Central Florida has been overtaken by frightening fiends and ghoulish gatherings on front lawns of suburban homes as Halloween fast approaches.

Many Orlando-area homes feature skeletons that tower over the neighborhood, witchy covens, horror movie icons, clowns, pirate ships, pumpkins, zombies and vampires. Some of these spooky spectacles incorporate lights that dance to music, animatronics that come to life and graveyards full of tombstones. Others incorporate unique themes, play on nightmares and stir up clinical cases of the heebie-jeebies.

For our fifth annual Orlando Sentinel Spooky Awards, we’re highlighting 25 haunted homes (in no particular order) that stand out during this 2026 Halloween season.

Spell-binding Spectacle

The Valle family’s Maitland home has been overtaken by a witchy gathering on the front lawn. The purple-hued scene features more than a dozen individual witches participating in various activities: brewing potions, hovering over the ground, reciting spells, fortune telling and warning passersby of the power of their spells. A sign in the yard does advise visitors: Beware of Witches. A backdrop of pumpkins and flickering green lights wrapped around a towering oak tree add to the ambiance.

Address: 2216 Chippewa Trail in Maitland

Scallywags Welcome

A swashbuckling scene spans three houses in Maitland with skeleton pirates in the East India Company Jail, some at the Scallywag Saloon or hanging out on a large pirate ship. One even got in trouble and is shackled to a wooden pillory, serving as an example to others who disobey the crown and engage in piracy. It’s a creative homemade display and an impressive collaboration among neighbors.

Address: 2006 Mohican Trail in Maitland

Release the Kraken

Another pirate-themed display can be found on a quiet street in Altamonte Springs, complete with smoking cannons and giant tentacles emerging from the ground. It’s a pirate’s life for the skeletons spread across the front lawn.

Address: 404 Oakhurst St. in Altamonte Springs

Ghastly Games

An “Arcane Arcade” has taken over the front lawn of Becky Schaff and Jason Jakubowski, who make a new custom-themed display each year. A 12-foot skeleton plays an oversized arcade game at the front of the corner lot — spooky Mario characters in one scene and ghoulish figures play arcade cabinets in the middle. Visitors can see vignettes of Duck Hunt, House of the Dead, Mortal Kombat, Space Invaders, Venture, and Pac-Man.

Address: 1401 Henry Balch Drive in Orlando

Pumpkin Porch

During the Halloween season, Shawn and Ryan Tofte’s house illuminates with a cool blue hue while jack-o’-lanterns provide a warm glow on the steps and yard. The caretaker watches over the scene from the porch. Enchanted lanterns are suspended in the air, giving a magical ambiance to this charming Orlando home.

Address: 1412 Ferris Ave. in Orlando

Skeletons Assemble

“The Avengers” and Marvel Universe are central to this Colonialtown neighborhood display, which features a towering 10-foot Ant-Man, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Panther, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Loki, Dr. Strange and more as skeletons. Homeowner Dawn Knight spent about six weeks hunting for thrift store costumes, which she modified to fit skeletons, or making pieces from scratch.

Address: 1704 Weltin St. in Orlando

Scream Scenes

“Nightmares Unleashed” makes its annual return to the front yard of Jeff Earley and Kevin Cichon, who spend months working on their display. This year a ghoul towers over the entrance, welcoming visitors — or perhaps warning them to stay away. Walk past a guard wolf to see a potion brewing, a spidery scenario in the yard, gothic graves, a skeletal spot in one corner and plenty of gore on the porch. It’s a foreboding and frightening display — complete with fog and dramatic lighting — that is certainly the stuff of nightmares.

Address: 2119 E. Jefferson St. in Orlando

“Just Buried”

The Baldwin Park home of the Meltz family has been transformed into “Twin View Manor,” a haunted wedding venue. This “wedding of the undead” features a 12-foot-tall groom and bride wearing a custom wedding dress, plus skeleton musicians, a creepy choir and a hearse with a “Just Buried” sign. On Halloween night, celebrate the reception with caterers handing out cake to hundreds of trick-or-treaters.

Address: 4432 Twinview Lane in Orlando

Awesome Arachnids

The spiders have been working hard at the home of Brooke and Rhett Delaney. The clean, colorful lights on the front of the home add to the ambiance of Halloween along Aloma Avenue in Winter Park. With glowing bats, spiders and eyes, the lights accent the historic home with just the right touch.

Address: 1331 Aloma Ave. in Winter Park

The Rabones

Punk’s not dead. Or is it? The Rabones appear on the front porch of this Winter Park home in a themed display crafted by Marshall Harris and his partner, Natasha. The skeletal Ramones-themed tribute features riffs on the band’s songs, with “Rot-a-way Beach” and “I’m gonna be cremated.” Previous years included Talking Deads and Fleetwood Macabre.

Address: 2622 Ambergate Road in Winter Park

Hellish Home

Visit Orlando’s Dover Shores neighborhood to see a “Nightmare on Lenmore.” The display features a tent filled with clowns, body parts hanging from a tree and a central pumpkin patch that anchors the display. Evil spirits lurk at every turn when observing this hellish home.

Address: 1036 Lenmore Court in Orlando

Psycho Props

Zan Bates took inspiration from his own last name when crafting his display themed after the movie “Psycho” and the murders at Bates Motel. The scenes come to life in Bates’ front yard display, which also includes a cemetery with a grave for Florida Man. Inscribed on the tombstone: “Here, Hold My Beer!”

Address: 4042 Conway Place Circle in Orlando

Spooky Soiree

Halloween high jinks abound at this Orlando home with skeletons of all sizes participating in mischievous tricks. One skeleton is mowing right over another, while others tend to buckets of slime, climb on the larger figures and play around the yard.

Address: 3733 S. Fern Creek Ave. in Orlando

Skeletons for St. Jude

A lot of work went into this “poison apple pumpkin patch” display which takes up an entire corner lot. There’s a central spooky summer camp scene, a pumpkin patch, the gates for the Nevermore Academy from Netflix’s “Wednesday” in front of the house and a homemade Haunted Mansion in the side yard. Amy Newton and her friends put many hours of effort into this display, which raises money for children through the nationwide “Skeletons for St. Jude” fundraising effort.

Address: 5008 Oak Tours Drive in Orlando

More info: frightmaps.com

RIP Rides

The home of the Swerzenski family is decked out with dozens of skeletons and ghoulish figures lining the front lawn. Look more closely at the tombstones and see the Orlando attractions cemetery, which is meant to “be a home for all things loved and lost in our beloved theme parks in Central Florida.” In the past year or two, Orlando lost the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Fast & Furious — Supercharged, Dinosaur, Muppet Vision 3D and more. The only constant is change for Central Florida’s parks. Rest in peace, rides.

Address: 11919 Allamanda Court in Orlando

Cursed Cinema

In Windermere, A.J. Martinez has a haunted house that has taken over his family’s two-car garage every year since he and his wife moved to Central Florida in 2019. Experience the “Silver Scream — Cursed,” which brings horror characters from favorite films to life. Animatronics lurch at guests as they walk through scenes from theater to theater.

Address: 13161 Vennetta Way in Windermere

Hours: 7:30-10 p.m. Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1 (open until 11 p.m. on Halloween)

More info: storytellerhaunt.wixsite.com/storytellerhaunt

Creepy Celebration

This Halloween spectacle is sweet, synchronized and a little spooky. Laureate Park Lights aims to dazzle the Lake Nona community with lights that dance to music. See singing pumpkins, dancing spiders, glistening ghouls, bats and more in this animated showcase of seasonal spirit. This year’s playlist features music by Teddy Swims, The Rolling Stones, Tame Impala, Olivia Rodrigo and a tribute to Dolly Parton. One sequence has musical vignettes of classic horror films.

Address: 8195 Upper Perse Circle in Orlando

Monster Mash Up

The front porch and lawn of this Celebration home is elaborately decorated with clowns guarding the entrance and working hard in a mad scientist scene on the porch. One side of the house has a glowing pumpkin patch, trees and the Scooby-Doo gang with their Mystery Machine. The other side of the yard has a full stage and a skeletal rock band set up. It’s an immersive haunt that certainly took some effort.

Address: 205 Celebration Blvd. in Celebration

Mickey’s Nightmare Before Christmas

Celebration knows how to bring Disney magic home, and that’s certainly true of this home, which centers on Mickey and Minnie dressed as Jack Skellington and Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Jack-themed pumpkins line the front lawn and Zero the dog is present in window posters and near the front door. The neighbors two doors down get an honorable mention for their Halloween-themed dancing lights display synchronized to music.

Address: 1100 Celebration Ave. in Celebration

Macabre Menagerie

A witch towers over the front yard, and that’s just the start of this creepy compilation that includes Chucky dolls in the upstairs window, spiders and webs abound, Gremlins, gravestones, nods to “Friday the 13th” and miniature skulls. On select nights the homeowner projects images of Beetlejuice, Cruella de Vil and other characters onto the side of the house. At the end of the cul-de-sac there’s a zombie-themed scene at a neighbor’s house that’s also worth a visit.

Address: 1026 Maiden Terrace in Celebration

Party Pumpkins

Whether it’s Halloween or Christmas, Banbor Lights is always worth a trip to Davenport. Lights pulse to the music, characters sing along and spotlights shine into the night with a playlist that includes Lady Gaga, “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” and even “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” See singing pumpkins, an animated tree and gargoyle, plus an LED screen on the garage. The family also collects new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations for Toys for Tots.

Address: 7237 Mystic Brook Way in Davenport

Hours: 7:30-10 p.m.

Tune to: 91.5 FM

More info: facebook.com/BanborLightsSpectacular

Halloween Hero

In perhaps one of the longest-running Central Florida Halloween displays, 81-year-old Noreen Browning has been decorating her St. Cloud home since 1982. Her vignettes tell stories in the smallest details, which she puts together over months. See black cats, a pumpkin patch, plenty of skeletons, a witch coven, a cemetery scene and an inflatable clown towering over the yard. Many of her pieces have been retired, but a few of them were once used to dress up her New York home more than four decades ago.

Address: 708 Carolina Ave. in St. Cloud

Carn-Evil

As soon as Eric Corriea wrapped up his Christmas display, he decided his Halloween 2026 theme would be “Carn-Evil.” See creepy clowns and spooky skeletons in scenes across the lawn, including an oversized spinning dartboard with a skeleton strapped to it. The stars of the show are the thousands of bulbs that pulse to music and a clown that sings along to songs. Visit during opening hours to control the lights and playlist by scanning a QR code — and on Halloween play carnival games in the garage.

Address: 5155 Cape Hatteras Drive in Clermont

Tune to: 91.3 FM

More information: facebook.com

Mysterious Manor

For years, the Williams Holiday House has been known for extravagant Christmas and Halloween displays. This year, guests can find the clown tent, a porch full of animatronic figures, a Haunted Mansion set complete with hitchhiking ghosts, a backyard cemetery, a miniature Halloween town, a tent with a three-headed dog, a mad scientist’s lab and even “Star Wars” characters. The house can get busy on peak nights.

Address: 15304 E. Oakland Ave. in Winter Garden

Hours: Noon-9 p.m. daily, open until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday (no dogs allowed)

More info: facebook.com

Glowing Ghouls

Jordan Alderman has been transforming his front lawn into an expansive Halloween scene for six years, this year introducing handmade tombstones, cemetery columns and an 8-foot mausoleum that took three weeks to create. See 15 inflatables and eight animatronics lining the lawn, creating a scene that’s both eerie and whimsical to delights neighbors.

Address: 7604 Country Run Parkway in Orlando

In Memoriam

For years, George Case decorated his Orlando lawn with lovingly handmade wooden Halloween cutouts, including black cats, skeletons, werewolves and ghosts. He dedicated the display to his late wife, Beatrice, who painted many of the pieces. He passed away in May at 88 years old, leaving his yard empty this year. Rest in peace, George.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.