Ferocious dragon protects Bishop Crest Castle Halloween display

An interest in robotics has helped transform Dion Moldovan’s Regina home into a fearsome fortress guarded by a dragon.

“I thought he needed something to show it off,” he said.

“I started on a castle theme, and then it spiralled into this mess.”

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For the past few years, Moldovan’s home has become the eerie Bishop Crest Castle during October for Halloween. Moldovan’s kingdom is haunted by skeletons, some holding shifting coffins made with his own machines.

“I design steel mill equipment and equipment for industrial uses,” he said. “That’s where some of my inspiration comes from is building things that move.”

The castle took 1,800 hours to build, according to Dion Moldovan. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

When he lifts the iron gate attached to his garage, brave visitors can walk-through the spooky castle walls.

The project is all built by hand, and takes multiple days to get ready for the Halloween season. Moldovan said the exterior part of the castle took him about 1,800 hours to build, and he drew his inspiration from King Henry VII’s second wife Anne Boelyn’s home castle.

The interior took him another 900 hours to create, and features an infinity mirror and an electric chair.

Bishop Crest Castle is protected by a frightening dragon perched on top of the fortress. Moldovan said the beast is affectionately named Delores.

Delores the dragon watches from the top of the castle. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

Delores is the newest edition to the kingdom display this year, according to Moldovan. The Home Depot prop, which snarls every three minutes from the castle’s embrasures, is one of the things that inspired him to create the project.

“I wanted a fire-breathing dragon right from the start when I decided the castle was the way,” he said.

Moldovan said he spent the better part of three years on a quest to find the dragon prop while he was travelling for work to different cities throughout the United States and Canada. He said he finally found the dragon though a Facebook Marketplace ad in Regina.

“I was it was like searching for the Holy Grail,” Moldovan said. “I finally found her and I just couldn’t believe it was actually there. I thought it was a scam, to be honest, at first.”

While some kids are afraid to set foot in the castle, Moldovan said he tries to keep it spooky rather than scary.

Moldovan stands inside the castle next to one of the haunted light walls he built. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

“It’s not scary and it doesn’t jump out at them, and it’s not terrifying,” he said. “So some of them find a bit more like a Disney World, but with a little bit a darker theme to it.”

Moldovan said he has put about $4,000 into Styrofoam and plywood since he started the project. And at the end of October it’s packed away into a shed.

“My wife wants her garage back in the winter,” he said with a laugh.

The castle, located at 3668 Bishop Crescent, is open from 7 p.m. till 9 p.m. each night, and will close its castle doors after Halloween.