A viral Stranger Things Halloween display has caused chaos in Illinois

Halloween is coming soon and those of you who are most excited about it will be able to get your hands on some seasonal treats like ghosts and ghouls. Audrey and Dave Appel love Halloween and decorate their whole yard with clowns and witches. Stranger Things. That display has ignited a controversy in their neighborhood, leading to the proposed removal of Max — and we’re only five days into October.

Max shared many trials and tribulations along with Eleven Nancy Steve Robin and Steve. The floating display, situated in the Appel’s front yard in Plainfield, Illinois, is technically impressive. The display is free from any support or wires and looks almost like an adolescent being held hostage by telekinesis. It’s an attention grabber, which is an impressive feat even when the rest of the yard isn’t full of cobwebs, monsters, and gravestones. TikTok users as well Halloween fans have been to the site and posted video of their experiences. They also have their own TikTok accounts where they can share previews or process videos.

The display was covered by Chicago’s CBS affiliate, who toured the set and the elaborate props on display. It took the Appels 1,500 hours to build the set, which was made from materials such as pool noodles. This mimics the creeping rot in the Upside Down. This project started Aug. 1 and includes much more than the Max prop. The suburban yard is dotted with horror icons and includes Pennywise, Predator, Alien, and Predator.

The Appels’ display was open for two nights before the couple chose to temporarily close the exhibit. The Appels claim that they have received criticism and accusations from neighbors that they are “bringing negative attention to the neighborhood and endangering children.”

The display in the couples’ cul de sac home drew enormous crowds, bolstered by the viral attention on TikTok and other social media platforms. They will be meeting with local authorities to verify that the display is compliant with safety regulations and codes before they reopen the yard of horrors for public viewing.

On Monday, the couple posted to their Facebook account, writing: “Yesterday, we were planning our tear down. We woke up today to an overwhelming amount of support, telling us that we should wait. Talking with the local Police Department, (Other) neighbors, the association, community leaders, we’ve made unreal Progress. Tuesday, October 5th is a crucial day. It is not our intention to ruin the experience for Stranger Things Fans and their amazing families. Please hold off visiting if you can, we want the dust to settle.”

We’ve reached out to the Appels for comment and will update should we receive a response. On Wednesday, the couple will give a last update via TikTok.