Amy Pence-Brown’s Boise Backyard Now Hosts 350 Zombie Dolls

Halloween decorations in Boise often feature standard ghosts and skeletons, but one backyard on the Bench has taken a different approach with an accumulation of creepy figures. The display, known as Zombie Toyland, now contains approximately 350 modified baby dolls that visitors can view on Halloween night. Amy Pence-Brown, who maintains the installation, has spent the week preparing the site for the event scheduled for Saturday, October 31.

The collection began eleven years ago when Pence-Brown’s two daughters saw an image online of a zombie-ified doll. The girls wanted to replicate the effect, so Pence-Brown allowed them to paint and alter some of their old toys. The family created about ten dolls that first year and placed them outside for trick-or-treaters to see. Subsequent trips to thrift stores expanded the collection, and the number of figures grew to around 35 by the end of the initial season.

Today, the number stands at roughly 350. The dolls vary in their state of disrepair. Some are missing heads, while others possess extra limbs or consist of heads attached directly to legs. The display utilizes old toys, thrift store finds, discarded household items, and donations. Pence-Brown noted that people from across the country send dolls to add to the group. She described the operation as the thrift store version of Harrison Boulevard, referencing the city’s famous shopping district.

The yard includes several specific installations built from household junk. A non-functional mini-fridge is filled with baby bottles containing fake blood. A pet cemetery sits nearby, and a rotating barbecue features a doll roasting over fake flames. A miniature haunted house incorporates figures of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. This year, the display also includes a shrine dedicated to Dolly Parton.

Pence-Brown started the project because she noticed local families leaving the Vista neighborhood to trick-or-treat elsewhere when her children were young. She wanted to create a reason for them to stay. The effort has evolved into a neighborhood tradition. Neighbors now join in on the decorating, and families return annually. Some of the children who visited as kids now consider the display a permanent part of their Halloween routines.

The display hosts approximately 500 visitors each Halloween. Pence-Brown said she has no plans to stop the tradition. She stated, "I feel like I can’t let down the neighborhood." The site is located at 2029 S. Columbus Street in Boise’s Vista neighborhood.

The yard will be open to the public on Saturday, October 31, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is scheduled to take place regardless of the weather. Pence-Brown acknowledged the forecast of rain and said that while some dolls might get ruined, others might just get creepier.