5221 S. MUlligan Avenue Chicago, IL
year: 2013
Eerie Acres is one of our annual favorite yard displays. Located on the south side of Chicago, Eerie Acres is a great example of one of our chainsaw criteria - effective use of space. As with many homes on the south side of the city, there is not a lot of front yard space. However, Eerie Acres manages to cram every inch of available space with unusual and unique items. It provides quite a bit to look at, and there is always something new to see. In fact, visitors should take their time and look carefully or they might miss something that is hiding in the background.
The walkway up to the residence is dominated by a mock cemetery arch underneath a giant bat hanging from a tree. From there the display fills the left and right sides of rhe front yard, the porch, stairs, bushes, and even the entire front window. A highlight of this year's display was the fake living room setup in the front window, which included a Nosferatu-like figure, a skeleton, and a grim reaper figure with giant wings and a scythe. A creepy, dilapidated background complemented the figures and some eerie lighting finished the setup. Different from a lot of displays, the front yard of Eerie Acres is dominated by demonic children of all types, including some children on a merry-go-round, an evil child stabbing his teddy bear with a knife, and evil babies on various children's toys. It's not something you see often in large numbers, and it's something that adds to the unique atmosphere at Eerie Acres. Other highlights included an old man on a walker who had no legs, a ghoulish bridal couple and one of our favorites - a strange horse-headed creature who occupied the front window last year, but who was now lurking in the bushes. It's suitably odd, and definitely not something we've seen in any other location. Overall, Eerie Acres provides a lot of bang for your buck. Many of the figures are animated, and spin, light up, or jump out at visitors, and the entire display is complemented by smoke and lighting effects that give it a great atmosphere. It's well worth looking at. The display has grown every year, and it's always interesting seeing what new items have been added. We'd highly recommend it! |
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