This Spooky Family Home in Florida is a Must-Visit
Halloween has brought upon a
slew of fun things to do in Florida, which has made it a popular tourist
destination for the holiday. The city’s strong economy focused on entertainment
and tourism has brought upon many establishments and attractions that have
attracted people from all over the world. While you may have visited many of
these areas before, there could be a local place or two that you haven’t heard
of. A good example would be this spectacular haunted house in 15304 E. Oakland
Ave, a long-time residence of this unique, inspired Florida clan.
Joe Williams, or better
known around town as “Holiday Joe”, has always loved decorating his home and
yard to spread the holiday cheer. His Halloween decorations have been
particularly successful, making his Florida home a popular destination during
the holiday for most of the city’s residents and tourists.
It’s not a big-time
production sponsored by a major Florida establishment, but a simple joint
effort from Holiday Joe and his fun-loving family. Having started their
Halloween decorations in 1976, the yearly project grew and grew until it’s the
famous local haunt that you see today.
The house itself is pretty
old-- built in 1905 by a wealthy cucumber farmer who, by request of his wife,
set up his family home in Oakland because of close proximity to their extended
family. Holiday Joe has a few scary anecdotes about this ancient home as well--
for the first 10 to 12 years he and his wife had lived in the home, they’d
heard a little girl repeatedly saying “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy”, even though they didn’t
have any children during that period. A phenomenon such as this would have
driven any typical American family away the first time it happened. Such as it
is, the Williams remained undaunted and decided to name the ghost “Miss Mary”,
as if accepting her as a common part of the household. When asked, the family
said that they didn’t know anything about how the specter died or who she might
have been. Stories of the house’s spirit wanderers don’t end here--aside from
this particular ghost, Joe said that there had been floating orbs caught in
photos taken from all over the home.
The family’s mettle when
faced with their home’s rather worrying penchant for spirit occupation has
reaped its fruits. Right now, it’s considered a famous local attraction, a free
alternative to all the big-time Halloween scare mazes and theme parks that
flock the city during this time of the year. The Williams have taken to their
duty as a town Halloween haunt like duck to water, devoting themselves to
making their home a veritable spookfest in the weeks prior to the 31st of
October.
For most city tourists
looking for things to do in Florida this Halloween, this spooky family home is
a godsend. Holiday Joe opens his house to guests for FREE every October 31st of
the year, wherein he and 20 of his friends and family members dress up to scare
and thrill their multitudes of excited visitors, with only two rules to follow:
no risque costumes and no touching the guests. The house is set up with lawn
decorations and indoor “scare rooms” for an authentic, haunted house feel.
Josette Williams, Joe’s daughter, has recently graduated from the Joe Blasco
Makeup Artist Training Center, and is lending her skills to the family effort
of making their Halloween home as spooky and effective as possible.
While a family-orchestrated
Halloween event seems too tame for some people, Holiday Joe has said that their
haunted home can get pretty scary, too. A lot of guests have heard the screams
coming from the inside and promptly turned to leave, too afraid to explore the
house themselves. This have succeeded in upping the scare factor, resulting in
more visitors as the Williams keep opening their house as a haunted attraction
every year.
The Williams’ Oakland House
of Horrors follows a yearly theme for their Halloween production. This year’s
theme is “Star Wars”, which had been achieved by the family setting up
Stormtroopers and Jedis around the home, made to look especially dark and
grungy to match the holiday aesthetic. Imagine walking through a haunted house
filled with zombified characters from the Rebel Alliance and bloodied soldiers
of the Empire! This unique combination promises an extra dose of thrill and
fascination from the fanbase the Williams family has accumulated over the
years. With this 2015’s popular theme and Halloween being set to a Saturday,
the Williams have predicted that this year’s Haunted Home exhibition may have
longer lines and a larger group of curious visitors.
If you don’t make it to the
Oakland House of Horrors this Halloween, don’t worry-- Holiday Joe is already
planning a Christmas Extravaganza to follow this one in the next couple of
months. While it may not hold the same spooktacular thrill as their haunted
production, the Williams’ penchant for going the extra mile in lavish decorations
for entertainment purposes have garnered a strong reputation that keeps proving
itself. You’ll be sure to find yourself seeking out this Florida home whenever
you’re in Florida for the holidays!
With its own brand of
coastal, tropical charm that promises sunny weather and lush sceneries, Florida
has long since stood out as one of the most popular states in the country.
People from all over the world flock to the Sunshine State to visit and, in
some occasions, stay for good, taking part in its booming economy of tourism,
entertainment, food, and recreation. West Orange is one of the best cities in
Florida, with its unique, multicultural community that has ensured an industry
filled with diverse attractions, culinary delights, events, and many other things
that make this town what it is today. Do you see yourself living out your dream
life in Florida? If you’d like to know more about Florida events, community,
locales, culture, and real estate, visit www.Explore407.com for more stories
and articles like this!
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