Arts & Entertainment
Museum To Offer Families a Show and Treats for Halloween
"A Night at the (Wenham) Museum," scheduled for Oct. 22, will offer treasure hunts, tours of the museum and its exhibits and lots of family-friendly fun.
The Wenham Museum is presenting a family friendly alternative to spine-chilling haunted house or creepy graveyard replicas this Halloween.
"A Night at the (Wenham) Museum," is far less scary and much more educational than many of the traditional Halloween events and - in its second year - could become an annual treat for families who wish to mingle and have good, clean fun on a late-autumn night.
"We hope that the families will come in costume and join in the fun viewing the exhibits, doing a (mask-making) craft, eating snacks, watching the "Night at the Museum" movie, and just having fun together," said Carolyn Nenart, education and programs director at the Wenham Museum.
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People visiting the museum on Friday night will tour The Claflin-Richards home, which is where the museum actually started with a donated doll collection display. The home was built around 1690, and since then the museum has expanded to house several different galleries.
Pingree School students, members of a private local theatre and friends of the museum will portray the characters in the 17th-century home. The live toy soldiers and dolls will be sharing the history of the house and the museum, as well as helping those who need assistance with the treasure hunt during the event. The cast also will be passing out candy to museum visitors that evening.
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The Claflin-Richards house will be shown in dim light to set the mood of the show. The cast of characters will be able to socialize with the visitors, keeping with the traditional interactive philosophy of the museum.
Since the museum is family-friendly, the exhibits and programs purposely encourage not only conversations between family members, but between families as well. Everyone will be able to mingle with one another and create discussions together.
"…For many of our families, it will be one of the few times during the year they are all able to be at the museum together," said Nenart.
"We find that nowadays people are going in so many directions, it is here at the museum they get to reconnect," she said.
"A Night at the (Wenham) Museum" is on Friday, Oct. 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Price for museum members is $8 (4 for $26) and non-members $12 (4 for $40).
