A larger-than-life Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over a Visalia home that won first place in the city’s 2026 Haunt the Home decorating contest.
The contest drew 68,855 votes, according to Macey Schonbachler, communications and marketing specialist for the City of Visalia. Voting took place Oct. 12-16, with 41 homes participating.
Although voting has ended, residents can still see the Halloween decorations in person using the city’s Haunt the Home interactive map, which features all 41 participating properties.
The winners were recognized during the Visalia City Council’s Oct. 19 meeting. The city also announced commemorative yard signs for participating homes.
2026 Haunt the Home winners
First place: 3415 S. Church St.
The Ghostbusters-themed display at 3415 S. Church St. took first place with 24,794 votes.
Second place: 1720 W. Crystal Ave.
The pirate-themed display at 1720 W. Crystal Ave. claimed second place with 9,843 votes.
Located near Riverway Sports Park, the property features a sign reading “Pirates Crystal Cove” and an eerie pirate crew with glowing red eyes.
Third place: 1604 N. Elm St.
Third place went to 1604 N. Elm St., which received 9,156 votes for its colorful haunted graveyard featuring several classic horror movie villains.
Among the characters featured are Chucky, whose coveralls claim he’s one of the Good Guys, and Pennywise the clown from Stephen King’s It. Freddy Krueger fits right in at this Elm Street property.
Haunt the Home interactive map
Haunt the Home is an annual contest organized by the City of Visalia that invites residents to decorate their homes for Halloween, submit photos of their displays and compete for votes from the community. Apartments, condos and businesses can also participate, as long as their decorations are visible from the street.
An interactive map of participating properties is made available each year, allowing residents to drive around Visalia and enjoy the decorations as part of their Halloween celebrations.
