One of my favorite things about owning my own home is being able to put up lots of seasonal decorations, and that includes lots of spooky Halloween decor. On October 1st, I break out the decorative bats and spiders, and I display them alongside dozens of pumpkins on my porch. However, this year I wanted to take my Halloween display to the next level, and I knew exactly where to go: The Home Depot.
Ever since the launch of its viral 12-foot skeleton in 2020, Home Depot has released new larger-than-life Halloween decor every year, and every season has new, innovative decorations that are wonderfully spooky. The prices aren’t cheap, though, so I wanted to see if these internet-beloved Halloween decorations are worth the expense. I tried out two different products from this year’s lineup, and — spoiler alert — I’m already planning what to add to my display next year!
As you might expect, putting together this 12-foot skeleton is no easy feat. It arrived at my house via freight carrier on a pallet, and I needed my boyfriend’s help to move the box out into the yard for assembly. We had to remove all the pieces from the packaging before beginning the assembly process, as the base is located at the bottom, and overall, it took us about an hour to get the skeleton put together.
Most of the assembly process is straightforward — just clicking the metal frame together and sliding plastic pieces into place. However, the right and left side pieces of the skeleton aren’t interchangeable, so you have to make sure, for instance, that you’re putting the right femur on the right side and the left femur on the left side. We messed this up a few times, which prolonged the assembly process.
Once you get to the skeleton’s torso, the instructions say to lean it on the box for stability. At this stage, you have to make sure the wires are properly threaded up the spine — otherwise, the glowing eyes may not work. There’s also a thick metal cable that attaches the spine to the base for stability. Once that was complete, we were able to stand up the skeleton (a two-person job) and then anchor him into the ground.
In terms of its construction, the 12-foot skeleton is basic but solid. It has a thick powder-coated metal frame, and the plastic components are thick and heavy-duty. The design is weather-proof, so you don’t have to worry about leaving it outdoors, and overall, it seems like it will hold up for years to come.
Not to state the obvious, but 12 feet is really tall, and I was admittedly concerned about the stability of this oversized Halloween decoration. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how solid it was once fully assembled. The base has extenders that stick out from the corners to create a wider platform and four stakes that go into the ground, providing extra protection against tipping, and even on windy days, the skeleton barely moves at all.
There are a few other design features that make this oversized skeleton stand out. During setup, you’re able to select from a few different positions for the skeleton’s arms, but they weren’t as flexible as I had hoped. Only the shoulder joint can be rotated, which limits the poses you can put the skeleton in. Basically, you can have its arms raised or lowered, but they can’t bend or be extended out to the sides. The skeleton can also be put on an automatic timer that turns its glowing eyes on for six hours each day — handy if you only want them to light up at night.
I tested an older version of the skeleton that has plain eyes. They light up and blink, but the newest version of the skeleton got an upgrade in this department. The new model has eight eye effects that you can select using the included remote, and they range from creepy realistic eyeballs to heart emojis and flames, adding an extra level of customization to the design. If you have an older version of the skeleton like me, you can purchase the eye kit separately to retrofit onto your model.
Once you take a step back from the towering skeleton, it really is an impressive piece of decor. After setting it up in my yard, I understand why people love it so much, and ultimately, I do think it lives up to the hype.
If you’re looking for a spooky piece of decor to dress up your yard in October, you can’t go wrong with this 12-foot skeleton. Many of my neighbors have complimented the piece since it’s been up in my yard, and even a local police officer stopped to tell me that it looked great.
The original 12-foot skeleton retailed for $399, but not only does the newer version have upgraded eyes, it also has a lower price tag of $299, making it slightly more affordable. Overall, I think it’s a fun and spooky piece that you’ll be able to use for years to come.
The Plague Doctor comes in a smaller, 30-pound box with fewer pieces to assemble, but it still posed its own challenges when it came to assembly. All the pieces were haphazardly tossed in the package, so we ended up removing them and laying everything out before trying to put it together. The whole process took around 30 minutes, and it could be done with just one person, though it was undoubtedly faster with two of us.
The biggest challenge when putting together this piece was making sure all the wires were connected properly. The torso has lots of mechanical components and wires that go out to its limbs, and it’s easy to accidentally disconnect them as you move him around. I also removed the foam tubes that were on the statue’s arms, thinking they were just for protection during shipping, but they’re meant to be left in place to provide a bulkier appearance under the robe.
The base of the Plague Doctor is actually quite small, and I was surprised that it doesn’t come with any stakes to keep it secure in the ground. It was only once I started writing this review that I noticed the piece is only recommended for “covered outdoor” use — in other words, it’s not meant to be placed out in your yard, but instead is recommended for a porch or other location where it will be sheltered from the elements. This makes sense given how many electronic components it has, but it’s not made clear on the packaging. I think this information should be more apparent, as many people (myself included) will likely purchase the decor for their yard and run the risk of it breaking.
When compared to the 12-foot skeleton, the Plague Doctor is definitely a bit more delicate. As mentioned, the base is much smaller and doesn’t stake into the ground, and its frame isn’t nearly as thick or sturdy. I can see this piece of decor being blown or knocked over much more easily, and some of its plastic components, like the staff, might break if this happens.
The statue’s robe is also very lightweight, and it blows around quite a bit on windy days, and I considered putting magnets on the hem to keep it in place and make sure it covers the boots. Overall, the construction is just average, especially for the high price point, and I can see why it’s recommended for a covered location — if left out in the rain and wind, there’s a good chance something will break.
I had originally seen the Plague Doctor in-store at my local Home Depot, where I immediately fell in love with its creepy, realistic design, and I’m happy to report that it looks even better set up in my yard. It stands 7 feet tall, making it quite the imposing figure, and from a distance, it really looks like a person! The beak-like mask and glowing eyes are really eerie, especially at night, and there are also lights along the cape, in the top of the staff, and in the lantern. However, when we first set it up, the statue’s lantern wasn’t illuminated. We double-checked all the wire connections, and thankfully, it was just a loose connection causing the issues.
Once you plug in the Plague Doctor, there are three different operation settings that you can choose from using a switch on the back of the torso. The standard setting, which includes motion-activated movements and LED lights, is automatically put on a 6-hour timer. There’s also a light-only mode that turns off his animations, as well as an option to use a step plate (sold separately) to trigger the animations.
The statue can move its head, arms, and staff, and the movements are fairly realistic, if a little jerky. The Doctor also has three different phrases that it cycles through each time it’s triggered. The phrases are a bit long-winded — they can last up to 30 seconds — but I like that they’re actually related to the Plague Doctor design. One even refers to “the lavender in my mask,” which is how real plague doctors covered up the smell of dead bodies. Creepy!
While I absolutely love the creepy design of the Plague Doctor, I was disappointed that it’s not meant to be used outdoors — something that’s not clear on the packaging. This really limits where you’re able to set it up, and I’m disappointed that I have to move it out of my yard to a covered location. If you do choose to leave it outside, inclement weather may ultimately break its mechanical components or LED accents.
However, if you have a covered location where you can place the statue, it will definitely garner attention to your yard. It’s a unique design, and the movements, lights, and creepy phrases are perfect for creating a spooky display for Halloween.
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