What started as a small Halloween graveyard five years ago has grown into an elaborate, interactive haunted farmhouse in Exeter Township, where aliens, spiders and witches battle for control of a cornfield.
Garrick Heim has transformed the yard of his home at 981 Rill Road into a Halloween attraction featuring towering animatronics, a winding corn path, motion-activated props and low-lying fog. The display, which continues to expand each year, invites visitors to do more than just admire the decorations from the street.
Heim said the project began with a few simple decorations and grew after he noticed how many neighbors would stop to look.
“It was just the interaction we were getting, just with our little graveyard, the stops we would get,” Heim said. “You know, people driving by, looking at it in the neighborhood.”
With a corner property and plenty of yard space, Heim and his family decided to take their decorations further, eventually adding large animatronics and a corn path that visitors can walk through.
Today, the attraction has its own storyline. Known as “Rotten Roots,” the fictional farm is home to witches who command an army of spiders to defend their cornfield against invading aliens.
Heim credited his wife with developing the theme, which has remained consistent as the family adds new characters and effects each year.
“The wife. I didn’t come up with it. She came up with it all,” Heim said.
Rather than purchasing decorations simply because they look impressive, Heim said he tries to select props that fit the ongoing story. One scene features an alien firing at a giant spider descending toward him, while witches and other creatures are positioned throughout the property.
Much of the work behind the display is done by Heim himself. He collects corn stalks from Lancaster County, purchases T-posts and repurposes wooden pallets from his workplace to create stable supports for the decorations.
The pallets help secure the large animatronics against wind while making them more difficult to move or steal. Heim also modifies the electrical components of many decorations, soldering connections and converting battery-powered props to operate through a centralized power setup.
The work extends to the special effects. To create the low-lying fog that spreads across the battlefield, Heim uses a fog machine connected to a cooling system and piping that directs the mist into the display.
Setting everything up takes approximately two days, with Heim often spending an entire day outside assembling the attraction before returning the following day to finish.
“I like working, so I stay busy,” he said, explaining that he sometimes begins around 7 a.m. and continues until dinner.
One of the display’s more unusual features is its integration with Fright Maps, an app that helps Halloween enthusiasts discover decorated homes and attractions.
Heim has incorporated a newer technology called Fright Links, which connects the app to physical props at his home. Visitors can interact with his display through certain actions on Fright Maps, triggering animatronics such as a werewolf, a werewolf dog and a witch.
The system uses wireless connections and sensors, allowing Heim to control and coordinate the characters through his phone. He said he was among the early users of the technology and helped test the system as its developer worked through initial issues.
In addition to the app-controlled features, visitors can activate some decorations by walking over pressure-sensitive pads or passing motion sensors along the corn path.
The display has also become a family activity. Heim said his stepdaughter has joined in the Halloween fun by dressing in a mask and surprising older children and teenagers as they explore the attraction.
A sign at the entrance encourages visitors to “Enter if you dare,” and Heim said neighborhood children frequently walk through the path during the day, even when the animated effects are turned off.
The nighttime experience offers the full combination of moving characters, sound effects, lighting and fog. Halloween night brings additional visitors who stop to explore the display while trick-or-treating.
Heim has also connected with other local Halloween enthusiasts through Fright Maps, including homeowners who create their own elaborate displays around Berks County.
Despite the amount of work already invested, Heim said he is far from finished. He hopes to eventually add a 12-foot alien that would tower over the cornfield and become another character in the ongoing battle.
“We’re always adding,” Heim said.
For now, the display continues to attract visitors looking for a Halloween experience that goes beyond traditional lawn decorations.
The Halloween display is located at **981 Rill Road in Exeter Township, Reading, PA 19606**, and operates daily from **7 to 10 p.m.** Visitors can also find the attraction listed on the Fright Maps app.
