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Terror on Tillson Street

Each year, the residents on Tillson Street in the village of Romeo transform their two-block street into a Halloween destination, drawing visitors from across the state.

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Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.com

Kooky creations

Approximately 25 houses on the street take part in the festivities by decorating their homes with the frightening displays. Many of which have different themes or scenes being portrayed.

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Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.com

The creator

It all started 35 years ago when Tillson Street resident Vicki Lee first decorated her house for the holiday.

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For her kids

Lee said she came up with the idea because she wanted to make Halloween even more special for her children.

“I was young with young kids and I decorated for them. It was an older neighborhood,” Lee said. “It just grew. Younger families started moving onto the street and started adding to it so every year it just got bigger.”

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A family tradition

While she may have created Terror of Tillson Street, Lee says the inspiration for going all out on Halloween came from her mother.

“My mom started it for me. My birthday is on Halloween so she always did that extra little thing to make it special,” Lee said.

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Spreading through the neighborhood

Slowly but surely, the neighbors began building displays in front of their homes and adding to it each year. Lee said she never imagined the street become so well known for their Halloween displays.

“I was just kind of hoping somebody else would do it so they wouldn’t think I was a nutcase,” Lee jokes.

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Visitors by the thousands

While there is no way to officially count how many people visit each year, Lee says one of her neighbors is an engineer who has tried counting the crowds in the past. He estimates that 80,000 people visit over the final two weeks of each October.

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Trick or treat crowds

While 80,000 may seem like a stretch, the neighbors always plan on having 2,000 trick-or-treaters visit each Halloween. Along with those children, their parents and grandparents also attend meaning up to 10,000 people will visit on Halloween night alone.

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Safety on Halloween

The village of Romeo actually closes down Tillson Street on Halloween from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to ensure the safety of all the people walking up and down the street. Meaning if your car is parked on the street after 5:30 p.m., you cannot leave until 8:30 p.m.

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Bulldog Security

As Lee's children got older, they wanted to stay involved in Terror on Tillson Street, but didn't want to chase candy. Instead, they decided to begin patrolling the street to make sure candy wasn't being stolen or other mischief ensued. The squad called themselves "Bulldog Security," named after the Romeo High School mascot.

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Passing it down

One of Lee's sons Mike is now a coach for the Romeo football team and each year he returns to Terror on Tillson with members of his team to keep Bulldog Security a presence on the street.

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Setting up

Lee says the neighborhood typically begins setting up the displays the first week of October. Depending on how large or small the setup is, the house can be ready in a matter of hours or days.

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Helping hands

Tillson Street residents Peter and Kelly Charow has been involved with Terror on Tillson for 13 years now. They say setting up is takes time but is made easier by their neighbors.

“We all help each other if someone needs help putting up decorations,” Peter said.

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A little overwhelming

While they are veterans of the street now, Peter admits the first year he was involved was a frightening experience.

“That first Halloween, I’m not claustrophobic, but when I saw all those people toward you to get candy, I got a little weak in the knees,” Peter said. “It’s a little overwhelming but we love it.”

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Toxic playground

Peter and Kelly run the toxic playground display in front of their home. It's a theme they started using five years ago according to Peter. They found items for the scene by buying older playground equipment.

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A lot of fun

Kelly says one of the coolest things about the event is when visitors stop by to say thank you for everything that goes into making the street come alive with the dead.

“It’s actually stunning. People walk up to you and say ‘this is so great, thank you so much’ and then hand you a bag of candy,” Kelly said.

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A benefit for the community

Not only does the event raise the profile of the street, it also brings a lot of people from outside the area to Romeo. Restaurants are packed on nights and weekends and local churches are able to raise money by charging for parking in their lots that are near Tillson Street.

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Giving back

The residents of Tillson Street also try to give back to community by selling T-Shirts, cookbooks and other items to raise money. The money collected is then donated to various causes.

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Scholarship funds

Those causes include scholarships for students in the local schools. This year, money was donated for pay-to-participate sporting funds, the school Robotics team and Skills USA. The residents will also be making a donation to Wounded Warriors.

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A significant amount

Lee estimates that this year Terror on Tillson will raise roughly $10,000 that will be split amongst the various causes.

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Spreading around

While it is nowhere near the size of Tillson Street, other blocks in the area are starting to put up their won displays. So if you visit Tillson Street, be sure to check the other blocks too.

“It’s nice because the people are already here,” Lee said.

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Neighborhood bonding

Because so many people on the street are involved with Terror on Tillson, the neighborhood has become closer with one another as a result.

“We’re friends, we work together, play together, hang out together,” Lee said. “We watch out for each other. That’s the only way it works.”

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Gathering for Halloween

Kelly Charow said they treat the event like a Christmas party. They invite friends and family over to help hand out candy and spend time together. But they also spend time together during summer months by planning porch parties with the neighborhood.

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Night and Day

While it's a visit to Tillson Street almost has to be taken at night, going during the day also allows visitors to see some of the careful planning that goes into the displays. It's harder to notice all the details that some of the scenes have at night.

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Always looking for supplies

Because the displays are always being tweaked, Lee says many of the neighbors look to repurpose items in their houses for Terror on Tillson to enhance their scenes.

“You don’t throw stuff away, you try to figure out a way to use it,” Lee said.

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Family fun

Although younger children may be spooked by some of the displays just because of their age, none of the scenes are overly violent or filled with gore. Many of them are done in humor more than anything else.

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Harry Potter

One of the most popular displays is a Harry Potter theme which features several references to the popular books and films.

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Harry Potter

Along with quotes from the books on tombstones, The Leaky Cauldron serves libations and Ollivander's shop can be seen.

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Frozen fear

Another interesting display is the Hockey Night in Romeo display based off of a hockey theme. A miniature ice rink and full Zamboni are part of the display. A concession stand and penalty box or "sin bin" can also be seen.

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How to visit

Tillson Street is located off of Main Street in Romeo. Parking can be found on streets nearby or in parking lots operated near Tillson Street. Some parking lots do charge a small fee. For more information visit the Terror on Tillson website.

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See more photos

To see 100 photos of Terror on Tillson Street, visit the full gallery here.