MUSKEGON, Mich. — Halloween is less than a week away, and one house in Muskegon isn't just spooky, but sporty.
The 'Tournament of Bones' was designed by Gary Gibson and John Edlund.
"They started out as a couple of things and they grew into this," Gibson said.
Every year the married couple takes it to a new level on Halloween at their Muskegon home. The planning started back in the summer, but the haunted house came to life in October.
"This is much bigger than our Christmas display is," Gibson said. "I guess we are more sinners than saints."
This year, the two sinners decided to decorate their yard with a sports theme.
"It's my one creative outlet a year," Gibson said.
There's a football field with skeletons donning Auburn and Memphis helmets on the left, a T-Rex trying its best with its short arms to shoot a basketball over a skeleton as tall as a skyscraper and even a baseball game between skeletons dressed as super heroes.
There's even more. There is skeleton puppy bowl, polo grounds with skeletons riding flamingos, a Kentucky Derby skeleton race horse and a skeleton and a ghost calling out all of the action inside a broadcast booth.
The two have to keep out-doing themselves every year, and have been putting together bone-chilling Halloween decorations in their yard for more than 20 years.
"We're on a busy street now, so the pressure is higher than it used to be," Gibson said.
Gary and John's hope is that the amount of trick-or-treaters who stop by every year continues to grow.
"What is it, Field of Dreams? 'If you build it, they'll come,'" Gibson said. "When we moved here, I think we had two trick or treaters. I feel like every year we get a few more people just from seeing it."
When people see it driving by, they stop and take a second to take in the Haunted House. They often take pictures.
"I appreciate that people enjoy it," Gibson said. "It's the reward, I guess, for doing it all aside from just the fun of doing it, which we do have fun coming up with all of the ideas."
Gary and John hope to keep having this fun on Halloween for a long time.
"I haven't lost interest yet," Gibson said. "I have such a base of stuff to work from it. I am storing it. I might as well use it."
The couple will also be handing out king-sized candy bars on Halloween. They want to give them all away so they are not forced to eat the candy themselves.
The house is located on Lakeshore Drive in Muskegon if you would like to stop by.
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