Here’s how region’s newest celebrity — Mega Skelly Bones — came to be
Published 12:38 am Saturday, May 27, 2023
Danielle and Ryan Smith along with son Dean stand in front of Mega Skelly Bones in Port Neches. (Monique Batson/The News)
Mega Skelly Bones is shown celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. (Courtesy photo)
Mega Skelly Bones is a fan of Easter. (Courtesy photo)
Mega Skelly Bones comes out from behind the fence for Halloween and Christmas. (Courtesy photo)
Mega Skelly Bones wishing everyone a Happy New Year. (Courtesy photo)
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PORT NECHES — Port Neches has plenty to visit. But one of the fastest growing places to see stands on a quiet little street behind Port Neches Avenue.
He greets visitors. He’s occasionally in photos. And although he doesn’t speak, he always has something to say.
Also, he has a name — although, not many people know it.
“Apparently people around the neighborhood have other names for him, we’ve learned,” Danielle Smith said. “They name him and they drive by.”
Although, it doesn’t bother Danielle or her husband Ryan. They’ve enjoyed the joy people have found is Mega Skelly Bones — named by their young son, Dean.
“We lay him down when there’s bad weather,” Danielle said. “That’s when people start asking where he’s at. We’re like, ‘he’s just taking a nap, guys. There’s a tornado warning. He’s hollow.’”
The 12-feet-tall skeleton on Montgomery Street has become a bit of a celebrity on social media. But he started as a gift for Dean.
“This guy here is obsessed with skeletons and spookies,” Ryan said. “He was born in October, so he’s a big Halloween guy. We’re kind of a Halloween family. Whenever the skeletons went on sale last year, we decided to try and get one.”
They found one at a store in Galveston, where Danielle’s mother lives.
“We called her at 5 a.m.,” she said. “She thought something was wrong with the kids.”
Instead, they needed her to drive to Home Depot and somehow shove a 12-feet-tall skeleton in her vehicle.
“She did because she knew it was for (Dean) and he loves all things spookies,” Danielle said. “Somehow she finagled it in her car, drove him over on Labor Day weekend, and he’s been up since then.”
Originally, he started as a Halloween decoration. Then he became a Christmas Decoration. And he rang in the New Year with a banner.
“We took him down after New Year’s Eve, and people were asking where he was,” Ryan said.
But the Smiths had a plan all along. The idea was to use Mega Skelly Bones for all occasions. The trick was finding how to do it.
Danielle said for Saint Patrick’s Day, the skeleton is holding what appears to be a mug. But because of his size, it’s a cooler that was adapted. His clothes are 6X and have to be ordered off the Internet. And in April, when he wore bunny ears, they were actually made for a vehicle.
Right now, Mega Skelly Bones is sporting summer fun. Soon he’ll transition for July 4th, and then Back to School.
“We caught some girls the other day, they were probably in high school, drive by and I thought they were probably looking at it,” Danielle said. “Then I saw them come back, and they must’ve run up and took a picture because I saw one girl getting back in her car. I want to see these pictures. I want people to somehow tag us and show us the photos they take.”
The Smiths are asking anyone with photos of or with the skeleton to post them with the hashtag #megaskellybones.
“We’ve caught people on the side of the house, and we don’t mind as long they don’t try to touch him or take him down,” Ryan said.
Get your cell phone ready and go meet Port Neches’ newest celebrity. You don’t need the address; you won’t miss him.
