A skeleton graveyard in Wantagh and 2 other Halloween houses worth the drive

Halloween is more than scares and sweets, it’s a season of expression. People dress in costume and, more importantly, craft home displays with sheer passion. When it comes to the boo season, the suburbs have it over the city as Long Islanders deliver each year.

Here are three local homes that have gone above and beyond the grave.

HIGHLAND HALLOWS

1 Highland Ave., Great Neck

Decorating for Halloween came out of necessity for Stan Levine, of Great Neck.

“I used to go pumpkin picking with my wife and kids. When we came back, we’d put the decorated pumpkins out front but, unfortunately, the squirrels would eat them,” he says.

Levine began building a Halloween display to replace the devoured pumpkins. This time he got more creative by building a hearse pulled by a skeleton horse, a guillotine, an alien scene and a giant spider above the entrance way to his house with the top legs on the roof and bottom legs hanging down to the front door.

“I enjoy being creative and coming up with new things every year to make everyone excited to come back,” says Levine, 56. “There’s so many little details everywhere in between the big things.”

The front yard evokes a horror museum with characters like an evil scarecrow, a singing skeleton quintet, a pumpkin king, and a large purple witch among gravestones that read “I’ll Be Right Up,” “Don’t Laugh, You’re Next” and “Finally, a Real Vacation.” Plus, there’s a side yard with a creepy park containing moving swings and a skeleton casino.

“Our place is a madhouse on Halloween night,” says Levine. “Last year, we drew about 2,500 people.”

The Levines accept donations for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital with QR codes around their property to collect via Venmo.

SKELETON GRAVEYARD

2 Wildflower Lane, Wantagh

After seeing a cool photo on Pinterest, Kevin Schneider, of Wantagh,  was inspired to begin his Halloween decorating journey.

“I started attaching skeletons to my house, this way it’s not something people will easily forget,” says Schneider, 42. “Now I’m known in the neighborhood as the Skeleton House.”

There are more than 25 skeletons varying in sizes from 9 feet to 12 feet and some that are animatronic. Each is doing a different activity such as rocking in a chair, coming out of the lawn, sailing in a pirate ship, climbing in windows or hanging on the roof.

“The skeletons look like an army attacking my house,” says Schneider. “I make it a whole scene with intricate details like spiderwebs coming off the coffins with fog rolling in. It all comes together.”

Schneider shops throughout the year at various locations, getting the most striking decorations he can find. On Halloween night, he has so many visitors that he gives out more than 25 pounds of candy.

“I love when a family of four pulls up and starts laughing,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about!”

LIGHTS ON TIGER

11 Tiger Court, Yaphank

Putting out lights for Christmas isn’t enough for Luke Ziccardi, of Yaphank. Each Halloween for the past seven years he has dazzled his neighbors with an illuminated haunt display that covers the entire front of his mother’s house.

“Halloween gets everybody’s adrenaline going,” says Ziccardi, 22. “It’s a holiday where people can experience things that are abnormal, bringing some spook into the year.”

Spread across the lawn are animatronics that range from a witch to a grim reaper to a demonic dog wrapped in multicolored lights and glowing arches in a graveyard setting. Additionally, there are electronic screens that cover two bedroom windows putting on a 20-minute show on the hour from 6-11 p.m.

“The light display allows people to interact and not just drive by,” says Ziccardi. “They can read our sign and tune their car radios to 90.5 FM, which plays EDM dubstep music in sync to the lights. We even have a mummy singing the Taylor Swift song, ‘Look What You Made Me Do.’ ”

This display has become a major attraction drawing people from both Nassau and Suffolk as well as folks from the city.

“During the beginning of the month and during the week we get a handful of cars per hour,” says Ziccardi. “But on the weekends, especially towards the end of the month, we can have a line down the whole street.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food item donations, which are being collected for Long Island Cares.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.