Matt McCary's front yard in Orange Park transforms each October into a free, walk-through Halloween attraction he calls Bearadise.

McCary estimates the setup now spans nearly 5,000 square feet and draws about 250 trick-or-treaters a year, News4Jax reported. Ahead of Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31, he was putting the finishing touches on this year's display.

"So this started as a little pet project in 2019 with just a couple bales of hay and a pumpkin as a little Halloween display," McCary told News4Jax.

The display grew quickly after 2020, when families were looking for safe, local ways to have fun, McCary said. Visitors now enter through a homemade archway into a makeshift graveyard filled with DIY tombstones, towering skeletons, webs overhead and hundreds of feet of lights. Hidden speakers, sound effects and fog machines round out the scene.

Getting it all in place takes a crew. McCary said about 14 people help unload everything, and weeks of setup go into the electrical work, lighting and details.

Much of Bearadise is handmade. McCary said many of the tombstones are his own creations. Last year he ran a neighborhood contest for funny tombstone names.

Salem connection

McCary got married in Salem, Massachusetts, in October 2013. That personal tie inspired one section of the display: an area with QR codes visitors can scan to learn about the Salem witch trials, including information about people who were tried and executed.

His goal, he said, is to keep the experience "fun and light" while still delivering spooky Halloween vibes. The attraction runs primarily in the evening, but McCary said the crew often turns on the lights earlier so younger visitors can enjoy it without being too scared.

"Nostalgic for us and it's a fun time of year," McCary said. "I want to impart that fun and that excitement and joy onto other people and their mom and dad and grandma and grandpa and the kids for them to have a good time too."

"Even in the summer, you'll hear kids running through here, they'll be like, 'That's the Halloween house!'" McCary said.

Visitors can find more details, including a guide map, at bearadise.us.