I Had to See Melrose Cemetery for Myself. Here’s the Story Behind It

I recently heard about Melrose Cemetery on the BOO-levard right here in Fond du Lac and knew I had to stop over and see it for myself. And let me tell you, it was AMAZING to see! There is so much going on that you could walk through a few times and still notice something you missed. Skeletons, creepy creatures, little scenes everywhere and so many small details. After seeing how much work had to go into this, I wanted to know the story behind it. So I reached out to Tina Myers, the woman behind Melrose Cemetery.

Tina and her family have lived on Melrose Boulevard since 2008, and Halloween has always been a BIG deal at their house. She used to throw huge Halloween parties for her daughter and classmates with spooky snacks, games, scary stories and even a haunted house in the garage. As the kids got older and COVID changed the parties, Tina started putting more of her time into the outdoor display. Then in 2021, she heard about Skeletons for St. Jude and decided to give it a try. That first year she raised $300 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The community got behind it, and over the past five seasons they have now raised more than $12,000!

I asked Tina where all of this stuff even comes from because there is A LOT. She told me her collection has been many years in the making. She searches all year long, buying things everywhere from big box stores to little local shops. Her whole family gets involved too. Her husband creates the spooky background sound effects and has made videos, while her daughter is 3D printing creepy creatures that they’re giving out to kids who visit. Tina calls herself the “caretaker” of the cemetery and likes to keep everything in its place. She creates little scenes throughout the yard that each tell their own story. Every season starts with her “growing a skeleton,” and slowly the yard turns into the cemetery you see today.

But one of the coolest things Tina told me has nothing to do with the decorations. It’s seeing how much people of ALL ages enjoy it. She’s even had a bus from a retirement community stop by, with the seniors cheering because they loved it so much. Tina said it brought her to tears. What started as her love and, as she calls it, her “Halloween obsession” has turned into something that brings a lot of people some happiness while raising money for an incredible cause. And fun fact: Tina loves Halloween so much that she even got married on Halloween!

If you haven’t been there yet, definitely go check out Melrose Cemetery on the BOO-levard. I’d recommend seeing it during the day and then going back again at night because Tina says that’s when it really becomes magical. You can follow Melrose Cemetery on the BOO-levard on Facebook for updates, information on where to find them and details on how you can donate to their Skeletons for St. Jude fundraiser.