Ossining residents Robert and Maria Somma are presenting their 6th annual interactive Halloween walkthrough at their house in Crotonville at 6 Samstag Ave, Ossining. Dates and times can be found at the bottom of the article.
We had a preview of their largely homemade display, and it was a lot of fun! Full of throwbacks and tributes to classic favorites from horror, thriller and fantasy movies, the display is a vivid walk down memory lane for parents, and an interactive thrill for children.
Living in Ossining since 2012 and loving it, the Sommas starting getting serious with their Halloween display back in 2014.
It has grown each year, as they get fresh inspiration (and more time) to create new additions. Nearly everything you see at the house is homemade, including the tombstones, which they create using a base of foam board. The only things store-bought are the skeletons, and even they are improved and added to. For other parts of the display they start with materials like PVC pipe, mannequins, and the occasional prop they buy then customize and embellish to give more of an original feel.
Robert and Maria work on props all year. It’s a labor of love, and a hobby they both enjoy. They start to set up at the end of August. For the rest of the year, they manage to fit everything (so far at least!) into their basement.
Robert comments, “Our prime motivation is being that we are parents of an Autistic son, we wanted to do something special for him and other families like us to give them something to enjoy. Of course we also love Halloween as you can be super creative with different themes.”
The impressive display wraps around the majority of the house. Many sections have interactive components, often buttons to push that will surprise the visitor with sound, movement, light, or a combination of all 3!
There are definitely some themes that could be a scary for very young children, but there is nothing gory or bloody. Check out some pictures of the display below (click an image to view it larger and scroll through the gallery):
Looking to visit the fun at 6 Samstag Ave this year? You’ve got a few options:
Preview day is October 26, at 2 separate times:
From 12 PM – 3 PM for younger children that you think might get scared. Scary props will be turned off. There will be a Trick-or-Treat-Scavenger-Hunt theme with candy and non-candy treats distributed.
5 PM – 9 PM for older children and adults not afraid of things that go bump in the night!
On October 31 for Halloween, they’ll be open for visits all day!
Visitors are strongly encouraged to wear costumes to add to the fun. Families with special needs children are encouraged to come.
Thank you Robert and Maria and family for putting this together and sharing it with the Ossining community!