GALION, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A Galion family has pulled the skeletons out of the closet this year.
Kellie Hamilton and Chris Gimbel have gone all out decorating their 368 Grove Avenue home for Halloween, with talking skeletons, massive monsters, witches, and more. All part of a lighted display that nearly stops traffic at night and draws droves of trick-or-treaters to the two-story Victorian home.
“We just have fun with it. We put it up the first of the month and we add to it almost every day,” said Kellie, a lifelong fan of Halloween and anything frightful. “This year we kind of went a little crazy though.”
And creepy.
With plenty of help from her sister, Laura Sweitzer of Bucyrus, the three have transformed the front yard into a one-of-a-kind attraction guaranteed to bring thrills and chills to those who dare to get close – a larger than life-size werewolf, a floating witch, an animated horse, and more than 1,000 black spiders lurking amid the gargoyles and gravestones.
Laura sewed black draping for the front porch, which cleverly hangs from a hidden curtain rod. She also crafted tombstones for the cemetery and fire rings for the bubbling witch’s cauldrons, then added cotton spider webs to the shrubs, wrought iron fence, and pumpkin-lit walkway. “We love Halloween. Our mom and dad loved Halloween. We just took it to the next level.”
Chris is a horror movie show buff from way back and the electrician behind the massive display, which also features a fog bubble machine. “We like creepy old houses,” he said. “I did Halloween puzzles as a kid. Now my house literally looks like one of the puzzles,” he said, opening his phone to a photo of the 1973 jigsaw puzzle “House on Haunted Hill.”
The women’s fascination with Halloween also dates to their childhood when their father, Bob Hamilton, carved pumpkins and their mother, Phillis Hanline, created elaborate Halloween costumes for the four children, which they wore in the Bucyrus Mardis Gras parade. Kellie as a teenager also worked for Dave Lady, a mask maker and operator of the Horror Hotel in Chatfield.
Three years ago, the sisters hatched a Halloween plan in honor of their parents. On September 30, their mom’s birthday, they decked out the front porch with a handmade witch, a talking skeleton, and a Weeping Angel from “Doctor Who.” Then they bought more bony bodies with beady eyes at a box store after the season and began the hunt online for other spooky accents.
“A lot of it you don’t even see in the stores,” said Kellie, who also collects mannequins and vintage blow molds for Halloween and Christmas. “It sells out so fast. As soon as you see it on the website, you have to click on it, or it’s already sold out.”
The archway with skulls straddling the sidewalk is a new addition to this years’ attraction, along with the animated horse, a spider, and a cemetery angel. A scary bride and a witch peer out of a bay window on the east side of the 1880’s home, while stacking pumpkins that glow in the dark – Kellie’s favorite decorations – adorn the two picture windows.
The home, Kellie admitted, also has a Halloween vibe year-round. The kitchen is filled with evil pumpkin faces, while masks and framed horror movie pictures decorate other rooms. “Everybody knows we’re big Halloween people. Ever since we owned the house, we put eyeball lights in the windows. It makes the house look like it’s watching you.”
The trio of course will dress up for Galion’s trick-or-treat, carrying on a family tradition. Eerie music will fill the neighborhood as they play the part and pass out a tote full of candy to more than 600 beggars wanting candy – and waiting to get spooked. Because in a way, they’re kids at heart too, especially this time of year.
“I think it just takes you back to when you were a kid,” said Kellie. “You can be anything you want to be at Halloween. It just takes you back to a fun time.”
