Burbank Residents Transform Homes into Elaborate Haunted Attractions for Halloween
The Los Angeles suburb sees homeowners go all out with spooky displays, drawing crowds from across the region.
Burbank, California, is once again embracing Halloween with homeowners transforming their residences into elaborate haunted attractions. Starting as early as August, residents begin decorating their homes with intricate spooky setups that include animatronics, large props, and even live actors to bring the scenes to life.
The elaborate displays have become so popular that a "Burbank Haunt Map" has been created, listing 125 destinations throughout the neighborhood. While many are designed for drive-by viewing, some homeowners open their houses for a more immersive experience.
Tina Schaefer, who has been decorating her home with her partner Arnulfo Padilla for 16 years, described the tradition as an "addiction." This year, their display features a Pirates of the Caribbean theme with life-sized ship parts. "We spend everything that we have. We recycle everything we can. We just put in everything we can," Schaefer told the California Post about the significant investment in decorations.
Despite the exhaustion that can come with maintaining such large-scale displays, Schaefer noted that the joy of visitors keeps them going. "There’s been times when we’re just so exhausted that we just want to take a break, but we have so many happy people that look forward to coming and being at our house that we don’t want to let them down."
The growing popularity, amplified by social media, has led to increased crowds. Schaefer mentioned that the city has become more involved in managing the influx of visitors. "We have to do so much more work to make sure that everybody’s happy, our neighbors are happy. That’s very important," she added.
The free attractions provide an accessible seasonal outing for many families. However, the large crowds have also led to challenges for some long-standing haunts. The Burbank Clown House, a popular fixture, announced in September that it would not operate this year due to difficulties in securing a suitable location, a decision that reportedly left fans disheartened.