A Michigan family has turned their St. Clair Shores home into a haunted walkthrough that rivals professional attractions, proving you don't need a massive budget to create spine-tingling scares.
Watch the full story in the video below
Jeffrey Goode, his husband Michael, and their friend Mindy Crabtree have transformed their Masonic Street home into "Mayhem on Masonic," a Halloween spectacle that's drawing neighbors and visitors from across the area.
"Each year it's gotten bigger and bigger. We've added a little bit here, a little bit there. It's been trial and error for the last couple of years," Jeffrey said.
The trio has been perfecting their fright-fest for nearly four years, with most decorations crafted by hand. This year's display cost around $120, with pumpkins being the most expensive single purchase.
"The fact that most of it is handmade," Jeffrey said when asked about the attraction's unique elements.
Over the years, the group has invested about $5,000 into their spooky collection, with animatronics being their biggest splurge. Their most expensive piece is a $400 dragon that joins other animated creatures purchased during off-season clearance sales.
For the creators, Halloween represents more than just decoration — it's about nostalgia and community building.
"I have very fond memories growing up and trick-or-treating with my friends and my family. And they don't do that anymore," Crabtree said.
The attraction has successfully drawn visitors to a street that typically sees few trick-or-treaters.
"Masonic doesn't get any trick-or-treaters. We want to bring them," Crabtree said.
Area residents Hannah Monteith and Bryonna have become regular visitors, appreciating both the local nature of the attraction and its accessibility.
"I love that it's in the neighborhood and it's local to us," Monteith said.
"Especially because most like haunted things or attractions are expensive," Bryonna added.
The team is already planning next year's theme — a Nightmare Before Christmas display. Jeffrey has ambitious goals for the attraction's future.
"My goal is to have a reputation like Tilson Street, like Coleman Street, those things. That's the reputation that we want," he said.
Long-term plans include expanding the display across the street and eventually partnering with a charity, with 100% of donations going directly to the chosen organization.
"My overall goal is to move it across the street. Right over there? And be able to use all of that over there. Once we've gotten that big and we're able to do different things and different scenes like that, we're hoping to pick a charity," Jeffrey said.
Mayhem on Masonic (23106 Masonic, St Clair Shores, MI 48082) is open to the public day or night and can be found on the Macomb County Haunt map.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
