Peabody Skeleton House Delivers Spooky Fun For A Good Cause

PEABODY, MA — Nicole Cennami is very passionate about Halloween.

For the past five years, the Glendale Avenue resident has begun decorating her Peabody home in September so that it will be ready to show off to the neighbors and those who travel to view her vast and ghoulish displays throughout the month of October.

She said this year's array of skeletons — including the 12-foot-high giant skeleton named Axel Bones — a werewolf graveyard and other spooky sights of the season took three weeks to build with her working on her pride and joy for a few hours each night.

"A lot of people drive by to see it," she told Patch. "The neighbors love it. We get lots of kids. It gets pretty big."

Cennami she got about 300 kids trick-or-treating at her door in the past, and although the past two years were slower because of the pandemic, she did get a lot of visitors driving past just to check out the display at a distance. She said she is preparing for this year to be back up near 300 children weaving through the tombstones to her door on Halloween night.

"Last night I finally got the 12-foot skeleton up," she told Patch of Mr. Bones on Monday. "Every year it's something new. I have a Ring camera and it's fun to see the reactions of people when they drive by.

"It's hilarious."

While the display is out for nearly a month, those stopping by on Halloween weekend get the special treat of meeting the mischievous Scary Mary on her swing.

"She's become very famous," Cennami said. "People come by to take pictures with her. The kids love her and love to come up and give her hugs. It's funny to me that little kids love her so much because she is creepy."

While she started decorating out of enjoyment, Cennami said this year she thought she would use her creation to benefit a good cause as well. She joined the Skeletons for St. Jude campaign that encourages those who enjoy the sights and sounds of Halloween to pay it forward with a donation.

She said she has already surpassed her goal of $500 and will set another for October. Nationally, the Skeletons for St. Jude has raised more than $46,000 already this season and more than $200,000 in the three years of its existence.

The national campaign is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $100,000 this year alone.

"I'm going to bump it up a little more and see what we can do," Cennami said of her fundraising efforts, which this year will include a business card on how to donate included with every full-size candy bar she gives to trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.

Those who swing by her neck of the woods in Peabody just to take a look are encouraged to donate as well.

"When you get to Glendale you can't miss it," she allowed. "The house is obnoxious."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)