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After a brief hiatus the city’s favorite front yard Halloween attraction will be back in action this weekend.
The DC Cemetery, a complex and detailed animatronics show that has won national awards and draws a huge crowd every Halloween, will be up and running again this Friday evening at the corner of Bush and Yosemite streets in downtown Mountain View.
Brent Ross, 33, and his family and friends have spent nearly two decades perfecting the display. Ross admits that the time and money he spends on it would be “extremely excessive for a normal person,” but Ross has gone on to become a professional prop-builder for haunted houses and amusement parks, and has written books on the topic.
“It’s amazing what he’s able to do with the sculpting and the welding,” said David Frerichs, a friend of Ross who designed the display’s computer controls eight years ago. “That’s why so many people come from everywhere to check it out.”
The display draws such a crowd that the city has to grant Ross a permit so the street in front of his house can be closed for the event.
This year Ross decided not to have a walk-though portion, as the line was getting too long. But he’s added a new prop, a coffin that opens with a skeleton rigged to jump out. Relentless improvement and attention to detail is why Ross won the 2007 Fearnet.com’s competition for best “home haunt,” and a $50,000 check presented to him on NBC’s Today Show.
Uniquely, the DC Cemetery uses “MIDI” technology that’s commonly used in music recording to run the various characters. “We can actually play each character like they were an instrument,” said Frerichs, an engineer and an executive in the music industry. Every year, the show is created by someone playing a keyboard to ensure that every movement is “organic,” Frerichs said.
Last year Ross took a break to spend some time with his wife and their newborn daughter. He’s starting to feel the financial pinch of the whole thing, which costs as much as $10,000 a year to put on, including $5,000 just to store the props.
The display will run from Friday, Oct. 28, through Tuesday, Nov. 1, starting at 6 p.m. each night. “Child friendly” hours, when volumes are lower and props move more slowly, are set for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.
For more information, visit dccemetery.net.
Glad to have you & Casey back, Brent! You do such a good job w/your Halloween displays. 🙂 I, for one, appreciate what you do! 🙂
Always a great job Brent… I’d also like to invite people to stop by my yard haunt, No Mercy Cemetery on the corner of Oak and Mercy streets. Mine is a static display, nothing moves like DC Cemetery, but all my donations this year are going to the Nine Lives Foundation / Feline Well-Care Clinic in Redwood City. I’ll have the lights on until 10pm tonight and 9pm the rest of the week until Friday 11/4. Please stop by and make a donation to help the cats! Happy Halloween!
I am a long time resident who does NOT care for this attraction. The displays are very nice but they don’t belong in a home front on a residential street. Brent and family need to rent some public place for this attraction. He even said, it draws many people, the street is shut down and it is a nuisance to residents who live RIGHT next to them.
Also, in the weeks and months leading up to Halloween, their driveway is an eye sore because of all the materials that are outside.
So please don’t assume that this is Mt View’s favorite Halloween tradition. Mr. DeBolt, you are writing an opinion. Many of my fellow residents of Old Mountain View don’t care for it.
I disagree. Most of the neighborhood does like this attraction. Most of the visitors are OMVN residents. It builds community, it’s a great tradition.
Hope you keep it open a few days longer — would love to check it out and haven’t been able to make it over yet.
Thanks so much for doing this.