Heartwarming Detail Added to Wappingers’ Famous Skeleton House

The skeletons are back and this year they've returned with a purpose.

Anyone who has ever driven through the Village of Wappingers Falls in October has surely noticed the famous "Skeleton House". The beautifully maintained brown home right sits on the corner of the falls where East and West Main Street meet. Usually adorned with pretty flowers, in October the house is transformed into one of the spookiest sights in the Hudson Valley.

Homeowner Matthew Desiderio has lived in the Village of Wappingers for 15 years with his wife Karina. During that time he's slowly accumulated an army of skeletons. Desiderio says he adds one or two each year and now has just about enough to cover each window of the home.

The famous skeletons spend most of the year in the basement, but during the last week of September Desiderio drags them up two at a time and painstakingly affixes them to each window. The result is a jaw-dropping display that has drawn attention from all over the Hudson Valley.

If you think the home looks good during the day, at night it truly comes alive. Purple lights make the skeletons glow, casting shadows on the brick building. For a few weeks each year, the eerie sight becomes one of the most Instagramed locations in the Hudson Valley.

Putting up the display is a labor of love. Desiderio says he gets a thrill from spreading the Halloween spirit.

I have always enjoyed setting it up... but I most enjoy seeing how many kids and also adults it brings a little Halloween spirit to. Looking out and seeing everyone taking photos from the bridge and smiling is pretty awesome

Now the parents of a one-year-old, Christopher and Karina decided they wanted to put the attention they get for their annual decorations to good use. While trick-or-treating with their son last year they learned about Skeletons for St. Jude from one of their village neighbors.

The fundraiser was started in 2020 by a family in North Carolina with a locally-famous Halloween display. After being showcased on the local news, the family decided to put up a sign asking visitors to donate to St. Jude's. That year, they raised $8,000. Since then, the fundraiser has spread to hundreds of other homes across the country.

Visitors to the Wappingers Falls display can scan a QR Code on the front window to visit the fundraiser online and make a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Desiderio says he hopes his decorations which bring so much joy to the community can also have an impact on families who are going through a tough time.

Halloween is all about kids having fun and making great memories so anything we can do to help local children do that and also help some in need I love being a part of that.

You can check out the Skeleton House through Halloween at 2668 West Main Street in the Village of Wappingers Falls. Scroll down for more photos of this impressive Halloween display.