As you enter the door, a cheerful “Welcome to Spirit!” rings out, only to have you face off against displays of skeleton hordes wielding machetes, zombie children and even spooky ghosts to pick up a costume. From the moment you step inside, Spirit Halloween wants to let you know that it isn’t your average Halloween store.

Spirit Halloween, a chain hailing all the way back from 1983, has brought scares and authentic costumes to the people of Tuscaloosa for years. The store opens in late August and closes on Nov. 2, offering anyone plenty of time to get prepared for the upcoming holiday. 

“[Customers come in] definitely the last two weeks right before Halloween and then amazingly, the day right before Halloween. Everyone wants to buy their children a costume the day before,” Shelbi Gregory, a senior majoring in social works and a cashier at Spirit Halloween, said.

Being a seasonal shop, the store has moved locations over the years from the Bama Mall complex to the old Books-A-Million building on Skyland Blvd. Though the location has changed, the store’s atmosphere hasn’t been toned back a bit. The store is filled with Halloween-themed décor and party goods ranging from your standard cobwebs and black cats to the much more horrific lawn ornaments featuring gore-filled zombies rising from their graves.

While walking around the store, people will be greeted with Halloween music to get them in the mood such as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” or the theme from “Halloween.” In the back of the building is what’s known as “Spirit Station,” a large attraction of scary set ups. One such set up involved a spring loaded bloodied ghost which activated as customers walked by.

The business sees many University of Alabama students in to buy costumes for swap parties and other activities on campus. Though the store is focused on Halloween, Dorinda Bigham, the store’s assistant manager, said that selling seasonally isn’t a problem.

“It’s very fast-paced. You do a year’s worth of business within three months. It’s actually a very different experience. Everybody does enjoy it, we always come back. It’s mainly about the people, is what it’s about, making sure they have a good Halloween,” said Bigham.

Spirit Halloween prides itself on offering a truly authentic Halloween experience for all. While the store has competition from larger business like Wal-Mart, Bigham and Gregory believe the store is separated by its uniqueness.

“Because we’re Halloween themed – that’s all we do, and lot of our costumes and items are actually licensed, like our Disney things. That’s what makes them a little more expensive, but we actually hold the license from that company,” said Bigham.

Whether it’s to pick up a costume for a party or to liven up your dorm room, Spirit Halloween offers enough seasonal thrills and chills to make anyone excited for the holiday.