Known as the "Stranger Things" home, a haunted display in west suburban Plainfield will reopen to the public this weekend after abruptly closing during its first weekend open.
Announcing new hours, the Appel family said its popular display, which has taken over social media this Halloween season, will offer special effects and lighting beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday each weekend.
The hours have changed though since the family kicked off their spooky sights this month.
Though the display will be visible all week long, the lighting and special effects will only be available on weekends.
"You can visit any day of the week, however the lighting and special Fx will be off to help all the neighbors and ourselves rest and decompress," the homeowners, Dave and Aurbey Appel, wrote on the HorrorProps Facebook page.
The official new hours are from 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 4-9 p.m. on Sundays. Halloween Monday will also run from 5-9 p.m.
Guests who come out for the home's first weekend back won't see the famed floating Max display, however, due to "expected high winds." But a different version of the character, dubbed Max 2.0, will be available.
The home's visiting information can be found on the 2022 Chicago Haunt Builders List.
The owners of the home nearly took down their decorations after a neighbor allegedly threatened a visiting with a bat and expressed concerns over safety. The family closed down their display during the dispute, but ultimately received support from other neighbors and discussed the matter with city officials before announcing plans to reopen.
"We're freaking doing this," homeowner Dave Appel said in a TikTok live surrounding the decision. "The support from everybody has been ridiculous. Everyone did all the legwork."
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"We've always come by and seen the display - I've never had a problem with it," said neighbor Nick Durna. "We think it's a really great thing they do. So this year, it's just a little strange it got out of hand."
The Appels said they had addressed their Halloween plans with neighbors to get permission before building their setup.
"We wanted to make sure it was OK because we sort of assumed that it was going to be a little bit busier this year than normal," Dave Appel said.
The family said safety is top-of-mind for them, stressing that visitors will need to be respectful of their property, as well as that of their neighbors.
The Appels first went viral when they posted a TikTok showing a floating Max Mayfield in the middle of their driveway. After that, they started getting comments from Netflix, shout outs from the Stranger Things Writing Room and even mentions from "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Their show-inspired display shows "Stranger Things" character Max Mayfield floating above their driveway, surrounded by various elements from the Upside Down. The setup not only perplexed fans who wished to learn how the couple achieved such a unique display, but also drew praise from fans of the hit show, which finished up its latest season over the summer.
Beyond that, the Appels also dedicated part of their Halloween setup to "pop culture horror" films.
"We don't just have 'Stranger Things.' We have killer clowns, pennywise, pet cemeteries, we have Alien, we have Predator... references," Dave Appel told NBC Chicago in an interview last week. "And the people can pick them out and call them out - that's amazing. So much fun... because we hide them. We love Easter eggs and horror movies and all that stuff. So our one side of our yard is all 'Stranger Things,' the other side is every pop culture horror film that we basically could fit in there that looks peaceful."
The Appels said they do their displays each year for the joy of those who come out.
"We do this for no money," Dave Appel said. "It's for free. It's just for kids. It's for adults who want to see something different, who want their walks to be, you know, more entertaining."
