A neighborhood Halloween display is back on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo after two dark Octobers. Reopened Oct. 10, Stanley Haus’s 2026 Universal Monsters theme spans eight to 10 front yards and draws on the black-and-white horror films of the 1930s.
The display's return marks the end of a break in 2024 and 2025, according to the Los Angeles Times. What started two decades ago as Mike Stanley decorating his own home has grown into a neighborhood-wide production, with the Stanley family expanding the build from a single front yard to multiple properties along the circle. Stanley's wife, Dawn, helps organize the display for the community. The Times reports their son Wyatt — now a full-time sculptor artisan for Disney — contributed to past builds but not this year's construction.
From Pirates to Haunted Mansion to Monsters
The family has used a different theme each year, according to the Times. Past builds included a Pirates of the Caribbean display during the COVID-19 pandemic and a tribute to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. A large-scale replica of the pirate ship in 2021 brought national attention to the display, the Times reported. This year’s installation includes details and hidden easter eggs drawn from the monster films.
For the 2026 build, the family watched the original Universal Monsters films from the 1930s and studied the Dark Universe land at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando. The Times reported that the land’s Burning Blade Tavern windmill erupts into flames several times an hour, and that Stanley spent 45 minutes studying it in person before making a version for his lawn without the fire. “We took notes and studied the entire land and all the cool design,” Stanley said, describing his aim of recreating scenes from the original films.
A Day Job in Themed Design
The Times reports that Stanley spent 30 years in the beverage industry before contacting Disney corporate and being hired as a park decorator. He now works part-time for Garner Holt Productions in Redlands, which designs and manufactures animatronics, special effects and themed environments for clients including Disney. Stanley is semi-retired, and he and Dawn also run a nitro iced coffee company for corporate events and festivals. The family makes custom props for other events and sells the season’s props afterward to help pay for the next year’s materials.
Visiting the Display
Stanley Haus is open nightly from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 10 p.m. on weekends through Halloween, except on rainy nights. Visitors are asked to park outside the cul-de-sac, walk in, respect neighbors, keep children on the sidewalk and leave the decorations untouched. Free hot chocolate is available; visitors may also donate to the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group.
Who the donations support
The Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group says it supports Marines, Corpsmen and their families from the 5th Marine Regiment and the Wounded Warriors Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, according to the organization.
Stanley Haus is part of a wider Southern California home-haunt scene. The Haunted Attraction Network’s SoCal Haunt List collects listings for home displays across the region, offering visitors a way to find other neighborhood Halloween attractions.
Home haunts also draw attention beyond California. The Orlando Sentinel recently presented its fifth annual Spooky Awards, featuring 25 haunted homes. Among them were a pirate-themed display spanning three houses in Maitland and an Orlando display raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the nationwide Skeletons for St. Jude effort. Stanley has also described a growing interest in spooky Christmas events, prop sales and merchandise, telling Halloween Every Night that the hobby can continue beyond Halloween.
