Don't Miss This Epic St Cloud Halloween Display & Haunted House

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting a St. Cloud home that has been celebrating Halloween and sharing their love for the Holiday with others for over 8 years.

8 YEARS OF TRICK OR TREATING FUN

This unique and detailed display has been entertaining visitors for over 8 years now, and the folks responsible for the spooky fun hope everyone appreciates the effort they put into their display and that family memories are made and shared for years to come.

Sara said, "The motivation to do this is that we don't have any kids of our own, so we want to have something for the kids in our community, young and old! We have kids as young as babies to as old as grandparents coming to our display. We even have people with no kids coming to walk through our display."

TREATS ONLY AVAILABLE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT

I asked Sara if there are treats and refreshments available, and she told me, "We only have treats available on Halloween night. We don't do candy. We give every child a microwave popcorn, and then they can pick out 1 other item. We have a 6-pack of Oreos, Rice Krispies Treats, cookies, fruit snacks, Pirate's Booty, and animal crackers. Then we also have little cars, squishes, glow-in-the-dark rings, Play-Doh, and some other cool items. We stay away from candy. They love it!"

Get our free mobile app

Sara and Joe Storkamp invite everyone to experience their Halloween display now through Halloween, October 31st. They are open every day from 6 to 9 pm. It doesn't cost anything to come, but a donation box is available if you would like to donate.

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR FREE - DONATIONS ACCEPTED

Sara added, " It's just a unique experience to be able to see it in person. It brings joy to everyone. Families come over every weekend and spend over 30 minutes walking through the haunted house multiple times a night."

Sara gives her husband Joe all the credit for creating the amazing displays. He even builds some of his own pieces. One that was particularly spectacular was the pirate ship that he built out of 1800s tongue-and-groove flooring. The Ship is so fun, and kids can actually go on the ship to explore, steer the ship, and take photos.

I asked Sara and Joe how many people visit their display each year. Sara shared, 'We don't count nightly totals. We just count the number of people coming through on Halloween night itself. Just on Halloween last year, there were 293 kids that took some treats. So with older kids and parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and adults with no kids, we know we had well over 600 people just on Halloween alone."

‘BooFest’ Brings Halloween Fun to Pine Grove Zoo October 24th

COLLECTING NEW PIECES FOR THEIR DISPLAY

Sara and Joe have been collecting new pieces for their display for years. Joe is the madman who sets up the displays, the monsters, and even builds some of the structures that are used in their display. He has also driven as far as North Dakota in the middle of bad weather just to get pieces that he knew would add more wonder to their Halloween display.

Joe says he drives for Groome Transportation, and when he's driving, the next idea for the Halloween display is always running through his mind. It's not just the outdoor display they have; they also feature a haunted house every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday every year. The Haunted House is also open on Halloween, no matter what day it falls on.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

As you enter through the gates into the Haunted House, you won't find your typical jump scares from people in costume. The Haunted House is filled with amazing animatronic characters, from witches to goblins, skeletons, scary dolls, and what haunted house would be complete without a spider or two. Sara and Joe's house is covered by a castle too! Don't miss the big dragon that sits on top!

DISCOVERY

When you walk through the Haunted House, take your time. Although photos are not allowed inside the Haunted House, you can use your flashlight to look around and see all of the tiny details they've placed for you to find. I would have missed so many cool things had they not told me to look around, so make sure you take your time to see all the cool details. You might see treasure maps, cauldrons, and more.

From gargoyles to witches, they even have pirates and skeletons fighting throughout the self-guided walking tour. There are plenty of spots where you can just wander the grounds and explore.

Throughout the display, you'll find interactive displays. In the one above, knock on the door using the door knocker on the right and wait and see what happens.

A HALLOWEEN DISPLAY NO ONE SHOULD MISS

Everywhere you look, you'll find unique Halloween-related objects. Some are pumpkins, some are gravestones, some move...some do not...but there is so much to see and experience; this is a Halloween display that I would put on the calendar for any age group.

MAKING HALLOWEEN MEMORIES WITH YOUR LOVED ONES

I'm sure you still have some favorite Halloween memories from when you were a kid. That is what will be created here. Sara and Joe hope that they are providing families with those memories. Families can come here dressed in costume if they want; they can take their time walking through the display. They can visit the Haunted House on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

THE INTERACTIVE PIRATE SHIP

LOCATION

The epic St. Cloud Halloween display and Haunted House is located at:

1037 Sunset Ridge Road
St. Cloud, MN 56303

HOURS

Halloween Display: 6 pm to 9 pm Daily
Haunted House: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays 6 pm to 9 pm

LOOK: 34 spooky dessert recipes for this Halloween

LET'S GO: 18 Old-School Halloween Things That Would Never Fly Today

No parents, no curfew, just a plastic mask you couldn’t breathe through and a pillowcase full of candy from total strangers. How many of these did you do?

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz