The Weirdest Halloween House In NJ

Want to get really weird this Halloween night? Go no further than to 102 Monroe Street in the Haskell section of Wanaque to see the Weird NJ creations of Kim-Marie Dakake.

“I always do Halloween displays for my community,” says Dakake. “Each year I try and do something different. Last year I did ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ and before that I did the ‘Legend of Sleep Hollow.’ I’ve made dungeons and a dragon’s lair, a haunted barn candy shop, and all kinds of things for the last 10 years. This year it’s all about Weird NJ. I’m a big fan and it’s my last year doing this. I decided it’s my year, so I’m doing a Weird NJ theme. We’re going out with a bang!”

Kim-Marie and her husband Tom own a construction company called Accurate General Contractors, so materials are always ready-at-hand. The displays are cut freehand out of particle board, and made from whatever materials are lying around.

WNJ: The top of the roof has UFOs and aliens on it. Tell us about that.

Wanaque has two local legends, one being the Wanaque Vortex and the other the UFO sightings over the reservoir. I’ve heard about the UFO incidents since my childhood. I grew up in Pompton Lakes and remember when I was young looking up towards the sky to see if I could see anything but never did. This is a tribute to the town I live in.

Why is this the last year?

It’s getting to be just too much. Usually I’ll make one prop then build around it, but this year it’s everything bigger than life! I love the essence of New Jersey. I also love True Jersey apparel, so I incorporated their logo on the shape of the state. I love our local legends. I love Taylor ham and cheese, the coffee and I love the way we talk!

Is this open for all trick or treaters?

Yes, it is. When we first moved here there was no Halloween traffic at all, so I decided to make displays to attract the kids. Now it’s grown into this. We get about 1,000 kids coming here on Halloween night. I’m known in town as the “Halloween Lady.” It’s all about the fun of it for the kids. Now Halloween is huge on this block. Kids and traffic all over the place!

Does it all get taken down the day after Halloween?

It used to come down the next day, but this I’ll keep up for about a week. When Hurricane Sandy hit, the local kids didn’t get to trick or treat. My display that year actually stayed up—no damage, so I kept it up for about 2 weeks and had about 6 other towns come here so all the kids could get candy.

What happens to the displays once Halloween is gone? Aren’t you going to miss doing this?

I save a lot of the displays. I do work with the drama club here in town making their sets, so they get re-cycled and reused. I’m a big recycler—nothing gets wasted.

When we visited Kim-Marie on Monday, she and her husband Tom were still working on the “Vortex Walk to the Reservoir” and adding new displays and signs as they went along. Who knows what frightful delights this Weird NJ menagerie will turn into Halloween night. People often ask us “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve even seen?” and for the moment, this is where it’s happening.