See Thomas Edison's Creepy Talking Dolls In New Jersey (VIDEOS)

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Sure, he invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera and the light bulb. But Thomas Alva Edison was also the creator of one of the creepiest toys in U.S. history… the super-unsuccessful “Talking Doll.”

For Halloween 2018, the famed inventor’s namesake museum, Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey, will pay tribute to one of his lesser-known brainchildren, hosting displays that show off his 1890 Talking Doll.

Using a miniature phonograph, dolls were able to “speak” in a garbled, high-pitched voice fit for a horror movie. Eight of the talking doll recordings have been preserved, including spine-tingling recitations of nursery rhymes such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Hickory, Dickory Dock” and “Little Jack Horner.”

Arguably, however, it’s the nightmarish version of “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep” that takes the cake.

Listen to the full series of recordings here.

Beyond their absolutely terrifying “voices,” the doll/phonograph combination also proved to be way too fragile for kids to play with. They only lasted about a month on the market before Edison decided to have the device yanked and sell off the remaining dolls, park officials said.

“Edison's attempts at providing a near perfect toy resulted in one of his lesser known failures and in the modern day, a creepy doll for anyone to be fearful of,” the park stated.

Learn more about Thomas Edison National Historical Park and see visitation info here.

Watch videos of the dolls below. Warning, not for the faint of heart.

• See related article: Watch A Robot Paint A Mural Of Thomas Edison In West Orange
• See related article: Son Of Thomas Edison Lived In This West Orange Home (So Can You)
• See related article: Thomas Edison Park Welcomes 32 New US Citizens (PHOTOS)

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.

Photo: Thomas Edison National Historical Park