Zombie thrills, pirate chills; spooky houses to see in Washington County

Written by Hollie Stark
October 28, 2016

ST. GEORGE — From the fanciful to the truly frightful, fans of Halloween will be able to see plenty of scary sights as they drive around Washington County looking for a good haunt.

Screenshot: A skeleton bursts from a coffin at the home of Todd Wood, Santa Clara, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Screenshot from video by Austin Peck, St. George News
A skeleton bursts from a coffin at the home of Todd Wood, Santa Clara, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Screenshot from St. George News video by Austin Peck, St. George News

There are homemade haunted houses, feats of mechanical engineering, computer programmed wonders and delightful lights. St. George News visited four such residences that provide plenty of ghoulish fun for kids and the kid in everyone. (Watch the video at the top of this story.)

The Wood residence | 1993 Gubler Drive, Santa Clara

A 30-foot ship mast and a skeleton pirate captain are just a few of the over-the-top components of Todd Wood’s pirate-themed house in Santa Clara. A battle royale on the high seas is played out for onlookers and dead men do tell tales.

This marks the 6th year Wood and his family have decked out their house for Halloween and each year gets better.

Wood said that Halloween is like Christmas for him and he spends countless hours handcrafting, placing and programing each character and prop that adorns his yard and home, he said. He spends so much time and energy on each detail that he has affectionately named many of the characters that he has created.

“I kind of went a little overboard with the cannons and the guy on top of the house steering the house,” Wood said of this year’s theme.

It is worth it to Wood who loves sharing the fun of Halloween with the neighborhood and beyond, he said. Wood even has his own YouTube channel that provides tutorials on building Halloween props and decorations.

The Peterson Residence | 1019 S. 500 East Circle, St. George

Creepy decorations fill the yard of Nick Peterson, St. George, Utah, Oct. 18, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Creepy decorations fill the yard of Nick Peterson, St. George, Utah, Oct. 18, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

“What’s going to happen here is that when people come they’re going to get scared,” homeowner Nick Peterson said of his residence.

Smoke machines, eerily laughing zombie children and a spook alley await visitors at the Peterson home Halloween night.

“We enjoy Halloween, it’s one of our favorite times of year,” Peterson said. ” … we get a thrill out of watching people get scared.”

The Peterson home promises plenty of thrills and a big payoff for those who make it through the spook alley, but young children are still welcome to come see the display of creepy things in the Peterson’s yard. There will be a treat table set up out front for those not looking for the fear factor, Peterson said.

The Millett Residence | 71 N. 100 West, Washington City

Washington City resident Aneita Millett brightens up the neighborhood with her fanciful display of lights and whimsical Halloween décor.

Driving through Washington City it is hard to miss Milletts’ beautifully lit home. The many light strings and happy rather than gory characters bring a sense of childish joy to passersby.

Aneita Millett's house is adorned with fanciful lights and whimsical decorations for Halloween, Washington City, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Aneita Millett’s house is adorned with fanciful lights and whimsical decorations for Halloween, Washington City, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Millett loves holidays, she said, and she tries to do something fun in her yard for each holiday. It is something she does for herself that brings her joy. It is an added bonus that it brings others joy as well, she said.

Because of the plethora of colorful lights on display many people have asked Millett about the size of her power bill, she said, but couldn’t tell the answer.

“We just pay the power bill,” Millett said. “Some people go on cruises or to the salon, this is what I do and if the power bill is high that is OK.”

The Martin residence | 2038 S. Great Basin Drive, Washington City

For several years now Brent Martin has created an elaborately programmed Halloween show that he projects onto his home while the soundtrack is played via radio broadcast.

Skeletons decorate the home of Brent Martin for Halloween, Washington City, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Skeletons decorate the home of Brent Martin for Halloween, Washington City, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Skeletons dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” a witch spins a scary tale and cockroaches scatter all across Martin’s Washington City home.

Homemade props and giant inflatable creatures complete the experience. It is an experience Martin said he loves creating for the neighborhood to enjoy.

Visitors can stay in the safety of their car to view the show or step outside to get a better view. The soundtrack is played through speakers so onlookers don’t miss a thing. Visitors who come at the right time may be in for a spooky surprise as costumed spooks sometimes make unexpected appearances.

“I love Halloween, it is absolutely my favorite holiday,” Martin said.

Do you know of a great spooky house in your neighborhood? Share with us in the comments!

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hollie Stark is a writer, outdoor enthusiast, mother, and Southern Utah gal.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

2 Comments

  • Tammy October 28, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    236 s. 2100 email. St. George by fossil Ridge school

    • Tammy October 28, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      236 s. 2100 e. ^^^^oops on my first comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.