Check out one of Worcester's most decked out houses for Halloween

On Coolidge Road in Worcester, there stands a white house with some ghastly and ghoulish guests lurking in the front yard.

Skeletons as tall as trees loom over the sidewalk. Fog creeps past a pumpkin with a cheeky smile while two banshees lurk over a grave with a top hat placed on it. The house has been covered in a large spiderweb with large, white spiders making it their home.

Two more skeletons are attempting to climb the house as the upper floor windows are barricaded. A shriek is heard in the area as a witch begins to cackle — telling those who pass the house to come closer if they dare.

The house is known as Creepy on Coolidge — the Halloween passion project of wife and husband Aimee and Brian Trinque that has been going on since 2010. The Trinques consider themselves “haunters” — enthusiasts who turn their house into a creepy display for Halloween.

The two work as a team, with Aimee Trinque directing where the decorations will be placed while her husband does most of the yard work — climbing ladders to place spiders on their house and digging graves where skeletons are planted, trying to escape their fate.

The tale of the Trinques becoming haunters began 14 years ago when their son wanted to decorate their house for Halloween. They began with decorations that Aimee Trinque described as “cute” bought from large stores such as Walmart and Target.

As years passed, however, the Trinques began to look at how other houses are decorated for Halloween on the internet and became fascinated with the intricacies some houses had for the holiday.

“We were like, ‘oh we should try that,’“ Aimee Trinque said. ”And then we just kept getting into it more and more and adding more and more things.”

What was first an interest became an annual tradition as the Trinques became “hooked” on haunting. The two have changed the style of their house and yard each year — creating a new scene filled with different creatures. In previous years, the yard was transformed to a place witches could convene and brew potions — or a home for disturbing-looking dolls.

A living graveyard

This year, the house and front yard have become a graveyard filled with skeletons, banshees and witches.

On one side of the house is a graveyard filled with human skeletons. Some hide in the bushes, while three try to flee from a grave dug by Trinque’s husband. There are two skeletons the size of Christmas Trees, one placed at the front of the yard near the street and another in a tree near the house.

Gravestones are scattered throughout this section of the yard, with a metallic sign reading “Creepy on Coolidge” above the yard.

Located to the side of the house is what Trinque calls her “pet cemetery.” Here, the skeletons of dogs, cats, birds and even pigs have been laid to rest and risen from the dead for Halloween.

Near the pets is a large tree with spirits made of orange, red and purple cloth hanging from the branches. Underneath the spirits are the bloody remains of what used to be a cat, with a witch holding a hatchet above the cat’s corpse. Next to her is another tall witch looking at an iron cauldron and a black cat.

The house has been covered in spiderwebs, with giant white spiders sitting on top of it. A sign that reads “Happy Halloween” is placed above the door and four children’s mannequins are dressed up in costumes — like trick-or-treaters. The house’s exterior has white skeletons crawling to the roof, while boards have blocked two windows on the top floor.

On its own, the props and house are still and silent. When the sky turns dark, however, the dead come to life as soon as Trinque’s husband presses a button. The front yard illuminates with a hue of red light, and the skeletons are bathed in the glow. A fog machine is turned on, causing an eerie mist to crawl across the grass. A lamp begins to flicker as a child animatronic moves on its own.

As the display comes to life, a little boy jumps out from a car on the street and begins to take an interest in the graveyard, telling his father that he likes what he sees. Trinque said this is the common response she hears from trick-or-treaters and her neighbors.

“The dead things are their favorite,” she said about the children. “They love the dead cats.”

What it takes to be a haunter

As haunters, the Trinques plan out their displays months before Halloween. Throughout the year, the two come up with ideas and gather the necessary items that will be used for the display. These items can be bought from after-Halloween sales at stores, antiques or previous items used for older displays.

“When we see things that are kind of cheap we‘ll say ’oh grab a bunch of these and maybe we‘ll do something with this,’“ Aimee Trinque said. ”We like to go to yard sales and so a lot of our props are old antique bottles and books.”

By the summer months, planning typically becomes more aggressive, with the house and yard beginning to change for the holiday. As Aimee Trinque figures out where things go, Brian Trinque gets ready to do some landscaping for the display.

In search of new ideas, the two have looked to the haunting community for inspiration. In addition to looking at displays online, the Trinques have gone to a haunters’ convention in the midwest during the spring, looking for possible themes for their display.

“People that are into it are thinking about it all year round,” Trinque said. “You have to kind of plan a year out so that you can start collecting things.”

Despite their commitment and passion for haunting, Trinque said it is not a title exclusive to them or other enthusiasts. She said anyone can be a haunter and that a Halloween display doesn’t only need to be spooky or gory. Halloween displays can include cute or creepy things, and she explained that to be a haunter, you just need to have creativity.

“You have to be a little wacky,” she said. “It’s like adult arts and crafts is how I like to put it. Its a good creative outlet and you can go in any direction you want.”