Man builds massive King Kong display in yard for Halloween

— -- A Utah man has created a gigantic King Kong statue to sit centerstage in his front yard for Halloween.

Ammon Smith, 33, has impressed his Salt Lake City neighborhood in the past, but this year he expects his 39-foot display to attract thousands of trick-or-treaters.

In 2014, Smith created a pirate ship, followed be a skeleton train in 2015 and a giant dragon prop complete with Viking ship in 2016.

"People thank me a lot for building the community and that's the biggest compliment they can give me," Smith told ABC News today.

This year, with help from his wife, Tera, Smith said he decided to go with a monster theme and build King Kong.

"[King Kong] is big, burly and scary but he's not gorey," he said. "We want people to not feel scared when they come and ask us for candy."

Smith said he built the $140 structure in about 100 hours.

The Empire State Building in the piece is made from wood and Styrofoam.

King Kong was built from pool noodles, wood, chicken wire and fabric. King Kong's chest is made from a black trash bag while his teeth were made from wood and egg cartons. His eyes are made from little pumpkins.

A fog machine was added to simulate clouds above the Empire State Building.

Smith's neighbor of six years, Johnny-Mack Barlow, 44, said he helped lift the King Kong up onto the building. In 2016, he helped place the dragon on top of the roof.

"It's really cool to be able to help him out and be a tiny part of it," Barlow told ABC News. "Everybody that walks by is talking about it. It definitely creates a vibrancy for the area."

Smith also said his first 200 or so visitors will receive the large, full-size candy bars before he switches to the smaller, fun-size candy bars.