Halloween visitors will want to check in to the “Hotel Dead Anza,” this year’s elaborate haunted house created by Bob Schiro and the Boo Crew on Church Drive in San Jose.

“It’s really a collaboration,” Schiro said. “We all have regular lives but we make time to get this done for Halloween and the community.”

Schiro started out creating a haunted house for his kids’ school but moved the project to his house for the past six years. In previous years, the Schiro house at 1441 Church Drive has been transformed into a pirate ship, a haunted mansion, the Temple of Doom from Indiana Jones, a medieval castle and, last year, a haunted mine.

“The hotel theme was one we’d never done,” he said. “And instead of doing something like the Bates Motel we wanted to keep it local.”

Design work took place in the spring and the Boo Crew — consisting of about a half-dozen people — began construction in August. The finished result is an abandoned art deco hotel facade that’s a, um, dead ringer for the De Anza — just in a smaller scale. There’s even a “Headless Club,” where the service is much scarier than at the De Anza’s Hedley Club.

The management of the real Hotel De Anza were flattered by the tribute and invited the Boo Crew for a round of drinks at the hotel.

Last year’s haunted house drew about 6,000 people over two days, Schiro said. The house will be open for Halloween visitors on Monday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Both days, visitors can also take a “scare-free” tour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. That might be better for young kids, though Schiro says the house is more about suspense than bone-chilling fright. And for a Silicon Valley hotel, the rates are great: It’s free, though barrels will be out for non-perishable donations to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Schrio says he appreciates the support of the whole neighborhood, especially Church of the Chimes, which is right across the street from his house and lets visitors use the parking lot. He’s also already got an idea for next year.

“It’s a blast to be a 56-year-old man,” he said, “and still building forts.”

HOGWARTS REVISITED: On the more magical than frightening end of the spectrum, Eric and Michelle Albertson have recreated the world of Harry Potter for Halloween at their home in San Jose’s Northside neighborhood.

More than 20 cosplayers will be roaming the 22-foot-high replica of Hogwarts as professors, students and other characters from J.K. Rowling‘s sprawling universe, greeting visitors. There even will be portraits that move, a giant spider and a version of Hagrid’s hut.

Again, this was a community effort that has been going on for 15 years. The house at 497 N. 16th St. is built using recycled or donated materials and approximately 800 to 1,200 trick-or-treaters come by on Halloween, when the display is open from 6 to 9 p.m. You can see how the house was built and check out previous incarnations at www.albertzone.com/halloween.

TECH SHOP DEADLINE LOOMS: Times are getting desperate for Tech Shop San Jose, the DIY maker space downtown which has been attempting to close a $1 million funding gap to complete construction on its intended new home in the old Zanotto’s grocery store space.

Tech Shop has raised about 40 percent of that amount, but Tech Shop founder Jim Newton sent out an email in the past week saying the rest needs to be at least pledged by Nov. 6 to keep the San Jose location viable. Tech Shop worked out an extension at its current home on Second and San Carlos streets, but it’s got to be out of there in January as the site is set to be developed into student housing.

The good news is that Tech Shop has partnered with the Silicon Valley Engineering Council to provide scholarships for its STEAM program for disadvantaged youth and young adults. Tech Shop STEAM scholarship donations count toward the $1 million total and are tax-deductible. You can get more information about Tech Shop’s move at www.techshop.ws/tssj_move.html.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Aron Jones was sworn in Friday as San Jose’s 27th Postmaster, receiving the oath of office at the City Hall Rotunda from Dean Granholm, the postal service’s vice president of Pacific Area operations.

Jones’ postal career started as a clerk and carrier in Los Banos in 1994 and he’s moved upward (and northward) since, including stints as Postmaster in Hollister, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara.

SPOOKY FUN: Ira Levin is probably best remembered for his more frightening work such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Stepford Wives,” but he also wrote several plays, including the sharp murder mystery, “Deathtrap.” The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos will be staging one of Levin’s lesser-known works, the 1982 play, “Cantorial,” on Nov. 12-13.

At it’s heart, it’s a haunted-house comedy about a young couple that moves into a former synagogue to discover they’re not quite alone. Tickets are $10-$20, and you can get more information at www.apjcc.org/cantorial.

LAST CALL FOR CITIES CHALLENGE: Speaking of deadlines, applications for the Knight Cities Challenge are due by 9 a.m. Thursday. The Knight Foundation is making $5 million in funding available for ideas that will make city living better in 26 communities nationwide, including San Jose.

Applications and more information is available at www.knightcities.org, but for anyone unsure about how the process works, Knight Program Director Danny Harris will hold a final information session from 2-3 p.m. Monday at Roy’s Station in Japantown (197 Jackson St.).