DC’s History / FAQ’s
What is the DC Cemetery?
The DC Cemetery is an extreme “home haunt” that originated in the heart of the Old Mountain View neighborhood in the late 90’s by the Ross family.
Over the years we’ve concocted a haunt that is fun and bone chilling for all age groups. We also like to think that our efforts aid in the progression of Halloween, and hopefully our actions will inspire others to haunt their homes and bring back the old Halloween traditions that we were fortunate enough to enjoy as kids.
How did the Cemetery come about?
The haunt began in the early 1980’s like most family’s holiday decoration fascinations. The Ross’ (Mike and Mary-Ann, Brent, Scott & Clayton decorated the porch with jack-o-lanterns, hand drawn/colored paper cutouts, stretchable spider webs, and a colored light replacing the “standard” porch light. As the years progressed, we all got more into Halloween and each year my parents spent approximately $50-100 on a new prop or decoration. Around 1985 Brent helped build a haunted house with his local Boy Scout troop and his enthusiasm and love for the holiday inspired his parents to go “all out”. They purchased a skull, black light, and dry ice. With those two starting points Brent’s loves for Halloween turned into an obsession that grows to this very day (with no end in sight).
As the porch display grew year after year it was soon evident that the space required for Brent’s grand visions would not be fulfilled with the available area. They decided to move the display to the driveway and erect a “horror chamber” type walk thru haunt. A plywood façade was built and painted to mimic a stone building, and the inside was sectioned off to create a couple “main scenes” that changed year after year. However, the one scene that always grew and outshined the others was the graveyard. “With the glowing fog, tombstones, and exhumed grave site, that scene always had the most Halloween feel so the next year we based the entire haunt off it and the cemetery theme was born.” The next year they changed up the overall design and moved the façade walls to the back of the display and the added a faux fence and two mausoleums to display the main show pieces which at the time were extremely simple static props.
What do you see at the DC Cemetery?
The DC Cemetery changes year to year and has changed upon each move. Currently (2023) The DC Cemetery is an extreme yard display that keeps true with the traditional ancient cemetery theme. We meticulously design and install the facade and props to mimic an ancient cemetery and do our best to bring realism to the sets and props (which are 90% built by us – less the majority of the tombstones).
At the haunt, you will come face to face with animated skeletons, pop up ghouls, startle effects, synchronized lighting, projections, numerous special effects, as well as animated light shows.
Who is involved in creating the DC Cemetery?
Although Brent is the driving force behind DC, he admits that the haunt would have never had risen to its current standings without the assistance of his entire family, and in more recent years his kids (Devin & Cailey) have begun taking the reins.
Can I purchase items I see at the DC Cemetery?
If you are interested in haunting your home with our products, please check out www.dcprops.com for simple thru fully animated creations.
Brent Ross
Creator & Designer of the DC Cemetery