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Every October, a quiet street in Babylon transforms into one of Long Island’s most spectacular Halloween destinations — thanks to one man’s passion, thousands of lights, and more than a few good scares.
Meet Garry Meigel, a Babylon resident and union worker in the city who has been carrying on a family Halloween tradition.
And he’s been taking it to incredible new heights.
“I helped my dad with this for years,” Meigel said. “He started it 15 years ago, and I wanted to keep it going. But I also wanted to kick it up a few notches, and that’s what I did about eight years ago.”
Mission accomplished.
His front yard display at 101 Wilson Street is no ordinary haunted house. We’re talking more than 20,000 LED lights, 50 animatronics, life-sized characters, themed areas, fog, and sound effects — a full-scale, scream-inducing experience that changes every year.
Planning begins almost as soon as the last visitor leaves. “We have to start thinking about next Halloween about a year in advance,” Meigel said. “We’re always adding new scenes, buying new props — whatever it takes to make it better.”
Set-up begins in late August before the official opening the first week of October. Meigel said nearly every free moment he and his dad have goes into the extensive build. “It’s a tremendous amount of work. It’s not easy,” he said. “But even the hard days are good days.”
The display has grown so large that Meigel now rents a storage unit just to house his props during the off-season.
And despite the enormous effort — and expense — the haunted house remains completely free to the public.
Each year, Meigel also raises money for Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders, through an on-site raffle and donation box.
“It’s nice being able to provide something that makes people happy during the holidays,” he said. “The best thing in the world is seeing the smiles on people’s faces. It’s not just about me — it’s a community thing.”
And the word has spread. Each year, more families from across Long Island make the trip to Babylon just to see the display. For many, it’s become a Halloween tradition.
“Seeing people happy is a great thing,” Meigel said.
The display at 101 Wilson Street will remain open daily through Nov. 1. Hours are 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Top: Garry Meigel and his dad, Garry Meigel Sr., outside the display at 101 Wilson Street in Babylon. (Credit: Andrew Rappport photos)
