San Gabriel Valley Yard Haunts 2020: MacDevitt Manor, Haunted by Memories Manor, Kraken Cove, Redwater Pass, and More
San Gabriel Valley, CA
Well, folks, the world may be in an uncertain place, since we don’t actually know who our next president will be (despite the self-deluding and gaslighting claims that a certain candidate insists upon), but the haunt updates must continue! After a few days off, we’re back at our Halloween coverage—this time doing them sort of retroactively and covering the balance of the haunts we visited but weren’t able to post about prior to Halloween!
Today’s update takes us to the general San Gabriel Valley area—in particular, Monrovia, San Gabriel, El Monte, West Covina, and Puente Hills. It’s a part of Southern California that we haven’t visited too often, but it’s got its share of home haunts too—particularly in the haunted yard display category! Granted, pretty much everything is a display this year instead of a maze. But there certainly wasn’t a dearth of spookiness here. Here’s a look at the locations we visited the Sunday before Halloween!
MacDevitt Manor
This was one of several home haunts I’ve known about for the past few years but had never gotten a chance to visit. I knew that, like many other haunts, MacDevitt was converting to a yard display this year. What I didn't realize was that they snuck a maze in anyway--by way of their open air walk-through on their yard haunt!
MacDevitt Manor is more MacDevitt Cemetery this year, but this moody graveyard packed some spectacular elements!
MacDevitt Manor provided an incredibly elaborate graveyard display with a bit of an old school aesthetic. But it still featured a series of detailed, dramatically lit, and featuring creative figures and lots of living parts. Creator Kirk Higgins exercised a lot of impressive technical know-how to create fearsome spiders, a phantom in a crypt, and--most impressive of all--a repurposed Home Depot 12ft tall skeleton grim reaper that talks! Yes, Kirk rigged it with a motor to move its mouth in a way that mimics the sleeping motion surprisingly well, and the towering body of bones ended up looking quite intimidating when literally speaking down to guests. Incidentally, it took me half the month of October before I saw an actual instance of the 12ft tall skeleton in any yard displays, but once I did, it seemed that each new haunt that had one used it in more and more innovative and impressive ways. MacDevitt Manor might have taken the cake in that realm, though!
The ambiance of the MacDevitt cemetery was also moody, fog-filled, and shadowy. Gnarled trees, decrepit gravestones, a haunting well, and an aged mausoleum imparted a sinister and twisted environment. Sharp eyes might also spot a creative but disturbing looking candy slide that ended up being used for socially distanced trick or treating this Halloween. It looked like a great impaled with a long, somewhat gory tube! Perhaps most terrifying of all was a mannequin that bore a disturbing yet hilarious similarity to our friend, Chris Higgins, owner of the late Higgins Manor haunt we covered back in its heyday. It’s almost as though there was an unnatural Higgins connection in all of this…
Gravestones, crypts, coffins, and creatures… MacDevitt Manor certainly packed a lot of horror elements in its display!
MacDevitt Manor is located at 2436 W Macdevitt St, West Covina, CA 91790 and was open October 9 - 31 on Friday through Sunday nights. Kudos to Kirk for an amazing display of all facets of home haunting--lights, audio, theming, moving elements, homemade and quality props, and scenic set pieces. It was a fantastic production and definitely worth a visit to West Covina to check out next year!
Spookie Casita
This was actually my last stop of Sunday night a week and a half ago. Located in nearby La Puente, I made the stop because it was only 10 minutes away from MacDevitt Manor. I probably should have made MacDevitt last to end on the most spectacular offering, but this straightforward display was also cute and had is own character. To be honest, I'm not sure I would visit it on its own, but it's a cute sidetrack when stopping by MacDevitt Manor!
The front yard of Spookie Casita.
The haunt itself is laid out in a scattered arrangment—the focal point of which is a pair of skeletons lounging in a chamber enclosed by a pop-up tent. Around it, several gravestones, a glowing pallet with hands stretching out from it, Halloween string lights, a few pumpkin figures, and projections of skeletons dancing (we’ve seen these in multiple other haunts before) completed the scene. Spookie Casita is more of an example of just a raw, unpolished, but still enthusiastic love for Halloween that people can have. It doesn’t take a sophisticated set-up to demonstrate that passion. Any arrangement that tries to evoke some sort of spooky ambiance will do, and Spookie Casita definitely strives for that gesture!
The pumpkins by the door make a cute and charming part of this yard haunt!
Spookie Casita is located at 14312 Barrydale St, La Puente, CA 91746 and operated October 22 - 31 on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s on the other side of the I-10 freeway, south of MacDevitt Manor.
Haunted by Memories Manor
I've known about Haunted By Memories Manor for years. It’s actually operated for about a dozen seasons now! I've never gotten out there to visit before, though--until last Sunday a week and a half ago. And man, now I wish I had visited long ago!
One of two primary displays for Haunted by Memories Manor, featuring witches and their cavern of enchantments.
Normally maze (and a different one each year), Haunted by Memories Manor is a yard display this year, like most home haunts. In Raeanne and Damian's front yard, a large pop up tent shelters two richly laden Halloween scenes--one featuring poltergeist and demons; the other featuring witches and wizardry. It feels like the two have crammed all of their theming into these two displays, with a plethora of sinister animatronics, scary projections, and startle scare props causing all sorts of chaos and audio mayhem.
To the side, on the driveway, there's also a pair of ghostly figures near a projection that displays eerie scenes that punctuate with jump scares. Occasionally, the figure will come to life, emanating a phantom presence. Nearby, a sign and collection for a canned food drive tied in Haunted by Memories’ charitable endeavor. Similar to what we’ve seen at haunts like Gothic Hills Cemetery, Raeanne and Damian used their haunt to drum up interest and support to assist the local food bank and provide aid to disadvantaged community members who might not have the means for sustenance. It was a great display of “scaring is caring”—an additional way to give back to the community beyond providing this haunt for neighbors’ enjoyment.
Next door is a room of horrors featuring moving portraits, creepy animatronics, and a general Gothic horror motif.
Haunted by Memories Manor is located at 9911 Alesia St, El Monte, CA 91733 and ran Sunday, October 25, Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31. It's clear the passion for Halloween thrives at this residence, and it even shows it's across the street, with a cute inflatable Halloween display at Raeanne's mom's house. I love seeing this sort of spooky spirit transcending family generations!
Kraken Cove
In my experience, the theme of the season has definitely been pirates. There have been so many of them that I’ve practically lost count, but the thing is, just about every one I've visited has been really good!
This trend continues with Kraken Cove, a swashbuckling yard display that's in San Gabriel, not more than 15 minutes away from our next haunt, Redwater Pass (keep scrolling for that one). The product of mother-and-son Halloween scream team Sarah and Jacob Perales, Kraken Cove is more of a generic pirate theme, not specifically modeled after the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. But it definitely carries some references and is nonetheless richly decorated and full of some great details!
Kraken Cove is packed with great scenes and details!
A cauldron on open (faux) fire sits near the front, with several heads impaled on pikes standing warning to trespassers. Skeleton pirates pose with treasures just beyond. There is also a monkey that comes to life, creating a mild startle scare (not necessarily intended). A large pirate ship (added a couple of years ago) fighting against the waves cruises out of the lawn next to the house. Treasure and gems stack nearby. Against a window, the projection of a ghostly pirate manifests, just behind some hanging, glowing skeletal fish that impart an eeriness to the atmosphere.
The Perales family has been haunting for years, frequently setting up a relatively elaborate maze in their backyard for family and friends and neighbors on Halloween. The seafaring theme has been a common mainstay in these creations, but over time, Sarah and Jacob developed a desire to share their Halloween passion with more than just select invitees. They tried out an actual display a couple of years ago and found some success (and relief over the lack of any thefts, fortunately). This year, they went even bigger and bolder, giving them comfort in advertising on the SoCal Haunt List too!
The display is a practical treasure trove of figures and props and marauder decorations!
Kraken Cove is located at 1030 Manley Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776 and ran nightly from Friday, October 16 through Sunday, November 1. This is a fantastic yard haunt, and is even inspired a few neighbors to up the scope on their displays too. None of them compete with Kraken Cove, but is always great to see the spreading of more Halloween!
Exquisite Corpse Productions presents Redwater Pass
San Gabriel’s second elaborate home haunt is Redwater Pass, a moody, haunting old western town with a hidden and dark secret presented by Exquisite Corpse Productions. This is the project of David Coleman, formerly of Twisted Minds Productions, who has branched off with his own haunted production company. Redwater Pass is the start of what hopes to evolve into a full haunted maze next year (or post-COVID), portraying the fictional abandoned fishing town of Redwater that was deserted for unknown reasons back on July 13, 1932. It's just an immersive yard display now, but the foundation of that future endeavor is already off to a great start, with an amazingly atmospheric presentation.
Redwater Pass is an intimate yard display, but there is a lot to soak in, and some great detail and scale in the full sized facades!
Guests approaching the haunt will hardly see it until getting near, because it's shielded from the street by a massive tree that swallows up excess lighting spreading out from the yard. A couple of ghost town facades enclose the other two sides of the life size diorama, cast in eerie reds and magentas and buffeted by occasional thick sprays of fog. Next to the bait and tackle shop, a demonic skeleton stands, grasping a branch for support.
Adding to the rich scene is the creepy and unsettling soundscape that David had incorporated... disquieting wilderness sounds blended with a tone of foreboding. Occasionally, this is interrupted by a radio broadcast with a country song crooning into the air. But otherwise, it's that tense, building white noise that layers anxiety and audience into the mood.
Redwater Pass is the start of what looks to be a great haunt for Exquisite Corpse Media. We're sure to see more once the world gets back to normal!
A sinister horned skeletal creature lurks in the back. Could this fiendish beast be connected to what caused Redwater to become a ghost town?
Exquisite Corpse Horror’s Redwater Pass was at 8708 Wendon St, San Gabriel, CA 91775 and ran Thursday through Sunday, October 22 - 25 and Thursday through Saturday, October 29 - 31. If the world gets back to normal, we’ll hopefully see them at Midsummer Scream next year as well!
COVID Ofrenda
Just a few houses down the street from Redwater Pass was this beautiful Día de los Muertos display that also doubled as a tribute to the COVID-19 casualties. It’s actually the first Halloween display people see while driving up Wendon, and it might trick some into thinking that it’s Redwater Pass. But this unnamed yard haunt is actually its own thing, and a touching one at that.
I realized that this was actually the display that Ben from Rosehill Haunt had told me about a couple of nights prior. The colorful lights and glowing inflatable figures definitely paid homage to the colorful Mexican holiday, and the simple dedication sign was thoughtful but also a little sad. This was a special bonus discovery and a sobering blend of the haunter world and the real life world.
The Día de los Muertos display dedicated to those who’ve passed from the Coronavirus is located right where Wendon Street turns.
A blanklet of lights covers the lawn and creates a glowing and colorful tapestry.
Assorted figures add to the scene, which is heart-warming and bittersweet at the same time.
This COVID “Ofrenda” is located at 8722 Wendon St, San Gabriel, CA 91775.
Higgins House
The start of the evening was actually spent over in Monrovia, just east of the Pasadena area. My first stop was actually at my friend, Chris Higgin’s place. I’ve already mentioned Higgins Manor earlier in the article, but this is the same Higgins! This Halloween, he decided to do a sort of spur-of-the-moment yard display with some of his old lights and props from the old maze. The result was a cozy and charming scene!
It’s not quite Higgins Manor, hence why I’m calling this yard display “Higgins House.”
A body bag cast in glowing green light hung from the palm tree near the sidewalk, while another tree anchored an open coffin with skeleton inside and a series of tombstones illuminated in an eerie blue. Up at the house, a series of jack-o-lanterns and a kneeling skeleton hung out beneath a scrawl of cheese cloth cobwebs overhead. Another body—wrapped in the web, hunt nearby.
The porch was a great example of the rich theming that Higgins Manor used to have, and the props were even recognizable for anyone who used to visit the Mission Viejo home haunt!
All in all, this was a great little exhibit. Chris plans to grow it more next year and perhaps even incorporate a maze element. It was located on E Palm Ave in Monrovia, just east of the city’s downtown area.
“Horror Hoarders” on Olive
After checking out my friend, Chris' place, we stopped by two Halloween displays a few minutes away that Chris said he had seen previously.
This first one should be called Horror Hoarders if it's official name isn't Witchy Way. This haunt wasn't the best lit in the foreground, but it had a very dense collection of monster figures and props and bits of theming. Most of it sat in the porch area and was less prominent from the street. Though it was a bit hard to photograph, it still looked neat, with plenty of props and decorations to create a frightful scene!
This house had most of its Halloween display tucked back in its porch area.
But there were certainly elements of the yard haunt on the actual yard too, including this towering and sinister rider.
This display is located at 523 W Olive Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016. It’s on the north side Lucinda Garcia Park, which splits this portion of Olive Avenue into two parallel and dual-direction streets.
Coco on Olive
Across the street was a lovely display themed up a combination of Día de los Muertos and the Disney/Pixar film, Coco. Featuring Miguel's while family plus an assemblage of sugar skull skeletons, it was beautiful and charming and colorful. The mixed medium of model skeletons, character cutouts, vibrant banners and enchanting banquet lights added up to a really cute display. Great job by the owners in making the panels and putting all of this together!
This Coco display was across the street and narrow park from the previous one.
Fans of the hit Pixar movie would have loved this.
This display is located at 506 W Olive Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016. It’s on the south side Lucinda Garcia Park, just west of S Mayflower Avenue.
You can see that we hit up a lot of stops on our SGV evening tour a couple of Sundays ago. We’ve tried to limit most other Yard Haunt posts to three or four haunts, but this was double that count. And even that barely touched the surface of what’s in the area. The city of Monrovia, for example, has an annual Halloween decorating contest (similar to many other cities), and this year, there were dozens of houses on the list!
It goes to show that home haunts truly are the heart and soul of Halloween. They are the purest and most intimate way that people can showcase their excitement and ardor for the holiday. And we appreciate them for all of it!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
