Visit These Decorated Halloween Houses Around Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg

VIRGINIA — One of the best parts of spooky season in Northern Virginia is taking a drive or walk by your neighbors' decorated homes. From spooky ghosts and skeletons to not-so-scary displays for kids, we want to recognize displays that will impress passerby.

We asked readers to submit photos of the best decorated Halloween homes in their neighborhoods. Below are some of our favorites.

Do you or a neighbor have a decorated house or yard worth a drive-by? Send an email to virginia@patch.com with a photo, location and other relevant details. Only submit photos you have taken yourself or are authorized to post on Patch. By submitting a photo, you're giving Patch permission to publish it for this feature and future stories. We'll keep adding to the 2021 tour of scary yards through Halloween.

Alexandria

3001 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA: This display features inflatables in the front yard and Deadly Disney Princess Tea Party hosted by the Mad Hatter in the side yard. Take a closer look at the table for details, including an Olaftini. The lights are on until 10 p.m. nightly, and inflatables will be down in the case of wind.

410 E Nelson Ave, Alexandria, VA: Welcome to Dead and Breakfast, one of 10 finalists for Best Decorated Home in Del Ray. This is the fourth year Rachel and Noah Mink are putting up a Halloween display, with each year adding or repurposing things for a new theme. Dead and Breakfast features a gate house with an animatronic little girl, skeletons in bed or dancing in the Honeymoon Suite, a reception desk, a breakfast table with a floating, spinning "head" chef, ghosts, zombies, and even a creeping fog. It is open every night, but the best time to visit is around sunset due to solar lights. Search for the display on Instagram at Haunted410. While in the neighborhood, visit the other nine finalists for Best Decorated Home.

Arlington

2330 N Powhatan Street, Arlington VA: See a dozen inflatables at this outdoor display in Arlington. More will be added closer to Halloween. The display is open daily until 9 p.m. except in cases of heavy rain or wind.

Falls Church

510 East Broad Street, Falls Church, VA: Haunted Half Acre, a yard full of handcrafted sculptures by John Lanouette, is open for the season on Broad Street. Visitors are welcome to walk into the yard and check out the different parts of the display. Donations are welcome. Come back during the Christmas season to see another display.

1102 Seaton Lane Falls Church, VA: This display by Cori and Dick Wright features two zombie window projections, a graveyard with animatronics and projection sirens, singing pumpkins, a blacklight porch and a skeleton campfire.

Fredericksburg

6013 Wickenden Street, Fredericksburg, VA: Alan and Dolly Bartley put together the display for children and "big kids like us." The yard features a graveyard, spiderwebs with spiders, scary scarecrow, skeletons, 9-foot triple pumpkin and plenty of lights. The display is open 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. weekdays and will be taken down on Nov. 1. On Halloween night, the Bartleys will be in costume to pass out candy, and there will be scary music and a fog machine. Donations will not be accepted.

2001 Millgarden Drive, Fredericksburg, VA: This Halloween display is not meant to be spooky but typically includes a few themes of Halloween decorations. Ms. Hilliard shares that the most fun part is seeing children with their costumes come by.

Herndon

2508 Halterbreak Court, Herndon, VA: At Halterbreak Court, nearly the entire street goes all out for Halloween. One of the displays at Haunted Halterbreak is 2508 Halterbreak Court, where Mary Mireles handcrafts many of the decorations. Work for the display happens throughout October.

"I'm a working mom and build/do it all myself (no crew) starting October 1. Every night, I'm sewing, hot gluing or adding electricity to something new. And, the kids ask me at the bus stop in August what new Halloween stuff I'm planning," Mireles wrote to Patch.

The display includes a lit pumpkin arch entry, purple lights on the trees, over 500 feet of orange rope lights, handmade skull fence and skeletons. Even more is in store for Oct. 31, when animated skeletons (Queen, Bruno Mars and Rick James Superfreak) as well as talking witches and jumping spiders will come out.

610 Spring Street, Herndon, VA: The Historic Herndon Halloween House has offered spooky fun since 2005. This year, it is celebrating its 17th years with "The Best of The Historic Herndon Halloween House" theme. The display by Bob Matthews and Colleen Delawder will take a look back at past years and highlight some of the most anticipated items. Some of the display items will show up better during the day and some at night. The recommended time to visit is early evening. The lights come on at 6:30 p.m. to around 10:30 p.m. This display is outside only and free to attend. Visit the Facebook and Instagram accounts for more information.

Mount Vernon

4400 Dolphin Ln, Alexandria, VA: If venturing through a yard filled with 100 spooky animatronics is your kind of thing, visit the Haunting of Yacht Haven. This haunted yard is open to guests from Friday through Sunday between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. as well as the entire week leading up to Halloween. On Halloween night, there will be candy for trick or treaters. Visit the Haunting of Yacht Haven Facebook page for updates.

Springfield

7658 Northern Oaks Ct, Springfield, VA: This year is the debut of Monster Bash BBQ, a fun barbecue and Halloween-themed display by Lyndsay and Nick Von Ehrenhelm.

"What makes our yard special is that this is our first year being able to decorate. We just bought the house during the housing craze earlier this year and we've waited a long time to have our own space to decorate," the Ehrenhelms wrote to Patch.

The lights are on nightly from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is featured on the Instagram account @trickortreatyoself8.

Woodbridge

4319 Berwick Place, Woodbridge, VA: This fun display of skeletons and inflatables is open all day and night. "

"It’s special because it’s not scary it’s a fun little haunt for all ages," writes the Savage family.

11841 Parliament Drive, Woodbridge, VA: This home in Lake Ridge does a show every year for Halloween, adding new props each year. The display is well known and visited by Lake Ridge residents, according to Cecilia Alvarez, a friend of the homeowner.