Home Depot's 12-Foot Skelly Gets App-Controlled Speech Upgrade

The iconic 12-foot Halloween skeleton from Home Depot, known as "Skelly," has received a major tech upgrade for 2026, now featuring app-controlled speech and enhanced animations. The new Skelly costs $379 and will be available online starting July 16, with in-store availability in late August Source: The Verge.

What's New

The upgraded Skelly allows owners to speak through the skeleton's moving mouth in real time via Bluetooth, record up to 30 custom sounds, and choose from 20 different LCD eye animations—up from eight in the previous model Source: Gizmodo. The accompanying mobile app also enables customization of head and mouth movements using servo motors Source: The Verge. Home Depot is also introducing other large animatronics this year, including an 11-foot mummy ($299), a zombie velociraptor, and interactive characters like Gremlins and a Wicked flying monkey Source: Gizmodo.

The Price and Options

The new talking Skelly is priced at $379, while a simpler version without the app features remains available at the original $299 price point Source: The Verge. The simpler version includes eight LCD eye animations but lacks the speech and app connectivity Source: Gizmodo.

Year-Round Phenomenon

Since its 2020 debut, Skelly has become a year-round fixture in many Los Angeles yards, dressed for holidays beyond Halloween. Residents cite limited storage space and a desire for creative expression as reasons for keeping the skeletons up permanently Source: Los Angeles Times. Some have even sparked neighborhood disputes over their prolonged display Source: Los Angeles Times.