Every October since 2013, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and his wife, actress Chris Lindsay-Abaire, have rounded up as many string lights, as much webbing, and as many animatronic monsters as they could find to turn their Brooklyn home into one of the city's best over-the-top Halloween displays. Even the pandemic last year couldn't stop people from coming by to see how the creepy clowns and spooky skeletons were doing.
And as you can see in the photos up above and videos below, the Ditmas Park house is up and running again this year, with all the crazy, noisy, scary creatures we've all come to love and expect.
Lindsay-Abaire said that people around the neighborhood are constantly asking him when the house will be Halloween-ready. It's become surreal for him: "I of course appreciate how generous the community has been about letting me know how much they enjoy the decorations," he told Gothamist this week. "But I also have to confess that it’s a little strange to find out that more and more people I don’t know have visited the house, or know about the decorations. Lately when I meet someone new and mention that I live in Ditmas Park, they now sometimes say, 'Oh yeah? Do you live near the Halloween House?' Which is weird."
People who were lingering around the house this week told Gothamist it has become an annual Halloween destination for them.
"We live not that far away, and it's a highlight of little bike rides around the neighborhood," said Kristie, who was visiting the house on Wednesday with her partner J.R. She told Gothamist they've come every year since at least 2017: "We were waiting the first week in October for it to be set up, we were so excited when we saw it. We'll bring some snacks and just sit in front of the Halloween house. It's my favorite place to come in October."
According to nine-year-old Amalia and six-year-old Frida, who were also visiting that day, it's all pretty spooky, too.
"I actually do think it's scary," Amalia said, noting it was her first time visiting the house.
"It's a little too scary for me," added Frida. Noting that she did not like to be scared, Frida did say there was one part of the house she did enjoy: "I think the skeletons are the not-scariest part."
Getting reactions and feedback from kids is one of Lindsay-Abaire's favorite parts of the tradition: "I especially enjoyed being confronted by a hardened six-year-old who wanted to know why Regan from The Exorcist was missing this year," he said. "I explained that Regan’s head had stopped spinning but that I’d try to repair it and maybe get her back into rotation. The kid was dissatisfied by the word 'maybe.'"
Located at the corner of Albemarle and Argyle, this Halloween house has always stood out as the most decked out home in a neighborhood that is already proudly pro-Halloween decorations. There are skeletons climbing the turret; dead bodies and other creatures buried in the front yard; witches and jack o'lantern ghouls taking up room on the porch; creepy dolls and giant spider webs; and ridiculous homemade clown paintings.
When night comes, the animatronic creatures come to life, with plenty of creepy growls and grumbles.
There are a few new additions this year as well, including some fairytale-themed zombies, a seven-foot werewolf, several additional clowns and a winged dragon. "Also the skeleton army climbing the turret has grown and now has an animatronic general," said Lindsay-Abaire. "I’ve also added a leaping rabid dog, so I’ve learned that kids really love to scream at jump-scare props. I’ve also learned that my nerves don’t love the sound of kids screaming at jump-scare props. "
Last year, Lindsay-Abaire said he considered not putting on the full display because of concerns over people congregating together without masks, but people were so excited about it, he ended up doing it and adding some social distancing signs.
"I feel much better than I did last year when there were still so many questions around protocols," he said. "A year later, most everyone knows how to behave responsibly with masks and distancing. There will always be stragglers who misbehave, but that’s true no matter where you go in the city."
With so much more attention on the house than when he started decorating it eight years ago, he does feel added pressure "knowing that so many folks look forward to the decorations now. Can I get everything on the porch by the first week of October? How many of the zombies need to be replaced? If I ever decide to skip decorating one year, how many kids am I gonna piss off?"
But he assures fans they don't need to worry about the house disappearing in a plume of smoke: "Not that I’m contemplating taking a break. Pressures aside, I obviously dig the holiday more than a person probably should. So I’ll keep hammering those skeletons to the side of the house."
