Ghosts, Goblins & Presidential Graveyards: Touring The Castro's Spookiest Halloween Displays

Ghosts, Goblins & Presidential Graveyards: Touring The Castro's Spookiest Halloween DisplaysPhotos: Dirk Wyse/Hoodline
Dirk Wyse
Published on October 28, 2016

Halloween is days away, but you wouldn't know it just by looking around the city. Halloween decor may have been a thing in San Francisco's past, but it's not exactly trending in 2016.

You can walk, bike, Muni, or Uber for miles in any direction and not be frightened once by a ghastly monster, a grinning jack-o-lantern or a cadre of bone-rattling skeletons. Oh sure, there are a few homes here and therewith corn wreaths on the doors, maybe some pumpkins and squashes on the steps. But odes to harvest season do little to attract trick-or-treaters.

Around most of San Francisco, you won't see any werewolves. No cackling witches on brooms. No mummies. No ghosts, no ghouls, no goblins, no gargoyles. No Frankenstein. Nary a cemetery with rotting corpses emerging from coffins. No dead bodies hanging from nooses. No grim reaper with scythe in hand. No psychopath in a hockey mask brandishing a bloody butcher knife Surprisingly, no zombies or vampires, despite their recent pop cultural hype. And most importantly—no creepy clowns.

However, there are still a few Halloween enthusiasts who continue to decorate for the occasion. And among the best are a handful of homes and storefronts in and around the Castro District.

Don't be scared—scroll on to see the creativity in play around the neighborhood, starting with the legendary 45 Upper Terrace at the top of Corona Heights.

The homeowners at 45 Upper Terrace have earned a reputation for fabulous seasonal holiday-themed decorations including Halloween. This year's decor features a cemetery for lost souls, including several recognizable names and faces from the national political scene.



Now, down to the Castro...


For something a little gorier, Scott Liapis never disappoints with the annual Halloween display at his home on 4170 17th St. The display changes annually, and it takes him about a year to start creating it from scratch. Below are some pics from our Castro photo tour, but for a full view of this year’s window display, go to his Facebook page

Photo: Scott Liapis/Facebook
PHOTO: SCOTT LIAPIS/FACEBOOK
PHOTO: SCOTT LIAPIS/FACEBOOK

As with every year, Liapis plans on handing out full sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kat candy bars, and neighbors have been known to show up with other treats, such as cupcakes.