Welcome to Deadford Manor: Meet the brains behind the spooky singing skeleton show
Mysterious and spooky, Deadford Manor is a house in Raleigh known for its iconic singing skeleton Halloween show.
Meet Rebecca and Ken Koch, the brains behind Deadford Manor.
The family-friendly show is open to all. It's not so scary that your kids will have nightmares, but it's spooky enough for adults to enjoy as well.
"It's meant to be fun for the kids," Rebecca said. "It's intentionally very campy. We wanted it to be goofy not scary."
The Raleigh couple started the show during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and since then it's taken on a life of its own.
"It started during COVID," Rebecca said. "We were trying to come up with a creative way to engage with the kids in the neighborhood."
The couple decided to build an animatronic skeleton.
What first started out as a simple Halloween display soon transformed into a full-blown show.
"It's a hobby turned into an obsession," Rebecca said.
The dynamic duo started planning this year's show back in February. This year's theme: The Addams Family.
"It takes a lot of time once we decide what we're going to do," Rebecca said.
The couple created the script for the show and even hired voice actors. Rebecca said they were inspired to do The Addams Family as their theme because of the new Netflix show 'Wednesday.'
"Our imaginations ran wild a little bit," Ken said.
They don't spend months creating the show just for fun. The show helps raise money for the Skeletons for St. Judes campaign – an initiative that started here in Raleigh.
After Deadford Manor's debut in 2020, the Raleigh couple wanted to do more when they learned their neighbor's child was diagnosed with cancer.
"I think that was the fire that got us rolling," Rebecca said. "When you hear about stuff like that, you feel kind of helpless. So once we learned about that organization and the small step we could make to have a positive impact for the community, then we started running a little bit more wild."
Much like Frankenstein's doctor, Ken brings the show to life. A software engineer by day and a mechanical engineer by night, Ken modified the skeletons by wiring them and designing motors to make them move.
"They're modified from regular Halloween store skeletons," Ken said.
"He's selling himself short," Rebecca said. "He took them apart and welded metal skeletons inside their skeletons. He wired them so they all have wires running through their bones. So he's really designed everything."
He may be the brains behind the skeletons, but Rebecca is the brains behind the show.
The interior designer transformed the home into what is now known as Deadford Manor.
The show is a family affair, with Ken and Rebecca's son, Kenneth, and their niece, Eila Riffe, helping out. Kenneth hands out candy and Eila helps with crowd control.
Head over to Deadford Manor this weekend for their final Halloween shows. Stop by for the singing skeleton show and some free candy! All donations will support Skeletons for St. Judes.
Deadford Manor is located at 10839 Bedfordtown Drive in Raleigh. Shows run from Friday until Sunday at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
This is a yard display, so attendees cannot go inside the house. Please do not park in the driveway, and do not block other people's driveways.
