We checked Home Depot’s and Spirit Halloween’s own websites on September 26, 2026, and the prices below marked “checked September 26” come from them. Lowe’s and Costco would not show us prices, so for those we name the outlet that reported each price and when. Prices move weekly at this point in the season, so check the store before you drive.
Walmart, Michaels, HomeGoods and At Home were not part of our September 26 check.
The Two Skellys
Home Depot’s 12-foot skeleton is the prop that made this category, and in 2026 there are two 12-foot versions.
The classic 12-FT Giant-Sized Skelly with LifeEyes LCD Eyes is $299 (checked September 26, in stock, 4.6 stars from 3,261 reviews on homedepot.com). Home Depot’s launch announcement put it plainly: “Customers who want the original SKELLY can find him in stores at his original price of $299.”
The 12-FT Giant-Sized Animated LED App Controlled Skelly is $379 (checked September 26). Per Home Depot’s announcement, you can “customize head and mouth movements with servo motors, speak through the SKELLY animatronic in real time via Bluetooth, record up to 30 sounds and choose from 20 different LCD LifeEyes effects.”
The same announcement says Home Depot “offers all in-store giant animatronics for less than $300.” On homedepot.com, two pieces were over that line on September 26: the $379 app Skelly and the $399 Knight Frostbane.
Which one to buy comes down to whether you will actually stand in the yard talking through a skeleton. If you will, the $80 buys the whole point of the upgrade. If you won’t, the classic’s eyes are what people photograph from the sidewalk.
The 6.5-FT Grave & Bones App Controlled Ultra Skelly was $195 on September 26, down from $279. It is half the height but carries the app control, and it fits a porch where a 12-footer would not.
Home Depot: New For 2026
Home Depot splits its lineup into themed collections: Grave & Bones, Wicked Woods, Dead Water and Halloween Classics.
Prices checked on homedepot.com September 26, 2026:
| Piece | Height | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grave & Bones Giant-Sized LED Mummy | 11 ft | $299 |
| Wicked Woods Giant-Sized Animated LED Perilous Plant Monster | 8 ft | $299 |
| Wicked Woods Animated LED App Controlled Lethal Lily | 7 ft | $299 |
| Grave & Bones Giant-Sized Animated LED Zombie Velociraptor | 8 ft long | $299 |
| Grave & Bones Giant-Sized Animated LED Knight Frostbane | 8.5 ft | $399 |
| Wicked Woods Animated LED Creeping Spider | 6 ft | $249 |
| Animated LED Gremlins, 3-piece | about 5 ft | $249 |
| Grave & Bones Animated LED Soul Stealing Reaper | 7.5 ft | $199 |
| Grave & Bones Animated LED Grave Robber | 6.5 ft | $199 |
| Wicked Woods Animated LED Evil Pixie | 5.5 ft | $199 |
| Grave & Bones Animated LED John the Last Call Mixologist | 6 ft | $179 |
| Wicked Woods Animated LED Macabre Witch | 7 ft | $159 |
- The Mummy has “motion-activated LED illumination, poseable shoulders to adjust the reach and customizable wrappings,” per Home Depot.
- Lethal Lily is app controlled, and All Hallows Geek and HomeCrux describe five servo-driven movements. Home Depot’s release calls her a returning character, while HomeCrux listed her as new.
- The Gremlins are indoor-only, according to Haunted Attraction Network. All Hallows Geek’s verdict: “the animations aren’t great here, the fact we’re getting a trio of Gremlins for under $300 is undeniably cool.”
The markdowns have started
By September 26, these were already discounted on homedepot.com:
- Brewing Witch (8 ft, new for 2026): $140, was $199
- Horrifying Hops (7 ft rabbit, new for 2026): $140, was $199
- Plague Doctor (7 ft): $140, was $199
- Raven (6.5 ft): $140, was $199
- Dean the Deathologist (6 ft): $140, was $199
- Fiery Reaper (7.5 ft): $125, was $179
- Soul Slasher (6.5 ft): $90, was $129
- Horrifying Hickory (9 ft color-changing tree): $195, was $279
- Tumble the Troll (8 ft): $175, was $249
Spirit Halloween: The Headliners Left The Website First
Spirit announced its 2026 animatronics on June 18 and opened its flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey on August 1. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported about 3,000 people at the opening, and that the store’s Freddy Fazbear stock sold out in 10 minutes.
On September 26, Spirit’s website listed these 2026 originals:
| Piece | Height | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Willow Witch | 5 ft 9 in | $299.99 |
| Ghost Face | 6 ft 8 in | $279.99 |
| Darcy Doom | 6 ft 3 in | $249.99 |
| Doomsday Duo | 5 ft 7 in | $249.99 |
| Jeremy Jaws | 6 ft 1 in | $249.99 |
| Whirling Wendy | 5 ft 5 in | $249.99 |
| Bog Monster | 3 ft | $239.99, was $299.99 |
| Carnival Creeper | 3 ft 9 in | $229.99 |
| Harmonica Hank | 5 ft 8 in | $199.99 |
| Buzz | 4 ft | $169.99 |
| Wind-Up Wally | 4 ft 10 in | $169.99 |
| Harvey Carvey | 4 ft 4 in | $149.99 |
| Screaming Reaper | 3 ft 3 in | $149.99 |
As of September 26, these were not listed online at all: Michael Myers, Pumpkin Punisher, Crackles, Trash Bandit, Jason Voorhees and the Alien Xenomorph. That usually means sold out for shipping, though stores may still have stock. Freddy Fazbear ($499.99) was in-store only from the start, and Haunted Attraction Network reports completed resales between $1,100 and $3,800.
The standout of the survivors is the Willow Witch. Spirit’s announcement, quoting executive vice president Kym Sarkos, introduced “active response technology” this year: according to Haunted Attraction Network, the witch listens for keywords and answers from a set of 30 lines. Check her box for an outdoor rating before she goes on an open lawn.
Gizmodo called Spirit’s originals “somehow even more unsettling” than its licensed horror icons. On Freddy, TheGamer wrote: “The squeaking is the biggest complaint people seem to have.”
Lowe’s: The 15-Foot Watcher
Lowe’s answer to Skelly is the Haunted Living 15-ft Talking Lighted Skeleton Watcher, a headless figure holding its own skull. GeekDad, iHorror and Haunted Attraction Network all reported it at $429. Lowe’s search didn’t surface it on September 26; the direct product page may still show store stock.
The details from GeekDad’s hands-on review and the listing:
- Plug-in, with the power adapter included.
- Triggers by sound, motion, or a footpad, but the footpad is sold separately. iHorror called charging extra for it on a $429 prop “a very Lowe’s move.”
- The box weighs 74 pounds, and GeekDad recommends three people for the final step of assembly.
- It anchors with metal base supports and tether lines to ground stakes, with a turnbuckle on the tension wire.
GeekDad admitted he “wasn’t very impressed” by the product photos, then came around once it was lit: “Those bright LEDs are spotlights, which sweep the area in the dark.” iHorror was less kind, calling it “a scarecrow that lost an argument.”
Lowe’s other 2026 pieces, at prices NJ.com reported on August 17: the 5.9-ft Rotton Candy Girl ($299), the 6-ft Ice Scream Skeleton ($269), a 6-ft talking witch ($129), and 3-ft werewolf and mummy figures ($100 each). Haunted Attraction Network lists the 12-ft Lighted Pumpkin King at $399 and the 9-ft Gaslight Ghoul at $299, and notes that the 3-ft Pop-Up Pumpkin Henchman is indoor-only.
Costco: Good Specs, Hidden Prices
Costco’s product page for the 62-inch Giant Ground Breaking Skeleton (item 1785062) was the most detailed of the four retailers’: LCD moving eyes, a motion sensor, volume control, five stakes, a 6-hours-on, 18-hours-off timer, and indoor and outdoor use. It runs on four C batteries, included, so it can go anywhere in the yard, well away from an outlet. It lies on the lawn across 111 by 55 inches.
What the page would not show us on September 26 was a price. Haunted Attraction Network reported $259.99 in warehouse and $359.99 online, and Hunker reported $360. The page listed it as unavailable in warehouse and available online.
Other Costco pieces, per Haunted Attraction Network: a 10-foot Jack Skellington holding Zero, playing “This Is Halloween” ($379.99, online only), and a 7.3-foot animated gargoyle ($349.99), which Hunker flagged for “potential wobbling in wind.” HAN’s useful observation: on items sold both ways, Costco’s warehouse prices generally ran $30 to $130 under its online prices.
When To Buy
Home Depot’s markdowns started in September, but in past years the deepest cuts came on or after October 31. The Krazy Coupon Lady reported that Home Depot’s online Halloween clearance opens at 50 percent off three to four days before Halloween (October 27 in 2025), and that in-store clearance reaches up to 75 percent off in the first week of November. Bob Vila reported giant animatronics at up to 75 percent off on October 31, 2025.
The same Krazy Coupon Lady piece says “popular items like the animatronics and inflatables always get scooped up fast,” and puts a $299 animatronic at $75 in final clearance only “if stuff stays in stock that long.” Waiting for November suits a second-tier prop you’d happily skip. If a specific 12-foot giant is the one you want, buy it at full price. Clearance also costs you parts support: SVI, which makes Home Depot’s Skellys, excludes “Discounted, marked-down, or store display products” from its free 90-day replacement parts (what that policy covers).
At Spirit on September 26, several popular pieces had disappeared from its website rather than being discounted.
If the giant you wanted is gone, Amazon carries smaller animated props. Our best Halloween animatronics roundup covers the ones worth buying, including a lunging reaper, below.
Lunging Reaper Animated Prop
A motion-activated reaper that lunges about two feet toward whoever sets it off. It won't stand over the roofline like a store giant, but it does the job a 12-footer can't: it makes people jump.
Before You Buy: Five Things The Box Won’t Tell You
1. Indoor-only pieces hide in the outdoor aisle. Per Haunted Attraction Network, this year’s include Home Depot’s Gremlins and its 3-foot candy-bowl mummy and pumpkin skeleton, Lowe’s 3-foot Pop-Up Pumpkin Henchman, and Costco’s Nightmare Before Christmas clock tower.
2. Power decides placement. Battery props like Costco’s ground breaker go anywhere. Plug-in props (the Lowe’s Watcher, Lethal Lily, Costco’s gargoyle and Jack Skellington, and the current 12-foot Skelly, whose manual lists a 120V power adapter) should run from a GFCI-protected outlet, on an outdoor-rated cord where the manual allows one: the Dead Water Pirate Ship manual says “Do not use an extension cord,” so check the rules for each prop first. If you tuck a fog machine behind the prop, as our outdoor fog lesson suggests, it needs that outlet too. Our weatherproof decorations guide covers cord gauge and keeping connections dry, and the lighting guide covers lighting a prop once it’s placed. An outdoor timer shuts everything off after the last trick-or-treater.
POWGRN 50 ft 12/3 Outdoor Extension Cord, Lighted End
A 12-gauge SJTW outdoor cord, heavy enough for a 50-foot run to a plug-in giant at the far edge of the lawn. The lit end tells you the run is live before you go looking for a dead prop.
BN-LINK Outdoor Timer with Dusk Sensor, 2 Grounded Outlets
Turns the prop on at dusk and off after a 2, 4, 6 or 8 hour countdown. Hang it vertically and at least 2 feet off the ground, as the listing says, to keep rain out.
3. Know the trigger. This year’s props trigger by motion sensor, sound, IR sensor, step pad, “try me” button, app, or voice keyword. If a prop never fires, check which trigger mode its control box is set to before you check anything else. Our animatronic repair guide lists the modes prop by prop and works through the rest of the checklist.
Some store props take a step pad: a flat switch on a cord that fires the prop when someone steps on it, instead of whenever the sensor sees movement. The current Skelly manual lists a Step Pad mode, Spirit sells a $10.99 step pad it says is “compatible with all of our animatronics,” and the Lowe’s Watcher takes one, though its footpad is sold separately. An aftermarket pad lets you hide the trigger along the path, and a “try me” button on a long cable lets you stand out of sight and fire the prop yourself. Plugs differ between brands, and none of the Home Depot manuals we read states the jack size, so confirm the fit with the prop’s maker or the pad’s seller before you order. Our mechanical triggers masterclass covers where to hide a pad so the scare lands.
Morris Costumes Animatronic Step Here Pad
An 8 by 6 inch pad on a 6-foot cord that ends in a mini jack plug. Cheap enough to try, but check that your prop takes that plug before you order.
Try Me Animatronic Step Pad with 20 ft Cable
Twenty feet of cable puts the pad well down the path from the prop. The seller's listing says it “works with most Home Depot 12 ft skeleton accessories”; confirm your own prop's jack before you order. The housing is 3D-printed PLA and the seller rates it for dry conditions, so cover it if rain is forecast.
4. Pose it before you raise it. The current Home Depot manual for the 12-foot Skelly says to “pose arms before standing up, otherwise a ladder will be needed.”
5. Count your crew. The same manual says assembly “requires at least 2 adults, 3 adults are recommended,” and advises “a ladder and more than 2 people” for attaching the pelvis. Dwell’s writer needed “nearly seven feet of width” for it.
Keeping A Giant Standing
No retailer we checked publishes a wind rating for any of these props. The current Home Depot manual for the 12-foot Skelly says:
- “The Tether Cable (U) must be secured before standing up the 12ft Giant Sized Skelly.” The tether runs from the base, up through a loop on the spine, and back down.
- “Item should not be grabbed, as it becomes a tipping hazard.” Put it where passing trick-or-treaters can’t reach it, and mark the line with a short fence or a staked Beware sign.
- “Lay product down before a storm or strong winds.” The manual adds that it “must be laid down for disassembly” anyway.
The stakes that come in the box are short. In soft or sandy ground, a screw-in anchor holds a tether far better. For smaller skeletons tied to chairs, fences and trees, see our guide to posing life-size skeletons.
FEED GARDEN 15 Inch Spiral Ground Anchors, Heavy Duty, 4 Pack
Fifteen-inch screw-in anchors that bite much deeper than the stakes that ship with giant props. Screw one in at each tether point and the prop's cable has something solid to pull against.
On a driveway or patio, where nothing goes into the ground, weight the base instead. Dwell’s writer put “sandbags on the base, so the wind couldn’t knock my skeleton down.”
IALNAI Canopy Weight Sand Bags, 4 Pack (Sand Not Included)
Canopy-leg sandbags rated to 125 pounds for the set when filled. Draped over a prop's base legs, they hold it down on a surface you can't stake into.
Recalls
A September 26 search of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database found no 2024 to 2026 recall of any animatronic or giant yard prop from these four retailers (a search result, not a guarantee).
Storing It Until Next October
Before you buy a giant, decide where it spends the other eleven months:
- Skelly: the manual says to store it “in its original packing,” away from heat and moisture, so keep the box and the space it takes. Home Depot’s 2026 announcement introduced a 170-gallon Husky storage tote alongside the props.
- The Lowe’s Watcher: GeekDad’s box weighed 74 pounds, and that is what goes back onto a garage shelf in November if you keep the box.
- Costco’s ground breaker: it covers 111 by 55 inches of lawn, but its page says it breaks down and stores inside its own hollow body.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave these out in the rain? Check each one: several 2026 pieces are indoor-only, and none of the listings we checked publish a wind rating.
Where can I still get the Spirit pieces missing from its website? Check your local store. A piece missing from Spirit’s website usually means it is sold out for shipping, and stores may still have units.
Related Resources
Place your prop where it does the most work with our jump scare masterclass and plan the yard with the Yard Planner. For animatronics sold on Amazon, see our best Halloween animatronics and best Halloween props roundups, and for cords, power and weatherproofing, the weatherproof decorations guide. When a prop won’t fire or goes quiet, start with our animatronic repair and triggers guide.
