In Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, Halloween has become something much larger than a front-porch decoration contest. A&J’s Halloween House, created by Andy Reid and Jamie Beauchamp, has spent more than two decades turning residential properties into elaborate seasonal worlds, and its 2026 Harry Potter-inspired display is the biggest version yet. According to TMJ4 and Hoodline, the attraction now stretches across three neighboring homes and has helped raise more than $100,000 for Pathfinders, a nonprofit supporting homeless and runaway youth.The display, located at 2943 S. Clement Ave., transforms the block into a miniature wizarding world. Visitors can find Hagrid’s hut, the Sorting Hat, Gringotts, the Great Hall, Dobby, a dragon, a giant spider, a troll and figures of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, all built into a sprawling neighborhood-scale set.
A Hogwarts across three homes
This year’s display is not limited to one front yard. It spans three neighboring homes, giving the creators enough space to build a more immersive version of Hogwarts than they have attempted before. The result includes a Gringotts facade, Hagrid’s hut and a Hogwarts Express train car that visitors can climb into, as per the reports.Inside the train car, a video monitor makes it appear as though Milwaukee is rolling past outside the window, with dementors hovering in the sky. It is a small detail, but it captures the spirit of the display: the creators are not simply arranging decorations, they are building a world that rewards visitors who look closely.The attraction also includes moving portraits featuring Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, along with an unexpected cameo by Dolly Parton. Jack-o’-lantern-themed Gringotts goblins add another layer of Halloween mischief to the wizarding theme, suggested the reports.Co-creator Andy Reid told TMJ4 that this year required “a crazy amount” of engineering, design and building. After more than 20 years of Halloween projects, he and Beauchamp have learned how to turn a neighborhood block into a destination.
Two decades of building
Reid and Beauchamp have been creating Halloween displays together for more than two decades. Their work began with Reid’s memories of his mother’s elaborate Halloween decorations, and it has grown into an annual tradition that draws visitors from across Milwaukee and beyond.The Harry Potter theme is the largest display they have created so far, but it follows a long list of ambitious concepts. Previous years have included Scooby-Doo, Wheel of MisFortune, Ancient Aliens, Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice and a scary circus, according to TMJ4.The 2025 Scooby-Doo display was especially elaborate, featuring a two-story haunted mansion facade, a Mystery Machine replica and a pirate ship built with lumber donated by local supplier Bliffert Lumber. Earlier themes included a Wheel of Fortune scene in 2022 and an Ancient Aliens display with UFOs and pyramids in 2024.The creators store their materials in a garage between seasons, and some pieces are later donated to local schools. They do not disclose the cost of building each display, saying that the expense is their personal donation so that visitor contributions can go directly to the charity.
A tradition of giving
Photo credit: Screenshot from TMJ4 News via YouTube
A&J’s Halloween House has partnered with Pathfinders for 11 official years. The nonprofit provides housing support, shelter for runaway and homeless youth, anti-sexual violence services and other assistance to young people in Milwaukee.Last year marked a milestone for the partnership. After a decade of fundraising, the display had raised $102,000 for Pathfinders, according to TMJ4. That total has since been surpassed, making the 2026 season another important chapter in the effort.The fundraising goal was set deliberately. Reid and Beauchamp had raised $84,000 by the end of the 2025 season and hoped to collect $16,000 more to reach $100,000. The milestone has now been passed, according to TMJ4’s reporting.Donations can be made at multiple collection points around the display. The setup makes it easy for visitors to contribute while enjoying the attraction, turning a neighborhood Halloween tradition into a practical source of support for young people in crisis.
Why the cause matters
Pathfinders was founded in 1970 by members of Plymouth Church, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty and local residents as a shelter for runaway youth. Today, the organization operates Milwaukee’s only dedicated youth street outreach team and serves about 5,000 young people each year, according to Pathfinders.The need is significant. A May 2025 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, cited by the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, found that Wisconsin K-12 student homelessness reached a record 20,195 students in the 2023-2024 school year. Milwaukee accounted for more than a quarter of the state’s homeless students and 40.7 percent of its unaccompanied homeless youth.Against that backdrop, A&J’s Halloween House does more than entertain. It gives neighbors a reason to gather, gives children a memorable experience and channels community generosity toward an organization that helps young people find safety and stability.
A display with a deadline
The Hogwarts-inspired attraction remains up through October, but it comes down immediately after Halloween. That short window adds urgency for visitors who want to see it before the creators begin dismantling another year of work.Reid has said that the team does not want people to expect an even bigger display next year, though he leaves open the possibility that they may make it better in other ways. After more than 20 years of building, the challenge is no longer simply scale. It is finding new ways to surprise a community that has come to expect something extraordinary.For now, the three-home Hogwarts display stands as both a neighborhood spectacle and a fundraising engine. It proves that Halloween can be more than costumes and candy, and that a front yard can become a place where creativity, community and compassion come together.