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Halloween Decorations That'll Thrill Your Trick-Or-Treaters

Have oodles of spooky fun with these clever animatronics, fog machines, props, lights and more.
By 

Senior Editor, Life and Shopping

Half the fun of trick-or-treaters visiting your home is seeing everyone’s clever or adorable costumes. The other half is Halloween decorations. If you prefer conjuring up some spooky hocus-pocus to simply setting out a few pumpkins, have we got some gadgets for you: Set the mood with these lights and fog machines, crank up the creepy sounds and let some motion-sensor props send a thrill or chill up the spine of everyone who comes to your door. Even if you don’t go full haunted house, they’ll appreciate the atmosphere and effort.

(You may be wondering if Home Depot’s 12-foot skeleton is back this year after becoming the must-have item over Halloween 2020. A rep for Home Depot told us that although the skeleton is already sold out online for 2021, some people may be able to find it in their local store. And they recommend this 7-foot-tall flame-filled animatronic inferno reaper, among others, if not.)

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1
A 5-foot skeleton you can pose or hang
Home Depot
LED lights will glow in his eyes whether you place this character inside or out -- all it takes are the two included AA batteries. This skeleton is extra lifelike thanks to its height of five feet. It also comes in a darker-colored "decayed" version for the same price.

Get it from Home Depot for $29.98.
2
A delightful doorbell with an animated talking eyeball
Target
Hang this battery-powered doorbell up where small trick-or-treaters can reach it and be the coolest person on the block. When the spider doorbell button is pressed, the eye blinks open, looks around and issues an ominous voice warning.

Get it from Target for $15.
3
An animatronic hanging corpse
Amazon
They'll shriek! Check out this video that shows how its 35-inch body tries to break free of its shroud. It'll be so spooky hanging from a tree or the porch.

Get it from Amazon for $43.95.
4
A low-lying fogger that'll blend right into your decor
Home Depot
Who doesn't love a moody cloud on Halloween? This coffin-shaped machine produces low-hanging fog and comes with a wired remote and auto-shutoff function. It's intended for indoor use and covered porches. (Don't forget fog liquid!)

Get it from Home Depot for $59.98.
5
An 87-foot string of indoor/outdoor purple lights
Home Depot
You can connect as many as 9 of these 87-foot indoor/outdoor light strings to set the perfect Halloween scene.

Get it from Home Depot for $19.98.
6
Or a 15-foot string of purple bats
Amazon
This battery-powered string of 40 bats works in 8 display modes: flashing, twinkle, waves, sequential, slow glow, chasing, slow fade and steady. It's rated for indoor and outdoor use.

Get it from Amazon for $10.79.
7
Don't forget: a WiFi-enabled outdoor smart plug
Amazon
This weatherproof smart plug will not only double the capacity of each of your sockets, but let you control your outdoor Halloween lights with the easy-to-use app. Put them on a schedule, turn them on or off with your phone or connect it to Alexa for voice control. The smart plug has a 300-foot WiFi range.

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
8
A bloody lawn zombie
Amazon
It's a low lift, but effective: Just stick the three pieces in the ground. That's it!

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
9
An LED-animated pumpkin ghoul
Target
When triggered, this pumpkin-head creature's face animates thanks to battery-powered LED projections (and the batteries are included, making everything about it easier).

Get it from Target for $25.
10
A fog machine that makes bubbles, too!
Home Depot
Kids will especially love this machine: Its gaping, skeletal maw spews forth fog and fog-filled bubbles at the same time. It's suitable for use indoors and on covered porches. (Don't forget to grab fog liquid and bubble liquid, too!)

Get it from Home Depot for $79.98.
11
Moving, creaking books
Target
This motion-activated prop will be perfect to place outside your front door or in your entry, in view of trick-or-treaters. When triggered, the books shuffle forward and backward and play noises like creaks and doors opening.

Get it from Target for $32.99.
12
A swirling skulls projector
Amazon
This swirling skull light projection is definitely a vibe. (Grab an outdoor-rated extension cord to go with.)

Get it from Amazon for $41.98.
13
An animatronic killer clown
Amazon
There's nothing scarier than a clown! This one has a motion sensor that will trigger its lights, movement and pre-recorded phrases. Use it indoors or on your lawn with three AA batteries (not included). Here's how it looks in action.

Get it from Amazon for $64.99.
14
Or a super-scary animatronic nightcrawler
Spirit Halloween
It'll be a real scream for older kids and teens. Just look at this video that shows how it pops into action. It might be a bit much for small ghouls and boys, but you can pair it with Spirit's remote for animatronics.

Get it from Sprit Halloween for $199.99.
15
A 7-foot inflatable animatronic mummy
Lowes
Children will love seeing this giant smiling fellow's arms move up and down.

Get it from Lowes for $69.99.
16
A yard-staked skeleton body
Target
He'll just look so cute as he appears to be trying to climb out of the grave. A stake is included.

Get it from Target for $15.
17
A moving light-up eyeball
Lowes
It's an eyeball... that rolls around... and lights up... and makes spooky sounds. Grab it immediately. (And a disembodied hand, too.)

Get it from Lowes for $19.98.
18
A 21-inch jumping spider
Spirit Halloween
This furry spider with LED eyes is frightful enough on its own. But with its jump-triggering motion sensor, you'll spook everyone who comes to your door. (It's also compatible with Spirit's animatronic remote control, if you prefer to decide when it jumps -- and at whom.)

Get it from Spirit Halloween for $49.99.
19
A 12-foot-tall inflatable LED ghost reaper
Target
One of the best things about inflatable Halloween decorations is that they deflate for storage. This 12-foot tall specter will loom over your trick-or-treating guests in the most impressive way -- and it's suitable for indoor use, too.

Get it from Target for $99.
20
A six-foot animated ghost bride
Home Depot
Why is it never a ghost groom? We'll ponder that later. This otherworldly lady is a whopping 6 feet tall. And not only does she move, but she emits spooky sounds and gazes upon your guests with her glowing red eyes. (See video of her in action.)

Get it from Home Depot for $99.
21
A 26-foot creepy cloth with spiders
Amazon
Drape your deck, railings or even trees in this gauzy cloth to add just a bit more mystery.

Get it from Amazon for $20.99.
22
Face-changing "moving" portraits to hang up by the door
Amazon
If you look at these old-timey portraits straight-on, they appear normal enough. Move a little, however, and they turn into something more sinister. Stick them to a wall or your door with putty or double-sided tape.

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
23
A delightfully creepy talking pop-up toy box
Amazon
A clown, a Victorian doll and a surgically repaired bear are quite the combination when motion-triggered out of a toy box. Here's what happens.

Get it from Amazon for $149.99.
24
An album of 66 sound effects you can play individually
Amazon
Whether you blast eerie sounds all night long or choose a few files to use with motion-activated sound machines, this album of 66 Halloween-themed mp3s has it all, from a breath whispering "help me" to various styles of screams to a haunting tune from a mournful organ.

Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
25
Bonus fun: a prop-dropping mechanism
Spirit Halloween
Trigger a ghost, spider, clown, witch -- whatever you want! -- to drop down and spook your visitors by attaching it to this mechanism. It works with either Spirit's remote control or step pad activator.

Get it from Spirit Halloween for $32.99.
26
A 72-inch witch
Walmart
Her eyes light up and her tattered clothing will sway in foul breezes. Hang her from the drop mechanism above for frightful fun.

Get it from Walmart for $38.26 (also available in a phantom style).
27
A swirly ghost LED light projector
Lowes
Cast a whirl of spirits onto your home from the pumpkin LED projector. (And if you don't already have one, grab a 25-foot outdoor extension cord, too.)

Get it from Lowes for $19.98.
28
A relatively scary setup for little kids
Amazon
If you have a lot of small children coming through, you may not wish to go any scarier than this inflatable scene. But with a ghost, tombstone and a pumpkin, it's like getting three decorations in one.

Get it from Amazon for $33.99.
29
Or one they won't find scary at all
Amazon
This 5-foot friendly ghost is ready for nothing but fun, something even the littlest pumpkins can love.

Get it from Amazon for $35.14 (also available at Wayfair).
30
This full-size mummy
Amazon
If you can be as gory as you want, grab this 72-inch "body" that's covered in blood and spiders. When its motion sensor is triggered, its eyes light up and it emits scary sounds.

Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
31
A 16-foot string of LED eyeballs
Amazon
They come in multicolor, blue, purple or red. And no matter your choice, these LED eyeball lights will be watching you. The remote control switches the set between 8 display modes, includes flashing, twinkle and chasing. (Note: Though these lights are for indoor and outdoor use, reviews suggest you should keep them out of the rain.)

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
32
And some ghostly pathway lights
Lowes
This six-foot string of three lighted ghosts on stakes will help mark the way to your door. Each ghost's arms are wired for shaping and the attached battery pack (with batteries included) means you don't have to run an extension cord into your yard.

Get it from Lowes for $22.28.

Before You Go

A set of four matte black and copper glasses

Everything You Need For The Perfect Halloween Dinner Party

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