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BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Spooktactular Houses with Great Curb A-Squeal

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Before October disappears, round up your Mummy, your boys and ghouls and even your black cats to Monster Mash all around town screaming with delight at these Halloween works of art. 

Inwood

Every cool and hip boned skeleton who’s some skeleton is rubbing shoulders and collar bones at this clothing optional attire lawn party on Inwood Street. 

The Bone Yard, 3700 block of Inwood 
No bones about it, the garden party in this River Oaks front lawn will make your eyes pop out of their sockets. A yard full of over 50 mixing and mingling skeletons and even a few dogs?! Halloween enthusiast Amber Anderson Mostyn was happy to share a picture of the display and loves that people are enjoying it. (Tip: Keep your eyes open for other fun decorations on Inwood Street.)

Karate Kid skeletons

You never know what the entertaining Drexel house skeletons might be up to. These two are doing their best standing on one leg Karate Kid impersonation.

Strike a Pose Skeletons, Drexel at Essex
Mia Parker
has always loved decorating for Halloween. When her kids were in high school, they told her since they were older and didn’t even trick or treat, she could stop decorating the yard for Halloween. Mia replied, “Oh? So you thought this was just for you? It’s for me!”

You never know what type of skeleton you might find when you drive by this Highland Village home. There have been sightings of the Karate Kid skeleton, a mom skeleton giving a baby skeleton a bath or dogs and cat skeletons chasing a human skeleton up a tree. Mia said sometimes she’ll change the poses and theme every two or three days. “For me if just one person smiles or gets a laugh out of the decorations, all the work is worth it.”

Cemetery

It’s a sad day if your favorite restaurant or store ends up on one of these grave markers. Come mourn for these Rest In Peace places: Summer 2019, Pizza Motus, Charming Charlie’s and Anonymity in West U.

West U Cemetery, Robinhood at Mercer
This cross grave markers in this West University cemetery just might leave you dying of laughter. It may look like your typical Halloween cemetery, but look a little closer and you’ll discover that homeowners Pat and Sandra O’Donnell have quite a sense of humor and a sentimental side too. Pat shared, “Every year I try to both honor great ones who have died in the prior year and (with a little levity) remember things that make West U. special.” This year’s crosses include West U area stores and restaurants that have closed like Pizza Motus and Charming Charlie’s. And the more sentimental grave markers pay tribute to President George H.W. and Barbara Bush

Now that his creative juices are flowing, Pat also gave insider information: “Thinking about something new for Christmas this year. Keep watching.” 

Yarwell

Whether on the roof or by the sidewalk, all the Muellers’ Halloween decorations are always having quite a Boo Bash in front of their house on Yarwell Street. 

Boo Kids on the Block, 5500 block of Yarwell 
Meet the King and Queen and princess and prince of Halloween: Amy and Gage Mueller, and their children, Layla, a student at Episcopal High School and their son, Myles who attends Beth Yeshurun. Gage and Amy have great memories of celebrating Halloween in their neighborhoods when they were growing up. They love that it’s still a night when kids get to be kids.

When they moved to Yarwell Street in Meyerland, over a decade ago, Gage started enthusiastically decorating their yard and it grows every year. Sometimes they even start decorating other houses on the street that haven’t put anything up! The Halloween spirit is alive and well on Yarwell and the streets around it. Tip: You’ll see lots of fun decorations driving around this neighborhood.  On Halloween night, the police block off car traffic on Yarwell to keep it safe for little ones. 

The Muellers also sponsor the annual Mueller Monster Mash for children at MD Anderson. Many of the kids can’t leave the hospital so the Monday before Halloween, the Muellers bring trick or treating (even providing new costumes for the whole family) to the kids! 
Learn more here.

Hanging pumpkins

Who needs thousands of acorns hanging from your West University Spanish oak trees in October when you can have hundreds of toothless grinning orange Halloween jack-o-lanterns hanging on them instead? 

Branching Out with Jack-O-Lanterns, 2800 block of University Blvd.
Hundreds of bright orange grinning jack-o-lanterns adorning Missy and Rob Pacha’s sprawling oak trees have become an anticipated Halloween fan favorite in West U. Missy shared, “We have been hanging the pumpkins for about 7 years. We are in the process of moving to a new house so this is the last year we will hang them on University. Our neighbors say I have to leave the pumpkins for the new owner as it’s a tradition!” The Pachas seem to have inspired some other neighbors. If you spy with your little eye other oak tree branches on University, you might spot other interesting Halloween treats like jumpy skeletons and purple Jack-o-Lanterns. 

Annapolis Street

The Annapolis crew (as they are lovingly known) getting fired up for Halloween. The kids attend West U Elementary, Presbyterian School and Pershing Middle School. Pictured are (back row, from left) Noah and Henry Meraz, Gibson Allison; (in middle) Oliver Meraz; (front, from left) Alice Kate Allison, Alexandra and Flynn Hedemann. Not pictured: Braeden and Aaron Payne

Climbing the Walls, 5800 Block of Annapolis 
A lot of fun kids live around this West U pocket, so it makes sense that this house has lots of energetic skeletons trying to climb into all of the windows. Jennifer Allison, her husband, Scott, and children Gibson, and Alice Kate, who attend West U Elementary, enjoy decorating the house every year. Have you ever seen a unicorn skeleton? Well, if you drive by the Allison’s house, you just might find one. (It’s the one with a horn sticking out of the front of its skull!). 


Tucked away on Whitehaven street in Bellaire, this Halloween to the max house includes a constantly changing light show and over the top decorations.

Halloween Light Show Extravaganza, 5600 Block of Whitehaven
The Muniz family needs about two and a half weeks to set up their Halloween magic.  The house is fun to see day or night but if you visit after dark you will be enchanted by an everchanging light show. Their favorite decoration is the giant glowing spider web sprawling across the roof. Mr. Muniz shared, “It’s rewarding to watch the fun and excitement everyone has while enjoying the decorations. Some cars will even park and get out to take pictures of themselves in the yard.” Hot Tip: Drive back by in December. You won’t be disappointed.


You never know what sorts of characters you’ll find in front of the Taylor family’s legendary Bellaire Halloween house (off Newcastle between Holly and Pine).

The Good Witch of Bellaire, Off Newcastle between Holly and Pine 
 A “Treat-not-Trick” Bellaire annual favorite is the Taylor’s house near Horn Elementary. Mom Michelle is the wiggly (literally) brains behind this Halloween highlight and like a true Halloween enthusiast likes to say, “Halloween makes me happy.  It’s good for my spirit.” Take a look at their yard from last year, too.

Take it Back

Bellaire Astros fan Sam Garbo and his dad, Joseph, are fired up about the World Series and are letting their yard do the talking. And you can tell lots of Houstonians agree...just in the short time it took to take this photo, dozens of driving by cars honked their support!

The House that Will Make You Scream the Most, 4900 Bellaire
Dracula’s “bats” like to sip some Witch’s “Al-Brew-vay” and pretend they are soaring through the rafters of Minute Maid Park. Both bats and Bellaire commuters love to fly by this winning October decorated yard … the Astro-nomically Awesome “Take It Back” house.  Two years ago the neighborhood cheered when Joe Garbo and his son, Sam, who is a senior at Bellaire, put giant Go Astros! messages in their yard leading up to the World Series. The neighbors are thrilled that the Garbo family has stepped back up to the plate again for the 2019 series.  

Editor’s Note: Find our Halloween roundup here. Share your Halloween photos and stories with us at [email protected]

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