MILWAUKEE — One of the best Halloween displays in Milwaukee is back up for another year of spooktacular frights.
A & J's Halloween House at 2943 S. Clement Ave. went with a Beetlejuice theme. They have more than a dozen mannequins depicting different scenes and characters from the movie. This display has been years in the making too.
"For the past 1 or 2 or 3 years we’ve been buying a piece here or there and decided we had enough key pieces to bring it to fruition," Jamie Beauchamp said.
Beauchamp is one-half of the team behind this iconic display. He has been building Halloween sets in front of his house with his husband, Andy Reid, for the past 18 years.
This year's display took months to design and build. They outfit the mannequins, build the sets, and configure the animatronics themselves. It's all worth it, though. Given its longevity, A & J's Halloween House has become a staple in the Bay View neighborhood.
"I've been taking my kids here for the past 3 years," Alexis Ponce De Leon said.
"I think it is one of the greatest things in Milwaukee," Casey Malone said.
"Every year they do a different theme, and every year they do a great job," Mark Sloan said.
Dozens if not hundreds of people come to the house every day and night from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 to see the display. Cars often slow down to get a glimpse and take a photo.
"Everybody looks forward to it. Like people start coming around in late August. You’ll start to see people in their vans or their cars with their children driving by the garage just to see what we're up to," Beauchamp said.
This isn't just a display to take photos at. It's also a fundraising opportunity. For about a decade, Beauchamp and Reid have been raising money for Pathfinders. It's an organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ youth. The group helps find housing for runaways, anti-sexual violence services, offers housing assistance, shelters, outreach centers, and more. So far, they have raised about $35,000. You can make a donation by going to their website.
"They are relatable for us because they help with the LGBTQ community with runaways and all sorts of things that are needed," Beauchamp said.
The display will be up until Oct. 31 and then it's promptly taken down in November.
