putting together such an impressive display:
Why and when did you start decorating the house? The PPS Halloween Parade started as a small event many years ago by a few families in the neighborhood. Eventually the PPS Association took it on as an annual event on Albemarle Road, where it was hosted by the Seery family. Soon after we moved into the neighborhood, we were told that the Seerys’ kids were getting older, and because our boys were of trick or treating age, maybe WE should inherit the Halloween Parade duties. Without really knowing what we were getting into, we said yes and started hosting the event in 2013.
So my wife was put in charge of organizing everything around the parade—getting permits, finding volunteers, making sure we had enough baked goods and cider to hand out, etc. I decided that my contribution would be decorating the house a little bit. So I got some string lights, a lot of webbing, and my first few animatronic monsters. Every year after that, I’d get a couple more zombies, or a new witch, and the collection would grow. Five years in, and the porch is so populated that I’ve had to expand to the upper floors.
How long does it to take to put everything up? It happens in phases over a series of weekends starting in early October. People often assume that we’ve hired a company to do it, but no, it’s just me and a ladder. Generous neighbors often volunteer to pitch in, but I have such a system now that it’d take me longer to explain it to helpers than to just do it myself. (And if I’m being totally honest, I enjoy it too much to share.)
Where do you get all those clown paintings from? My wife and I have a really good friend who is an actual clown, and who had been gifted those creepy paintings himself many years ago. When he saw our decorations, he saw the perfect opportunity to unload them.
What's your favorite part of the decorations? My favorite (and the most harrowing to put up) are the skeletons scaling the turret. I spend a lot of time crawling onto the roof of the porch, reaching on tiptoes or leaning out of windows.
What kinds of reactions have you gotten from passersby, neighbors and kids? Once the decorations are up, there’s almost always a group of people on the front lawn with their kids, or walking their dogs, or taking photos. Especially at night when all the lights and sounds are on. If I happen to be on the porch fixing one of the animatronics (they often need repairs), people always have nice things to say. Our favorites though, of course, are the kids. We have several regulars who drag their parents over every night of the week and spend a good chunk of time moving from monster to monster.
What's the best thing about Halloween? Well, I’m a writer, so during the day I’m usually at my desk on the third floor. There happen to be several pre-schools in the neighborhood, and almost every day one of them will walk a small group of kids over to look at the decorations. Which means that at least once a day, while I’m hunched over my keyboard, deep in thought, desperately trying to put sentences together, I’ll be startled back to reality by the ear-splitting shrieks of children on the front lawn. To me, that’s the best part. It makes me laugh every time.
And the worst part? When Halloween’s over I have to take down all that crap and carry back into the basement.
Tagged
ditmas park
halloween
halloween house
prospect park south
original
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Oct 2, 2026
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .