Spooky Exhibits On Tap at Castle Halloween Museum

BENWOOD, W.VA.

:Halloween has taken on many forms over the last 2,000 years - from one of spiritual apprehension to childhood jubilation. When the Celts first practiced their rituals during the ancient festival of Samhain (sow-in), it was to ward off the ghosts of the dead who had returned to earth. They had believed November 1 was the New Year and the day that marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the dark and cold winter. As a precursor, they tread lightly the night before - October 31 - when the boundary between the world of the living and the dead became blurred.

This history and more have now been showcased in the new Castle Halloween Museum, which opened its doors on September 1. Conceptualized and curated by Pamela Apkarian-Russell, also known as "The Halloween Queen," it is quickly becoming the haven for things that go bump in the night. Apkarian-Russell, however, will tell you this is not a Night of the Living Dead institution. "I wanted to show Halloween how it really is and to bring in all aspects of it without bringing in the macabre of it. The blood and gore they can get on the five o'clock news. I want to show people how it was originally celebrated as a social and historical part of American culture," says Apkarian-Russell.

The museum houses one of the most comprehensive Halloween collections ever assembled with pieces dating back to 1860. The holdings include items that focus on Easter witches, Walpurgisnacht (which marks the victory of spring over winter the night between April 30 and May 1), fortune-tellers and literary figures. Visitors will find more than 15,000 pieces pertaining to this ancient and fascinating holiday. From folk art pottery and paintings to vintage candy containers and tin lanterns to late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century costumes, the museum houses an eclectic collection that embraces what many only perceive to be a children's rambunctious holiday.