As a youngster, Junius Swain would accompany his sister Libby to see scary movies at the drive-in and the Turnage Theater. 

That whetted his appetite for all things Halloween.

“I remember as a sophomore in high school, sitting in class reading ‘Famous Monsters’ magazine,” he said. “I also helped the local Jaycees with their haunted house in the 1970’s.”

Then, in 1990, he launched his own horror production, Junius’ Haunted Graveyard. With just a few exceptions, he has decorated his yard on East Main Street in Washington ever since, inviting fellow Halloween fans to drop by and celebrate the season with him.

“I started this on a very small scale … painted cardboard, small smoke machine and lights; it’s evolved into a full blown exhibit,” Swain said.

He’s already putting together this year’s production, planned for Oct. 30-31. A dozen or more automated creatures are coming out of storage in anticipation of joining tombstones, Spanish moss and other trappings of the scariest holiday of the year.

Inspired by his classic monster movies — Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula”, John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” and the original “Friday the 13th” are among his favorites — Swain painstakingly plots a presentation to entertain the masses. For years he did it for free, but rising costs convinced him to begin charging a nominal, two dollar admission fee last year. Those who attend say it is well worth it.

“It takes a lot of money to keep this thing going,” he noted. “There are so many little things I need over the years.”

Swain’s home at 511 East Main Street in Washington is currently undergoing a magical transformation. He adds a few fixtures nearly everyday and is testing the electronic equipment and lights that are important to the production.

An addition to this year’s event is an opportunity to take photos with two characters from one of the hottest television series, “The Walking Dead.” Well, sort of. Swain splurged for two life-sized, cardboard cutouts of Rick and Daryl from the drama. Those who attend are encouraged to bring along a camera or phone and become part of show’s cast.

A native of Washington, Swain spends most of the two weeks prior to Halloween setting up his graveyard. The evenings it is open, he is joined by friends who enjoy the project almost as much as he does.

“I’d like to have a haunted museum, with each room set up like a different horror movie,” he said. “That’s what I would like to do.”

In the meantime, Swain is gearing up for his big weekend; Junius’ Haunted Graveyard will open at 6:30 p.m. the Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend. Thanks to accommodating neighbors, he plans to keep it open until midnight or so, depending on the demand.

Ever the kid at heart, Swain isn’t forgetting the neighborhood children either. He promises there will be plenty of candy for the Halloween trick-or-treaters.

For more on this year’s event, visit the Junius R. Swain page on Facebook.