One of Gaithersburg’s longtime Halloween traditions is back for another season, with new additions to the display and the return of its annual fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. A video of the display can be seen below.
Spider Manor, located at 237 Little Quarry Rd in the Kentlands neighborhood, has returned for the Halloween season. The elaborate home display was established in 1996 and features hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns, skeletons, giant spiders and a variety of homemade decorations.
New additions for 2026 include Hagatha the witch with her smoking cauldron and a pirate shipwreck featuring a drinking pirate. Each night from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Spider Manor’s singing pumpkins and dancing skeletons come to life as part of a coordinated Halloween show.
This year also marks the sixth year Spider Manor has sponsored a fundraiser benefiting Make-A-Wish. Visitors can donate by “feeding” the white Make-A-Wish pumpkin located near the mailbox, by scanning a QR code at the display, or through the website.
The fundraiser is held in memory of Alek Nelson, a Make-A-Wish recipient whose wish was a trip to Disney World. Spider Manor’s creator previously worked with Alek’s father, Dave, at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and has continued the fundraiser after seeing the impact Alek’s wish had on his family.
“I’ve seen the power of Make-A-Wish and the profound difference it can make in the life of a sick child, like Alek Nelson,” the display’s creator wrote on the 2026 Make-A-Wish fundraising page. “Now more than ever, the world needs the hope of a wish come true.”
Spider Manor is located at 237 Little Quarry Rd in Gaithersburg and can be visited throughout October, with the singing pumpkins and dancing skeletons performing nightly from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.
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