Merced’s Most Haunted! — Merced County Times

From the eerie Parsons Avenue neighborhood north of Bear Creek to the dark corners of M Street in south Merced, local homeowners are getting into the Halloween spirit.

The Times ventured out to find some of Merced’s Most Haunted Homes. We hope readers will venture out on their own to see these amazingly creative yard decorations and scary scenes.

EDITOR’S PICK

Merced’s Best Haunted House

Two giant skeletons roam the sidewalk at the corner of M and 9th Streets.

We combed the dark streets of Merced, and managed to survive many close encounters with scary characters, spooky lights, and ghastly spirits.

In the end, we came across what we think is the scariest home in Merced.

It’s right across the street from the Mercedes Club at the corner of M and 9th streets.

The modest home there is crawling with spookiness under studio-like lighting and surprising animatronics at every turn.

There are six giant skeletons, four of which are pumpkin heads with fire in their chests, that tower over the scene. If that were not enough, there’s a 13-foot Jake Skellington and a tall wolf-man too!

Pedals strategically placed on the sidewalk allows brave visitors to interact with several monsters who will jump out without warning! One scary outhouse on the front lawn shakes, billows smoke, and opens slightly for a view inside — if you dare.

There’s also a giant spider that has crawled down from a tree near the street. And on the other side, some hey bales have been set up with a Halloween-themed backdrop so that families can take photo portraits.

The great thing is you don’t have to wait for Halloween.

Families in the neighborhood have been enjoying this fully-functioning haunted house every night. There’s also a lit-up main tunnel that leads to a locked door, and we can’t help but imagine that it will lead to more scary moments on Halloween night!

This Is Halloween … In MERDEAD!

Two giant skeletons roam the sidewalk at the corner of M and 9th Streets.

A werewolf protects the dead at a home on Marie Lane.

Chucky provides a frightful sight at this home on the corner of Marie Lane.

Skeletons stand guard over a home on Alexander and Parsons Avenue.

Demons and dead babies watch visitors to this home on Alexander Avenue.

A skeleton basketball player known as ‘Slow-B’ dunks over the bones of an undead competitor during a midnight game on the front lawn of this house on 10th Avenue near Hoover School.