The best homes to trick or treat in Fort Wayne? Here are two spooky stops
Michael A. Appel
5 min read
As Halloween approaches, you might be wondering: where are the coolest spooky houses in Fort Wayne?
We have what you need.
While many people go above and beyond Halloween decorating in Summit City, two homes stand out from the pack in 2021 with their elaborate and creative displays, featuring everything from mechanical clowns to live actors and real coffins. of funeral directors.
We sat down with the owners to get a glimpse of their artwork and what you can expect this Halloween.
Shawna Stream-Dau and her husband Roger Dau created the Halloween decorations at 4429 Indiana Ave.
House #1
Address: 4429 Indiana Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46807 (corner of Indiana and Pasadena)
Owner: “Witch’s” Witch Hazel Stream
Decoration owners: Daughter of “Witch” Hazel Stream Shawna Stream-Dau and husband Roger Dau
Maintenance: Shawna Stream-Dau and her husband Roger Dau 
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: When did you start creating the screen?
A: We started building it about 10 years ago. It was really small in our front yard, and we were running out of space. Then Hazel bought this house, and it had a wonderful front yard, so we asked permission to exhibit here.
Q: What inspired you to put this together?
A: It all started with the RIP Tombstone purchased at Spirit Halloween. Then we bought this fence and bought a few more headstones, and every year we make more stuff.
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: Are you artists or do you work in a creative field?
A: We are artists now! In college, I (Shawna Stream-Dau) did a lot of acting and props. I’ve always been more of a behind-the-scenes person, so I have a passion for props and costumes and everything, and Roger is super talented at being able to build things. People keep asking if he’s an engineer, and I say he should have been.
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: When do you start setting up?
A: This year, it took about five days to assemble. Regarding the construction, we are still in the process of fine-tuning. But when we have a new part/skeleton idea, we will start the process in May until “corpsification”. (Read more about the process here!)
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: We learned that the display stand is on sale this year. why are you selling it?
A: Storage costs, installation costs, ongoing maintenance. We have to hire movers now because there are only two of us. We’ll keep the pirates and keep adding to this display. We decided we wanted to focus our energy because we have so much to do. We both have ideas for new pirates to do and new mechanics to do. Like all major art exhibitions or gallery openings, you remove the pieces from the museum and move them to a different location.
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: How many visitors do you usually get?
A: Last year we had 1,500 tricks or treats. We just bought 3,000 candies for this year.
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: We have live cast on the evenings of October 30and & 31st, and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each evening, the screen is illuminated, rain or shine. We also accept donations of canned food items for Harvest Food Bank as well as food for the pet pantry in Waynedale.
Halloween decor at 4429 Indiana Ave. in Fort Wayne.
House #2
Address: 2912 Sweet Cider Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46818
Owner: Mark Thompson and his family
Maintenance: Mark Thompson
Halloween decor at 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: How many years have you been doing this posting?
A: My wife and I are very fond of horror movies and haunted houses. We started dressing about 22 years ago. It really took off on that scale when we lived in Oakdale near Foster Park. For 14 years we lived there, and we are constantly building on it. This is our first major exhibition here in this house.
Halloween decor at 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: How long does it take you to set this up?
A: We need a month to get everything out of our storage box. We’re bringing in a truck and starting Labor Day weekend, and it takes us a month to get it up and running by October 1st.st. It’s a family affair.
Halloween decor at 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: Do you get many visitors?
A: We received 50 to 100 people per night (if it’s not raining) who come to see the house and we talk. We do it because we love meeting people and bringing the neighbors out. For tricks or treats on Halloween, if the weather is nice, our record is 1,500 tricks or treats.
Halloween decor at 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: What is the neighborhood’s response?
A: So far, the neighborhood’s response has been quite impressive. All the neighbors really like it, and everyone has been really great.
A real coffin is part of the Halloween decor at the Thompson family home, 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece?
A: I love all my kids equally, but I love the pirate show a lot. Now we have the castaways on the raft, and the guy in the crow’s nest that we haven’t had before. My real favorite – just because it scares people – is that we have real caskets in the garage, from a Michigan funeral home that went bankrupt. People freak out about clowns too. Our “zombie zone” is also cool, and I’ve put a lot of work into the graveyard, so it’s hard to pick a favorite.
The “Zombie Zone” Halloween decor at 2912 Sweet Cider Rd.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: We love bringing neighbors together. It’s fun to watch the neighbors meet here because they’re all in our house. People come out and say, “Wow, we love your house. Thanks for doing this.”
