Midwest Region
Haunt on Williams
Randy Skalos
Photographs by Fred Scruton: 2011 - 2022
In 2020 Randy Skalos resurrected his elaborate Halloween display for the 30th time. It attracts hundreds of visitors and is the local epicenter of Halloween – the city of Conneaut closes Randy’s block on Halloween night, and there are long lines of costumed visitors waiting in the driveway at the curtained entrance to his garage turned haunted-house.
inside the garage:
Randy’s haunt is a (mostly) outdoor display of his collection of premium, vintage, and handmade props. Featuring many animatronics, sound effects, fog, and a hissing/spitting young cannibal girl, there are no cheep seasonal Halloween store items to be seen! In addition to his factory job, Randy works seasonally on the maintenance and restoration of Bill Tracy’s 1970’s vintage “dark ride” fun-houses at Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. Many of Randy’s props have interesting, often convoluted stories about who made them – or where they came form, and how Randy was able to acquire them.
Typically, after weeks of preparation, Randy opens his haunt on the weekend before Halloween, then starts dismantling it the day after. A yearly group of friends and family assist, including with the annual carving of pumpkins that run from the street along the right side of the driveway. Fellow Conneaut, Ohio Halloween display maker Jeannie Tagle (who refers to Randy as her “Halloween husband”) first directed me to Williams St. in 2011: Randy’s haunt has been an annual hoot ever since.
See also:
- Halloween Displays | Photos by Fred Scruton
- Fetterolf Halloween Display | Photos by Fred Scruton
- Nightmare on Liberty Street - Halloween | Photos by Fred Scruton
- Haunt on Williams - Halloween Night | Photos by Fred Scruton