Driving along Collison Road in Cranbourne East, everything looks typically quiet: long stretches of paddocks, horses grazing behind fences, and neat semi-rural homes.
But then, suddenly, there comes the unexpected.
At 31 Collison Road, a front yard explodes in orange, black, and bone-white.
Skeletons on the roof, astride bikes, and scattered across the grass stare out from every direction. Ghosts sway gently in the breeze. Pumpkins grin from the garden beds, and tombstones crowd the lawn in a cheerful kind of chaos.
It’s impossible to miss — this is Lanah’s Spooky Manor.
Ever since 2020, each October, Alannah Pollett transforms her property into a spooky wonderland that draws hundreds of stunned visitors.
“I started collecting things during Covid, and every year, I’ve just added more and more and more. It is getting bigger every single year,” she said.
“I literally started with one inflatable pumpkin and one inflatable spider. And it just kept growing and growing, and now I make my own things.”
The Spooky Manor now features around more than 15 skeletons (with the number still growing), an eight-foot-wide spider, witches, clowns, and even a headless horseman.
Lanah recalled when she took four skeletons from Carnegie to Cranbourne via the train line.
“I put two skeletons on the floor, and I had two on my lap. And we just travelled all the way back to Cranbourne,” she said.
“Lucky, though, they are of the normal size.”
Many of the props are imported from the United States, as it’s really hard to come across that many props here in Australia.
This year, Lanah estimated that she spent around $10,000.
Last year, around 600 children came through for trick-or-treating, and this year, Lanah expected around 1,000 of them.
“It’s just about finding fun and something nice for other people,” Lanah said.
“It’s not about me. It’s about them and seeing their faces and making them feel happy.”
At night, Spooky Manor comes alive with glowing pumpkins, neon lights, and eerie shadows dancing across the property.
Lanah’s French Bulldog also joins the show, dressed up and darting between props.
“It’s a lot of work for one night of the year,” Lanah admitted.
“But luckily, it’s on a Friday this year. So, we’ll have some kids coming in late, not needing to go to bed at seven or eight at night.
“And honestly, if you came back in the dark, it looks completely different. There are lights underneath the big skeleton on the roof. I’ve got a neon sign.”
Lanah has also been grateful for her workplace support and the community spirit around her.
“My neighbours have been really helpful,” she said.
“They’ve been coming over every night, going, what can I do to help?”
And once the skeletons and cobwebs come down, the magic doesn’t stop.
“I do Christmas as well,” Lanah said.
“Last year, I dressed up one of the big skeletons as our Santa Claus.
“Dual purpose.”
Visit Lanah’s Spooky Manor at 31 Collison Road in Cranbourne East on Friday 31 October, and you will not be disappointed.
