Photo courtesy of Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society
Petrified Past
Halloween haunted museum brings Historical Society into the witching hour
Though history is usually content to remain still at the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum, one night a year, it likes to get up and stretch its legs a bit.
The Haunted Village, Olde Pickerington Village’s annual Halloween event, is slated for Oct. 28. The museum has transformed into a Haunted Museum attraction since 2012.
Photo courtesy of Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society
Petrified Past
Peggy Portier
“It’s not scary,” says Peggy Portier, president of the Historical Society.
Last year’s event had a witch theme, which Portier was part of; a previous year had a zombie theme.
The Haunted Museum helps to put the museum itself on the map for people in Pickerington, Portier says.
“Last year, we had 1,200 people that went through the lower level (of the museum),” she says.
The upper floor of the museum, which houses exhibits, will be open during the Haunted Village as well.
Patsy Woodruff
Photo courtesy of Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society
Petrified Past
“My husband and I started thinking of something to wear, and off we went,” says Patsy Woodruff.
Woodruff’s husband, Butch, was head custodian at Fairfield Elementary School, and at the Haunted Museum, the couple saw people they knew as children bringing their own children.
Woodruff was the first person to volunteer to help run the Haunted Museum.
“Halloween’s my favorite holiday,” she says.
Dorothy Peterson
Photo courtesy of Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society
Petrified Past
“They’re so wide-eyed and so eager to hear what the future holds for them,” says Dorothy Peterson, a Historical Society member who read a crystal ball for visitors during last year’s Haunted Museum.
The clothing that Peterson wore while doing this had been brought back from a trip she took to Egypt.
“That’s how I became a fortune teller,” Peterson says. “When I came up with something that really pertained to them, they’d be wide-eyed.”
She says she enjoys being included in community activities.
“It was a joyful experience,” says Peterson.
Francis Pellicciaro is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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