Hauntingly Charming: Department 56 Halloween Villages

Since debuting its ceramic Christmas villages in 1976, Department 56 has become synonymous with holiday charm. The hand-painted, light-up houses were an instant success, prompting the company to expand its lineup with new designs. What began as a single Christmas village soon became a beloved tradition. In 1998, Department 56 then ventured into another holiday with equal collectible appeal: Halloween.

The first Snow Village Halloween collection, issued in 1998, featured a haunted mansion with two color variations (black or green roof), a costume shop, a “spooky tree” with glowing eyes, trick-or-treat figurines, and string lights shaped like tiny pumpkins and ghosts. Many of these early pieces remained in production into the 2000s, and like the Christmas lines, new houses, figures, and accessories have appeared every year since.

Even the well-established Dickens Village, started in 1984, embraced the spooky season. From 2002 to 2007, its All-Hallows’ Eve series added a Victorian twist to Halloween. Among the first releases were the Mordecai Mould Undertaker house and a Jack-of-the-Lantern figure holding a carved turnip, recalling the old-world roots of today’s jack-o’-lanterns.

Anniversaries have given collectors even more to celebrate. In 2008, Department 56 marked the tenth year of Snow Village Halloween with the Haunted Rails series of ghostly train cars and accessories. More recently, the Snow Village Halloween’s 25th anniversary in 2023 was commemorated with a Silver Bullet train car and a werewolf huntress figurine—two pieces destined to become favorites.

Licensed brands have long played a role in Department 56’s success, and Halloween brought fresh opportunities. The first Peanuts Halloween pieces appeared in 2005, including two versions of Snoopy’s doghouse, one cleverly doubling as a candy dish. Peanuts remains part of the lineup, with highlights like the 2020 Peanuts Haunted House, a crooked, bat-infested structure with a cellar door that pops open ominously.

Pop culture and Halloween go hand in hand, and Department 56 has leaned into that connection. The company’s Fright Ave. collection, launched in 2025, brings iconic horror films to village form, from Coraline to The Exorcist to Stephen King’s It. One standout is the possessed Regan figure, glowing purple as her head spins in a chilling nod to the movie. For those who prefer spooky fun over genuine fright, the Hot Properties Village offers favorites like Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, Ghostbusters, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas bridges holidays with its own dedicated village, while Disney fans can collect both Disneyland and Disney World Haunted Mansions alongside seasonal Mickey and Minnie figures.

As spooky as these villages can be, there’s nothing scary about longevity. In January 2026, Department 56 will celebrate fifty years in business. Since 1976, the company has enchanted collectors with handcrafted houses and accessories that turn holidays into traditions. From its pioneering Snow Village® to the enduring Dickens’ Village Series® to Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter, the brand has built a loyal (some would say obsessed) following.

Looking ahead to its golden anniversary, Department 56 is reflecting on not just five decades of artistry but also the community it has inspired—a worldwide family of collectors, decorators, and dreamers who find joy in “villaging.” With fifty years behind it and a bright future ahead, Department 56 proves that a bit of imagination, wrapped in porcelain and light, can create a lifetime of magic, and collectors couldn’t be happier.

Whether your tastes run toward nostalgic kitsch or classic horror, it is abundantly clear that Department 56 has created something for every kind of Halloween collector.

All images are courtesy of Department 56.

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