Addams Family Cemetery Yard Haunt

The first step of our Addams family cemetery is to create the focal point for the display.

I used a metal garden gazebo* with a small bistro table and chairs underneath to create an outdoor gathering place for the Addams Family.

Then I added a low garden fence* around the outside to define the area.

Once the gazebo is in place, use cemetery fencing to create a family graveyard around it.

I used my DIY cemetery columns and graveyard fencing across the front of the yard.

Then added plastic chain* around the outsides and down the middle of the yard to create a walkway for the kids.

This makes it look like a cemetery but also prevents the kids from walking across the yard and tripping on all of the cords.

Then I added the Addams family themselves.

I started with several inexpensive skeletons and dressed them with Halloween costumes to look like the most recognizable characters from the show.

Gomez had his signature black hair and mustache*, wore a striped suit and was seated at the table.

Morticia was dressed in a long black gown and wig*, and seated beside him.

Wednesday wore her signature black dress with braided hair*.

Pugsley was easy to recognize thanks to his mask and striped shirt*.

Uncle Fester stood behind the group in his mask and black robe*.

While Lurch stood ready to serve refreshments from behind the table.

Once everyone was dressed, I arranged them around the gazebo so they looked like they were gathering together in the family cemetery.

No Addams Family display would be complete without Thing.

To create the illusion, I glued a severed hand prop* to a silver plastic serving tray.

Then drilled a couple of holes in the tray, threaded a wire through the holes and tied them underneath around Lurch’s hand.

This is one of those small details that visitors often don’t notice right away, but once they do, it usually becomes one of their favorite parts of the display.

Cousin Itt was one of my favorite additions to the cemetery.

I made him from a plastic hula skirt wrapped around a tomato cage.

And a pair of sunglasses instantly made him recognizable.

Since Cousin Itt is covered in hair from head to toe, he doesn’t need many details. The sunglasses do most of the work.

I positioned him near the front of the cemetery so visitors could easily spot him as they walked by.

To add a little humor, I made a simple warning sign that reads “Beware of the Thing.”

The sign hangs near the entrance to the cemetery where visitors can see it before they enter.

It’s a fun reference for Addams Family fans and helps draw attention to Thing once people start looking for him.

I also created a sign identifying the display as the Addams Family Cemetery.

Hanging the sign near the entrance helps establish the theme immediately and lets visitors know exactly what they’re looking at.

On the other side of the yard, I set up my favorite skeleton horse and hearse*.

It’s big enough to visually balance out the gazebo and helps to make the cemetery feel more complete.

With the main scene complete, I filled in the cemetery with gravestones, lanterns, skulls, and other spooky accessories.

Placing these items after the characters are set up makes arranging everything much easier.

You don’t have to work around gravestones while positioning skeletons or adjusting costumes. And you can see where you have gaps that need something.

The goal is to create enough cemetery details that the display feels like an old family burial ground rather than simply a group of skeletons gathered in the yard.

The white creepy cloth* serves two purposes.

First, it gives the gazebo an aged, haunted appearance that fits perfectly with the Addams Family theme.

Second, it acts as a screen that helps reflect and diffuse the lighting. Otherwise, the Addams family wouldn’t show up that well at night, and certainly wouldn’t be a focal point.

I draped the cloth loosely over the gazebo and allowed it to hang naturally. The uneven folds and torn edges create a much more realistic effect than trying to make everything look neat and symmetrical.

The Addams Family Cemetery looks good during the day, but the lighting is what really makes it come alive at night.

I used a combination of spotlights*, solar lanterns*, LED color-changing string lights*, and backlighting throughout the display.

Purple and blue spotlights highlighted the cemetery entrance and family gathering area, while lanterns provided an orange glow around the columns and gravestones.

String lights woven through the trees and bushes helped illuminate the rest of the graveyard without overpowering the it.

When lighting a yard haunt, I try to avoid making everything equally bright. Leaving some areas in shadow creates a much spookier effect and draws attention to the parts of the display you want visitors to notice first.

One of my favorite effects in the entire display was the backlit Addams Family scene setter*.

I hung the scene setter in the window behind the cemetery and put a spotlight behind it.

At night, the image glowed through the fabric and created the illusion of looking through a window into the Addams Family mansion.

This became one of the most popular parts of the display and gave the cemetery a dramatic focal point after dark.