When you think of Halloween, you might automatically picture the Ross house on Lake Trail Drive. For about twenty years, longtime Highland Lakes residents Maureen and Roger Ross have delighted neighbors with their impressive Halloween displays. Their home, one of the first to be constructed in Highland Lakes, has become known as the “Halloween House.”

In the past, you may have stared in awe at their detailed scenes, evoking themes such as a funeral, a presidential debate, or a hospital operating room. One year, they transformed their yard into a campsite complete with a lake, while another year, they used stalks from their farm in Utica to build a cornfield haunted by villains from famous scary movies. Sometimes, the displays are interactive, with Roger dressing up and becoming part of the scene, creating an exciting jump scare for the kids.

Last year, they pulled out all the stops with their “Kiss of Death” full-fledged KISS concert. For this display, Maureen and Roger erected a stage complete with lighting, backdrops, and four skeletons dressed impeccably in handmade costumes as the members of the band KISS. Dozens of skeleton fans watched the concert, some even participating in a mosh pit. 

“I put myself in a particular theme I’m doing,” says Maureen, who spends months, if not years, dreaming up these designs. The KISS concert, in particular, had been on her mind for three years. After picking up a drum set at Goodwill, she began planning the scene. She imagined what else she would see at a concert and brought to life ticket takers and security, Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger running a T-shirt sales booth, and a bar tended by Jason. The icing on the cake was the graveyard of famous rock stars who have passed away, including tombstones for such legends as Michael Jackson, Prince, and David Bowie.

Maureen and Roger both have birthdays at the end of October, with Roger’s falling on Halloween itself. “Halloween has always been a huge holiday for us,” Maureen shares. They began decorating their house for their annual Halloween-themed joint birthday parties, and the scenes have become more and more elaborate as time passes.

A thirty-foot trailer stores Maureen and Roger’s stash of decorations between Halloweens. Maureen estimates they have collected around 100 skeletons and at least thirty 5- to 6-foot animated monsters. The couple puts in days of work – sometimes more than a week – to build a given year’s display, not including the countless hours Maureen spends shopping for props, hand-sewing costumes, and dressing the skeletons.

Maureen and Roger are the parents of two children – Brandon, a fellow Highland Lakes resident, and Makahla, who lives in Nashville. Makahla has carried on the family tradition by decorating her Tennessee home for Halloween, borrowing some of her parents’ supplies. She is engaged to be married, and her wedding is scheduled for October 31 next year. Maureen was the obvious choice for a wedding planner.

Every year, the Rosses are visited by hundreds of trick-or-treaters. Maureen said they started by giving out about fifty candy bars per year. Over time, they have begun to go through ten or twelve boxes from Costco. The displays are so popular that strangers sometimes recognize Maureen and approach her about the Halloween House when she is out and about.

After living there for thirty years, Maureen and Roger moved out of the Halloween House in March, settling into another home on the same street. When they moved, they believed they were retiring from their intricate Halloween displays, but neighbors have insisted they keep the tradition going. We must watch Lake Trail Drive this month and see what they decide to do!