The Herpich family’s epic Halloween decorations are designed to scare

Care and Rick Herpich moved to Oak Lawn in 2001 with their son Jake.

That’s when the family began an elaborate Halloween tradition, the display of which grew spookier with each passing year. Today it is known in the neighborhood as Krazy Korner.

Over the past two decades, the Herpich family’s Krazy Korner exhibit has become a local legend, drawing crowds and winning awards for its spooky artistry.

“We started out not as scary, more traditional and whimsical,” said Care Herpich. “Then as our son got older, because of his love of killer clowns, we started designing and putting up a scarier exhibit every year.”

Jake Herpich, now 16, doesn’t just love scary clowns – he also plays one.

“I like the reaction I get when I scare people because everyone laughs afterwards,” Jake said.

Jake was a professional scary actor who dressed up as a killer clown who will haunt everyone’s dreams at four other haunted houses during the off-season.

“Halloween is our favorite family holiday, followed by Christmas,” Care said. “Once we break down Halloween, we start with Christmas.”

The Herpichs’ exhibit, located at 94th and Mobile in Oak Lawn, features a wide variety of Halloween-themed animatronics, jump scares, fog, Michael Myers, a 12-foot skeleton, a hand-crafted mausoleum and many other spooky features. Props. including a Demogorgon, Pennywise from It, and a 12-foot-tall pumpkin head skeleton. Weather permitting, live actors perform in the courtyard every weekend in October.

The actors are teenagers from the neighborhood who help set up the performance.

“They enjoy being part of the final product and being able to help build it,” Care said.

New this year, the Herpichs are proud to unveil their extra-large, groundbreaking skeleton – a horrifying figure that rises right out of the front lawn.

The Herpich family was selected as one of the winners of the Village of Oak Lawn’s 2023 “Most Frightening Fun” Halloween Decorating Contest, sponsored by the Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn.

As Halloween approaches once again, the Herpich family is ready for another spooky season and hopes to secure the title of “Most Frightening Fun” for the second time. But for Care, Rick and Jake, it was never really about the trophies or the quantity.

“It’s the memories we build together,” Care said.

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Over the past two decades, the Herpich family’s Krazy Korner exhibit has become a local legend, drawing crowds and winning awards for its spooky artistry.