Corona Yard Haunts 2019: Pirates of Cindy Court & Corona Lights
Corona, CA
We’ve hit a LOT of home haunts this season. Last year, our total unique haunt count was 42, which is not a bad sum. But this year, we hit that number with two weekends of haunts to go. So we’re going to make another tweak to how we do updates… with the exception of particularly jaw-dropping instances, we’re going to try to group multiple haunted yard displays into posts sorted by geography. That way, if you’re in a particular area, you can stop by these great tributes to the Halloween spirit and enjoy the creativity and artistry that goes into these works. After all, why should Christmas get all the fun?
Our first stab at a grouped update hails from Corona, where I stopped by two yard displays last week before continuing onto Field of Screams (which, coincidentally, was haunt #42 of the season). This pair came on recommendation from our friends at Parks and Cons, so many thanks go out to them for their intel. The Inland Empire is home to a great number of fantastic home haunts, from haunted mazes to haunted yard displays and even some haunted shows. We’ve only begun to dip into the wealth of spooky scenery in Riverside and beyond, and the plan is to cover those areas a little more next season. But for now, if you’re near Corona and happen to be headed out for Halloween trick-or-treating tonight, consider stopping by one or both of the following pair…
Pirates of Cindy Court
Located at 1788 Cindy Ct Corona, CA 92882, at the intersection of Cindy Court and Citron Street, this charming pirate-themed yard display isn’t on the SoCal Haunt List, but it has enough quality to merit a feature! There are animatronics, spiels, treasure, lighting and lightning effects, and a dramatic soundtrack, all placed around Pirates of the Caribbean-esque skeletal buccaneers who do what pirates do best—steal loot and be dead. The display spans all across this corner lot house, from the Citron Street side all the way to the opposite side of the driveway, where a skeleton dog chasing a skeleton pirate up a tree adds a cute twist.
Corona Lights
About ten minutes away, at 1149 Carter Ln Corona, CA 92881, Corona Lights is like those houses you see during Christmastime that have dazzling light shows synchronized to Christmas music—only for Halloween. Carrying a general Nightmare Before Christmas theme, this exceptionally wired and illuminated residence has a graveyard worth of visual drama for guests. Tombstones light up, alternating with strings of light accenting the house itself. Some faces create animations in front of windows and the third of the three car garage. There’s even a big screen display on top of the roof that pairs with the segments.
The music can’t be heard in front of the house, though. Instead, visitors need to be in their cars and tune into 88.5FM, where the soundtrack of this visual feast plays in a loop. There are classic Halloween songs, like the “Thriller” and “Monster Mash,” and also contemporary pop hits, like Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” I even caught a round of “Rolling” by Limp Bizkit, which was certainly unexpected.
Also surprising is just how much effort has gone into all the programming and synching to make the light show, music, and broadcast all work together. This is not a simple undertaking, and it’s awesome that a household has decided that this is how they’re going to share their love of Halloween with the public! (And yes, for you Christmas fans, they do a winter holiday display as well.)
The show runs daily, 6:30-9:00pm from Sundays through Thursdays and 6:30 - 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Tonight is the last night to catch this spectacle, however. If you can’t make it, then take notes for next year!
And so that wraps up this quick jaunt through a small number of Corona home haunts. There’s also a fantastic walk-through maze called Corona Haunt that our friends have been raving about, plus a yard display and part time light show called Nightmare on Hickory Lane over in nearby Chino Hills. We haven’t been to either, have heard that they’re both great. And after this small taste of Corona’s home haunt scene, we’ll definitely be making a point to stop by more destinations next year!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.