The Halloween season brings out the spooky side in many mortals. Some plan elaborate costumes or binge scary movies. Others adorn their homes with a few kitschy decorations. Then there's Chris Birkett, who transforms the exterior of his Scottsdale residence into an epic Halloween display that's the best in the Valley. Rivaling professional haunted houses in production value and genuine scares, it's a multimedia-powered experience inspired by macabre illustrator Edward Gorey, Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and similarly spooky source material. The front yard is bathed in orange and purple light and features animatronic headstones, singing pumpkins and ghoulish figures on projection screens while a fire-breathing dragon and a black castle are perched on the roof. A dank and creepy abandoned mine runs along the side of the house, while inside the garage, a claustrophobic maze contains freakish fiends, illusions, jump scares and plenty of twists and turns. The Haunted Graveyard has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1986, when it started as a small pumpkin patch and a few tombstones crafted by Chris and his brother Steve. These days, it draws tens of thousands of people each year from Oct. 25 through Halloween night, all of whom are in the mood for a good scare.