MAULDIN, SC (FOX Carolina) – We’re just three days away from Halloween, you might be looking for a spooky activity to do with family this weekend. If you’re too squeamish to go to a haunted house on foot, maybe you can drive by a few houses from your car.
For some people, spooky season is the best season.
“I just love Halloween. It’s my favorite of all time” said Mark Thompson, Haunted Castle of Mauldin owner.
You might not know Thompson, but you may have seen his house.
“A lot of people will stop and say I saw your house on TikTok” he said.
After a viral video with more than 5 million views– car’s haven’t stopped driving by what Thompson has named, the Haunted Castle of Mauldin.
“I love haunted houses and so I kind of just wanted to have something really scary and really scare the kids, you know, make them cry and stuff” Thompson said.
Over 4 years of putting up the decorations, Thompson estimates he’s spent more than $40,000 dollars. He buys items throughout the year and starts to set up his display in September—and it’s all worth it he says.
“Oh I’ve had whole families crying, literally crying, screaming, crying. I hide behind one of these guys [in the yard]and they’re slowly driving but they’re looking at these things and they don’t see me and I come out” Thompson said while showing us his yard.
The Haunted Castle of Mauldin on Central Avenue has over 100 figures and monsters in the yard. While it might be the biggest, it’s not the only one, dozens of other upstate homes go all out for Halloween.
“We’ve gone big maybe three years in a row,” said Sullivan Williams.
For the Williams’ in the Verdmount neighborhood in Simpsonville, decorating is a family affair.
“I helped my Dad carry all this out here and I helped him undo a lot” she said.
They buy a new big item every year—this year’s item comes with a bite. It’s a 12-foot tall werewolf that grows.
“People they drive by, and if we’re out here they’ll be like, ‘oh my gosh, that’s so cool’,” said Williams. Her favorite part is seeing the people enjoy the decorations.
“Probably just for everyone to admire all the decorations and for everyone to just enjoy them with their family” she said.
Two homes on Fairfield Drive in Mauldin are also a big hit this year. But Mauldin’s Haunted Castle owner is sure—he can’t be beat.
“If there is a house that has more you know, I’d like to see it,” said Thompson.
Most of the homeowners we talked to told us they leave the decor up until right after Halloween and they typically start the lights around 6:30pm. So you still have time to drive by and check it out this weekend.
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