John and Lenora Klein and their sons, Cameron and Corey, love Halloween so much, they go all out each Oct. 31 to make the day as “spooktacular” as possible.

It all began in 2002, in the foyer of the family’s Alpine home, where the Kleins hired Cliff Witmyer, owner of Cliffhanger Productions and the Fun Ghoul Costume Co. in Rutherford, to set up a greeting space for trick-or-treaters. By 2006, the space had been transformed into Frankenstein’s laboratory; the working lab featured the deranged Dr. Frankenstein himself, as well as his fiendish sidekick, Ygor. The pair of ghoulish greeters doled out the candy bars to surprised and sometimes spooked trick-or-treaters.

The Halloween décor was so well received that the Kleins decided to expand the display, mixing things up so that the visuals would be fresh and more elaborate than before. As for the decision on each year’s theme, Lenora taps her sons for their input.

“Cameron and Corey are getting older, so they want it to be scarier,” she explains. “When the kids were younger, we had a more juvenile, gentler approach. Now that they’re older, they want the hearse and the truly scary stuff.”

In order to provide an appropriate stage for last year’s Halloween production, the Kleins moved their Halloween spectacle from the foyer to the cavernous garage. Smoke and lights contributed to the eerie mood of the space, which included crypts, coffins and other “grave” accessories.

Cliff Witmyer, who specializes in staging large-scale parties and events, had just 24 hours to transform the Klein’s six-car garage into a full-blown haunted mausoleum. He hired professional actors and dressed them in full costume and makeup to portray the frightening featured roles – villains like Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street and the title character from Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton’s “bio-exorcist.”

“It’s a short window to get everything ready,” Witmyer says, “but it helps build the excitement. We really pull out all the stops creating this ‘show,’ and the visitors really seem to appreciate the effort.”

Of course, no mausoleum would be complete without its share of vampires. Lenora, who had donned a witchy wardrobe in the past, vamped it up and dressed as the campy 1950s film and TV horror host Vampira. She relishes being part of the family’s holiday presentation, and gets a huge kick out of the response.

“We really enjoy celebrating Halloween with the community,” Lenora says. “My kids love it, and so do all the kids in the area. We have so much fun with the evening, and are happy that we can share it with the neighborhood.”

Judging by the attendance – itself measured by the amount of candy given away – the Halloween display is a neighborhood treat. Witmyer says that in 2007, the Kleins counted more than 1,000 large candy bars dropped into the trick-or-treat bags of brave visitors.

What’s in store for this Oct. 31? Stay tuned for the 2008 theme …

Cliff Witmyer of Cliffhanger Productions can be reached at (201) 460-8335 or www.cliffhangerproductions.com.

Visit the Fun Ghoul Costume Company prop shop at 155 Park Ave., Rutherford; (201) 460-1489.