Mothman in St. Albans

When two young couples witnessed a terrifying, red-eyed, winged humanoid just outside of Pt. Pleasant, WV one November evening in 1966, that sleepy little West Virginia town along the Ohio River became forever entwined with the Mothman story. For 13 long months, the citizens of Pt. Pleasant were plagued by sightings of the creature, along with reports of UFOs, Men in Black, other strange cryptids, ghosts, and even psychic visions. 

Even to this day, Pt. Pleasant is home to the annual Mothman Festival, the world's only Mothman Museum, and of course, the beloved Mothman statue. People come from all over the country, and even all over the world to learn more about this mysterious monster, tour the places where it was seen, and take home plenty of Mothman-themed souvenirs from some of the many local shops! But...Mothman wasn't confined to JUST Pt. Pleasant. It seems as if our winged friend was quite the traveler, even during the initial 1966-1967 flap. One of the many places he was spotted (twice!) was St. Albans, West Virginia!

St. Albans is a town located in Kanawha County, not far from Charleston. As the crow flies, it's about 40 miles south of Pt. Pleasant, straight down on the Kanawha River. Less than two weeks after the initial Mothman sightings, West Virginia's favorite cryptid showed up on two consecutive evenings in or near town. 

On Saturday, November 26, 1966, Ruth Foster, a housewife, got a really good look at a strange bird-like creature standing in her front yard, by her porch. She said it had a "funny little face" with no beak, but "big red poppy eyes" that popped out of it's face. She said the creature stood around the same height as her husband, who was 6'1''. Understandably, Ruth let out a scream at seeing such a strange creature, and ran inside the house. Her brother in law immediately ran back out to see it for himself, but by that time it had disappeared. Neither apparently saw the creature actually leave. 

The next day, Mothman was a busy lil' beast. Around 10:30am, he was seen by 18 year old Connie Jo Carpenter near New Haven in Mason County, not far from Pt. Pleasant. Connie was driving home from church services when she noticed what looked like a large man in gray standing near the Mason County Golf Course. Suddenly, ten-foot wings unfolded and this...THING...took off straight up and then straight towards her car. She said the thing stared at her with it's huge red eyes through the windshield, then veered off and flew away. The whole incident affected her greatly, as she rushed home in hysterics. She was unable to go to school for the next few days, and had to seek medical treatment for klieg conjunctivitis---eye burn---that lasted two weeks. Like Ruth, she also got a good look at the thing's face, but she was so shook up by the experience that she couldn't really describe it beyond saying how awful it was.

After physically and mentally damaging that poor young girl, later that evening Mothman would return  to St. Albans, where he would again scare the crud out of two young girls. Thirteen year old Sheila Cain and her younger sister were walking home from a store on Route 60, just outside of St. Albans when they saw a large "something" next to a local junkyard. The girls described the creature as being gray and white, standing about 7 feet tall (bigger than a grown man), and having large, red eyes. It flew straight up in the air, and as the girls started running towards home, it flew over them, chasing them part of the way. Allegedly, a neighbor also witnessed the creature. 

As far as I have found, those were the only two times Mothman was reportedly seen in St. Albans, but it was one heck of a weekend! Fortunately for the citizens of this little city at the confluence of the Kanawha and Coal Rivers, Mothman had many more places to be and people to scare, always returning to his home base in Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia. 

Sources: 

Keel, John. Strange Creatures From Time and Space. New Saucerian Books, 2014. 

Keel, John. The Mothman Prophecies. Tor Publishing, 2002.

Sergent, Donnie and Jeff Wamsley. Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend. Mothman Lives Publishing, 2002. 

Mothman Memorialized: Bob Roach's Mothman Statue

My son Luke peeking from behind the Mothman

With the pandemic still not under control, Mothman fans around the world, especially those close to the tri-state, were devastated to learn that for the second straight year, the annual Mothman Festival would be a no-go. But, many paranormal explorers (especially those who had already booked and couldn't get a refund on their hotel accommodations) have made a pledge to still ascend on the normally sleepy lil' town of Pt. Pleasant, WV to fill their weekend with their own Mothman fun!

Festival season or not, one of the must-do activities for any monster fan coming to Pt. Pleasant, is to get a picture taken with the iconic, 12-foot steel Mothman Statue, proudly watching over the downtown area from Gunn Park! Mothman, with his MMA fighter-style braids, his hairy chest, his football-sized glowing red eyes, and his um...well-formed muscular buttocks (recently dubbed the shiny hiney) is one of the coolest pieces of public art you'll find anywhere in the world. But what's the story behind this popular tourist attraction?

Luke and the Shiny Hiney

Way back in 2002, a little movie called the Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere was released in theaters. The movie was a VERY loose retelling of the Mothman sightings in Pt. Pleasant, going from the initial sighting by the Scarberry/Malletts, to the collapse of the Silver Bridge 13 months later. It's based on Fortean researcher, John Keel's, pivotal book, The Mothman Prophecies. 

As tourists slowly started seeping into to town, wanting to know more about the true events which inspired the movie, local businesspersons, Jeff Wamsley and Carolin Harris, organized the first ever Mothman Festival, which has grown in recent years to an estimated 15 to 20 THOUSAND visitors flooding the town. And, the statue is always one of the first things they want to see!

The same year the festival began, Charles Humphreys, a Mason County native, was serving as executive director of Main Street, Point Pleasant, an organization that was working to revitalize the downtown area. Seeing the potential that this Mothman stuff could bring in, he went to go see a friend of his named Bob Roach. 

Bob Roach

Bob Roach was a retired welder and former member of the US Navy. After retiring from Mountaineer Power Plant in 1995, where he worked as a welding supervisor, Bob returned to his childhood passion for art. His obituary states that he would carve figures out of the Ivory soap his parents brought home, and that he could draw so well, that his teacher once asked him to draw a beautiful Christmas themed sketch for the classroom one year. These days, however, Bob had moved on from soap and was skilled in creating sculptures from metal.

At first, Bob was hesitant to take on a statue of the local legend, but after thinking it over, called Charles back and said he'd do it. The two went around town, interviewing witnesses about the creature's appearance, and after about a year of research, sketches, and long nights working in his garage, Bob had completed the Mothman Statue.

As stated previously, the statue is a 12 foot stainless steel creation, sitting atop a pedestal. The pedestal bears a short summary of the 1966-67 Mothman flap, written by Charles Humphreys and Jeff Wamsley. It was unveiled  on September 13th, during the 2003 Mothman Festival,under the watchful eye of Mr. John Keel himself, who sported a spiffy white suit to the unveiling. That suit is now on display at the Mothman Museum, located just beside the statue. 

Bob and Charles unveil the Mothman Statue
September 13, 2003

There wasn't a HUGE crowd at this unveiling, but you could see the pride in Bob's eyes as he probably realized that Charles' promise to him that this statue would make him known the world over, was true. 

But, as much as we in the paranormal community LOVE the Mothman statue, it isn't Bob's only contribution to the art and history of Pt. Pleasant and surrounding areas. In addition to his statues gracing the grounds of a local church, a local fire station, and a local high school, Bob is credited with a series of historical figures that can also be seen during the Mothman Festival, lining the riverfront.  Chief Cornstalk, Mad Anne Bailey, Lord Dunmore, Daniel Boone, and Colonel Lewis stand along the flood wall, overlooking the Ohio River as it nears its confluence with the Kanawha. 

For years, Bob could be found at the festival each year, talking with fans about his world-famous statue and selling miniature versions that you could take home! Unfortunately, Bob passed away at the age of 81 on August 30th, 2015. He might be physically gone from this world, but his legacy will always live on through a 12 foot tall, big-assed, red eyed, winged tribute one of West Virginia's most well-known mysterious creatures. 

Mini Mothman Statue
Do YOU own one?

Can't make it to Pt. Pleasant this year? You can keep tabs on the Mothman Statue with the 24 Hour Live MOTHCAM! 

Additional Sources:

Roadside America: Mothman Statue

My WV Home: Mothman Lives!

Mothman Festival 2019

Another Mothman Festival is in the bag!  This year, instead of manning a vendor's table, Aaron, Luke, and I participated simply as spectators...and we had a blast.

Although the festival is a 3-day event, we decided to go down on Saturday.  That Saturday was also special for another reason:  not only was it a day to celebrate Mothman's unique history and contribution to the paranormal world, but it was Luke's 10th birthday!  Therefore, we sort of let HIM (Luke, not Mothman) call the shots.  We arrived in town around 11 am, and as soon as we crossed the bridge into Point Pleasant, we KNEW this festival was a big one---traffic to Krodel Park, where parking and shuttle service were available, was crazy.  But, it didn't take too long, and we made it to Krodel, found a parking spot, and after only a short wait, were on the shuttle to downtown 'Mothman City.'

Luckily, my family and I live about 40 minutes away from Point Pleasant (dubbed 'Mothman City' by Luke when he was little) and we enjoy visiting the area throughout the year.  So, we've seen the totally awesome Mothman Museum and have had our picture taken with the Mothman statue on non-festival days.  Therefore, we were able to skip the lines for those iconic activities and explore what else the festival had to offer.  Luke was hungry, so we decided to start off with some lunch.

Again, because we live so close and visit so often, we were able to skip some of the more sought after sit-down restaurants in the area and went straight for the fair fare.  I had my favorite, ribbon fries, Aaron had pizza, and Luke had a corn dog and fries, which he washed down with a purple alien full of lemonade. The guys also split an order of fried cookie dough with the clever moniker of 'Moth Balls.'

We took our food over to the riverfront amphitheater and caught about half of the costume contest.  I really wish we had gotten there a little earlier, because what we caught of the contest was absolutely awe-inspiring.  There were so many great costumes, many of which featured an interpretation of Mothman himself, and so many of the participants REALLY got into their characters.  All the costumes were wonderful, but I had a soft spot for the Yip Yaps of Sesame Street!

Since we were mainly doing stuff Luke wanted to do, I only got to catch one guest speaker at the haunted State Theater this year.  Brian Seech, a cryptozoologist, UFOlogist, and paranormal researcher with the Center for Unexplained Events, gave an interesting presentation on 'Winged Entities from Antiquity to Present Day.' While I was learning about different winged humanoids from different cultures and different time periods, Luke was mauling himself, as he does every year, on the Wipe Out-style inflatable.

Luke also won a stuffed animal playing a balloon darts game, threw food into Slimer's mouth over at the Ghost Busters tent, met some Star Wars characters, and picked up a few souvenirs.  I ran into Les from WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters and tried to say hi to the guys at Wild and Weird West Virginia, but they were so busy!  I was thrilled to see that Andrew Smith was in attendance, representing the Flatwoods Monster Museum and giving a talk about West Virginia's other favorite monster at the State Theater. As always, the festival was overrun with awesome vendors selling the absolute coolest UFO, cryptid, paranormal, and horror merch around, and there were so many cool authors, researchers, and organizations representing this community.  And what a great community it is!  Sometime I always note about the festival each year is just how freaking nice everyone is.  I have been to the annual Mothman Festival well over a dozen times and its eerie just how sweet, compassionate, and understanding everyone I've ever encountered there has been.  People from all walks of life and from all geographical locations (we were on a shuttle with families from New York, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Kentucky) come together for this shared glimpse into one little town's brush with the unexplained.  It really is heartwarming, but I don't wanna get too sappy, because I haven't yet mentioned our favorite part of the festival this year...

WE MET JACOB THE CARPETBAGGER!

So, several years ago I stumbled across a YouTube channel for a guy called The Carpetbagger who traveled the United States, visiting weird festivals, strange roadside attractions, haunted places, museums, and just all kinds of cool places.  As time progressed, Luke and Aaron also started watching with me, and it became the norm during family dinner time to flip on the television and see where The Carpetbagger had been to recently. 

Last year, The Carpetbagger was at the festival as a spectator, and Aaron got to meet him five freaking minutes after I had walked away from our table to see a speaker down at the State Theater.  I was super jealous, so when I heard that The Carpetbagger would be an actual guest this year, I knew that no matter what, I was meeting him.  Luke was super excited as well, talking about how he was going to get to meet a famous celebrity.

I was not disappointed.  We met Jacob and his wife, and they were both just as nice and down to earth as they appear in their videos.  Luke was shy, but Jacob shook his hand and wished him a happy birthday.  We bought t-shirts, a Carpetbagger pressed penny, and a button.  Of course, Luke and I had to have our picture taken with him, since Aaron had received that honor the previous year.  Since then, we've had a blast watching the videos The Carpetbagger has uploaded from his Mothman Festival trip.  He got to stay in the super haunted, super creepy Lowe Hotel and proudly completed Hillbilly Hotdog's Homewrecker Challenge.

As always, I walked away from the Mothman Festival feeling so happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of this annual gathering.  So much work goes into providing this FREE festival, and Jeff Wamsley and his crew do such a great job keeping this festival growing and evolving from year to year.  If you can make it to the Mothman Festival (it takes place the third weekend of September), I highly encourage you to do so.  It's a great resource to see top-notch researchers and authors share their knowledge on stage in a haunted theater, to meet members of the paranormal community in person, and to have access to a huge variety of artwork, books, movies, and other souvenirs, all in one spot. If you can't make it to a festival, I still encourage you to visit Pt. Pleasant any time of year!  The museum is open year round and the famous Mothman statue is available any time for photos.  The Lowe Hotel is an affordable place to spend a night and possibly see a ghost, and if asked, most locals in town will give you directions on how to get to the TNT area to see the open bunkers!

There's no way I could cover ALL the activities, speakers, vendors and guests that make The Mothman Festival one of the most unique in the country, so if you're interested in learning more about it, beyond my very narrow view point, please visit the Mothman Festival's Facebook page and website.  Stay spooky, my friends! 


Mothman Festival 2018

Mothman Festival 2017

Mothman Festival 2016

Mothman Festival 2015

Remembering Rosemary

On Monday, July 22, 2019 I woke up, and decided to peruse Facebook.  I was startled to see several posts sharing a terrible bit of news to the paranormal community:  Author and researcher, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, had passed away.

As of this writing, the family has not released a cause of death, but from my understanding, Rosemary had been suffering from illness recently, and passed away on July 18th.  She had just celebrated her 69th birthday on July 8th.

This is a major blow to the paranormal research community, especially to those of us here in West Virginia and throughout the tri-state.  To call Rosemary a PROLIFIC author and researcher would be an understatement. She wrote over 65 books on a huge variety of paranormal topics, was a regular in FATE Magazine, on Coast to Coast AM, and an almost yearly guest at the annual Mothman Festival!

It was at the Mothman Festival where I first got the opportunity to really talk with Rosemary.  Like many in this field, I was already quite familiar with her work, and my personal paranormal library contains quite a few of her titles.  Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive when I approached her table. I bought a ton of back issues of FATE Magazine from her (actually, I did that for a couple of years, lol) and chatted with her a bit.  To be such a big name in the paranormal field, she was so sweet and down to earth.  She was really easy to talk to and was such a knowledgeable individual on such a broad spectrum of topics.  In addition to having a table at the Mothman Festival, she would usually speak at the historic State Theater as well.  As a moving tribute, at this year's Mothman Festival, the 2 pm time slot on Saturday (in which Rosemary usually spoke) will be dedicated to a tribute to her life and work.

Oddly enough, even though the Mothman Festival was my first opportunity to chat with Rosemary, I had met her briefly years before.  Years and years ago, a friend I had met through a paranormal message board had started a group and invited me to join them in an investigation at Ohio's haunted Prospect Place.  Rosemary was also invited, and while I got to MEET her, I didn't get the chance to actually investigate with her.  I really regret that now.  I regret that my shyness has stopped me from making the effort to really get to know so many people at a deeper level and now, in the case of Rosemary, it's too late.

Anyway, her spirit will live on in the many lives she did touch, as well as her huge contributions to the paranormal field.  Among her many written works are the Monsters of West Virginia and The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories, which I was thrilled to see my blog mentioned in!   You can learn more about Rosemary Ellen Guiley  and her huge body of work at her website, Visionary Living.  May you rest in peace, Rosemary. 

Book Review: The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations

Title: The Unexplained Presents---The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations
Authors: Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Published by Unexplained Research LLC, 2007
Amazon Purchase Information

One of my favorite things about the annual Mothman Festival is the abundance of paranormal non-fiction books available for purchase!  I always walk away with a least a few, most of which whose authors are actually at the festival, ready to chat and sign copies of their work!

This year, I showed an extreme amount of self-control with the purchase of only two books.  I picked up The Unexplained Presents: The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations and also the South Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Places.  That second one will be reviewed at a later date; for this blog post, I want to concentrate on the Iowa book.

So, admittedly I picked out the Iowa book from quite a few available selections because I honestly thought I did not have any books on Iowa hauntings.  As part of my personal paranormal library goals, I'm trying to collect at least one book of regional ghost stories/hauntings from each state.  However, like most people who have too many books, I totally forgot I already had an Iowa book.  But, it was no big deal, because this book was totally different...and a lot of fun to read!

The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations was inspired by the authors' own ghost hunting exploits throughout the state.  During their quest to visit certain locations with a haunted location, they found that a lot of the directions they were given were pretty much useless, causing them to waste hours driving around in circles.  So, they created a handy lil' guide for future legend trippers. This book is packed full of easily accessible haunted hot spots from every corner of the state.  That means that you're going to find a LOT of cemeteries, highways, bridges and parks. There are a few public buildings, such as museums and retail locations, added in as well. 

Each chapter features detailed directions to the location, including any admission and/or contact information where applicable.  There is a Ghost Lore section that gives a quick overview of the alleged hauntings, followed by a timeline of important historical events related to that location.  The basics are followed up with an Investigation section where the authors expand on the legends and ghost stories, talk to witnesses, and explore the authenticity of the claims.  Where applicable, there is also a small 'Dare' section, sharing urban legends you can try for yourself, such as kissing cursed cemetery statuary.

Chapters generally run just a few pages long, so at a total length of 262 pages, you're really getting a TON of different locations.  That format also makes this a fairly quick read, which you can read straight through, skip around, or use as an actual road guide out on road.

I really enjoyed the fluff-free style of this book and think its perfect for anyone who just wants to go out legend tripping---exploring spooky areas and testing out the silly stories passed down generation after generation.  As someone who has never even been to Iowa, I also still found value in this book as a fun introduction to Iowa's many cemetery legends, some of which get right down WEIRD.  However, I'm not entirely sure how useful this format would be for a seasoned investigator working in Iowa.  Each entry, while offering an adequate overview, didn't go too deep into the historical research of the featured location, nor did much evidence was explored or collected.  In fact, for the majority of featured locations, it was pretty clear that there was far more fiction than fact behind the alleged paranormal associations.

Still, this was a really fun read and I definitely recommend it becoming a part of YOUR own paranormal library.  However, if you just have no interest in the ghosts of Iowa, there are plenty of other books in the Unexplained series; check out their website at Unexplained Research for more titles! 

*WANT MORE BOOK REVIEWS?*

Mothman Festival 2018

Another year and another Mothman Festival behind us.  For me, the Mothman Festival usually signifies the official beginning of the Halloween season, and this was one of the most fun years yet!

For the second year in a row, I didn't get my own vendor table, but I DID end up Saturday helping Aaron work the table his aunt/mother rented, and despite the unbearable heat, we had a really nice time.  That oppressive heat kept me from moving around too much, but I did get out a few times to see the sights.

One of the first things I did this year was see Tonya and Joey Madia speak at the State Theater.  Their talk, titled "Ghostesses, Portals, and MIBs: Our Haunted Life So Far", was a really interesting look at the hauntings and other strange things they've witnessed while living in West Virginia and elsewhere, as well as their journey into becoming investigators of the paranormal and developing their psychic gifts.  I was personally fascinated with the story they told about an odd experience of theirs after visiting Pt. Pleasant's famous TNT area.  An episode of missing time and a shared visual sighting of an interdimensional being on the side of the road led to a series of friendships and opportunities that resulted in them being able to share their knowledge on the Mothman Festival stage.

Joey and Tonya Madia's Speaker Promo

While I was glad I got to catch the Madias'  talk, it couldn't have come at a worse time!  Shortly after settling into my seat at the back of the theater, I get a text message from Aaron, saying he had met Jacob The Carpetbagger!!!

For a couple of years now, I've been following the Carpetbagger on YouTube.  I love his dry wit and hilarious commentary as he travels around the country visiting strange festivals, unique museums, old school roadside attractions, and just about everything else strange and fascinating.  A couple of months ago, Aaron sat down and watched a few of the Carpetbaggers videos with me and apparently became an instant fan.  I was really upset I didn't get to meet the Carpetbagger, but was quite bemused that Aaron actually shows up IN THE CARPETBAGGER'S MOTHMAN FESTIVAL VIDEO!!!!

Aaron and The Carpetbagger

My other highlight of the festival was spending way too much money.  I picked up a Mothman headband and ornament from a vendor outside the Mason Jar.  I bought a kickass pair of Mothman leggings from a little boutique on Main Street.  I picked up two books, The Unexplained Presents The South Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Locations and The Unexplained Presents The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations, both by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk. Aaron walked away with a huge bag of baked goods.

We also purchased a few pieces of epic art from The Art of Eerie Eric.  Eerie Eric takes these idyllic, pastoral painted scenes...and then adds a creepy twist!  Unfortunately, we weren't for us---we purchased them for an out-of-town friend who couldn't make it to the festival.  But, we are definitely planning on ordering something online in the near future!

Sample of Eerie Eric's art! 

Like every year, we were completely blown away by how nice everyone was.  There is simply no place like the Mothman Festival where people from so many walks of life come together to celebrate cryptozoology, the paranormal, horror, history, and fandom in peace.  The big draw for this year's festival was Bethesda.  Their new Fallout 76 game features several creatures from WV mythology, notably the Mothman, so giveaways, cosplay, and exclusive merchandise were big hits this year.  And again, for another year we were so blown away by the level of creativity displayed by the various vendors.  For all price points, you can take away a really cool handmade Mothman souvenir, fine art, T-shirts, books, and so much more.  The variety of food offerings was also really good this year, and there were plenty of Mothman themed treats to go around.

I can't wait to go back next year, but first I've got a few more paranormal conventions and events to tackle!  Stay spooky, ya'll!

Mothman Festival 2017

The third weekend in September is always my favorite time of the year! Not only do we celebrate my son's birthday...but that's the weekend of the annual Mothman Festival in downtown Point Pleasant, WV!

This year, the festival celebrated its sixteenth anniversary, and took place September 16th-17th.  And, once again, the family and I were there for both days. However, it was in a slightly different capacity this year. I decided not to do my own table, but my mother-in-law and her sister-in-law DID decide to do a table! Aunt Betty, a renowned local potter, made several beautiful Mothman dishes, car coasters, and key chains. Gayla, my mother-in-law, an excellent artist and crafter, designed a variety of hats, bags, fans and other small items adorned with hand-drawn Mothmans (Mothmen?) on each piece. I was even able to sneak a few of my own items (used books, treat bags, pins and magnets) onto their table and sold enough to pay for parking and and a few souvenirs...but more on that later, lol.

Anyway, my boyfriend and I helped man the family vendor booth Saturday. We were located in a prime spot, nearly right across from the world's only Mothman Museum. Not only did our location allow plenty of visitors to walk right past us without being too squished...it also allowed us a first look at Mothman, Batman, and Sasquatch. Yes, this unholy trio was using the cafe directly behind us as a staging area. Several times throughout the day, we'd watch them enter the cafe for a quick break, and then reemerge. The greatest part of all of this was seeing Batman carry out Mothman's wings through the narrow door, and then placing them on his back for him when they made it safely to the sidewalk. It was a very surreal experience.  Later on in the day, a fourth character emerged from the cafe and I immediately ran over and accosted him! It was none other than Mothman's Braxton County cousin, the Flatwoods Monster! I did have to laugh, however. The Braxton County/Flatwoods Monster costume contains a wide hoop skirt-like bottom. When going up and down the narrow staircase to the cafe, his handlers had to lift his skirt and turn it sideways, revealing a pair of work boots and hairy people-legs underneath. It kinda killed the magic, lol.

For a couple of hours on Saturday, we were also joined by my Mom and my son, Luke. I have yet to figure it out, but Luke absolutely loves the Mothman Festival and insists on coming every year. This year, his big highlight of the festival was going to his very first haunted house! This 'haunted house' was just an inflatable maze you could walk through for $5, but it was actually quite well done. There were a few spooky props set up along the path, but what surprised me was that there were a few actual scare actors hiding in there, waiting to jump out at you. At one point, we had to squeeze past a butcher knife-waving maniac to exit the maze, much to Luke's chagrin. It did scare him a bit, but he took it like a champ and I'm really proud of him. He had seen this maze on the way into the festival and had made up his mind that he was going to go through it. It was an excellent introduction to 'real' haunted house attractions, but given that he just turned 8, I think we'll wait a couple more years before moving him up to the next step!

With all of this going on, my boyfriend and I still managed to catch one of the speakers on Saturday. The lectures were once again being held in the historic (and haunted!) State Theater and once again, covered a diverse array of paranormal topics. The speakers are absolutely my favorite part of the Mothman Festival! I cannot stress how awesome this aspect of the festival really is. The festival is technically free (this year there was a fee for parking), but the quality of the lectures and lecturers is outstanding. You'd pay a lot of money to see the same or similar speakers and topics at other festivals. Anyway, the lecture we chose for Saturday was 'The History of the Infamous TNT Area' with Tad Greathouse. 

Obviously, I love lectures that are of a paranormal nature, but ones that are history-based are even better! Tad had done a ton of research into the early years of the WV Ordnance Works, later known as the infamous TNT area, where Mothman was originally sighted and believed to have lived. It was an interesting talk, and inspired me to start doing some additional research of my own on the area.

We were back Sunday, but this time, my boyfriend and I were by ourselves. We volunteered to take over the table so that his mom and aunt could rest up after sitting there all day Saturday. Since Sunday was kind of a slow day, we decided to pack up a little early and enjoy the last few hours of the festival. We caught another speaker, Bill Brock, who gave a talk on portals. We also took advantage of the smaller crowd to get some shopping done. We both bought a Mothman t-shirt at the museum. We found Luke the greatest hoodie of all time---complete with leather Mothman wings and studs. And of course, I chose a book to take home. This year I went with David Weatherly's Black Eyed Children. I'll be posting a review soon, so keep an eye out for that!

Finally, we rounded out our evening with a stop at the Mountain Monsters tent. This was the second year the AIMS team attended the Mothman Festival, but last year, they were so busy you couldn't get anywhere near them. We got some autographs and chatted for a few. All the guys seemed like really sweet, down-to-earth people, but Buck and Willie seemed especially kind and humble. They were really taking the time to meet with and talk on a personal level with all the fans. It was actually kinda touching, and I'm so glad we decided to go over there this year.

Overall, it was another fabulous event. Parking is always a pain, and this year, the shuttle service was convenient, but at $10 was still a little overpriced in my opinion. Aside from that, though, it was wonderful. There seemed to be more food vendors this year, and they were spaced out a little better, so the wait for food was significantly shorter than last year. As far as vendors in general, there was an excellent mix and everyone had such creative and clever merchandise. I could have easily spent thousands of dollars on all the handmade jewelry, print art, sculpture, etc. And, everyone we encountered was so incredibly nice. I don't know what it is about this festival, but it seems to bring out the best in people, lol. People from so many walks of life come out, many in awesome costumes, and just for a few hours, get along with everyone, lol. It really is my favorite festival and I'm already making plans for next year!

My boyfriend shot some video of the festival. Please check it out below!

Mothman Festival 2016 Recap

My Mothman Coasters were a big hit!

What a wild ride this weekend turned out to be! On Saturday and Sunday, my boyfriend and I made the drive into Pt. Pleasant, WV to represent Theresa's Haunted History at the annual Mothman Festival. With this year being the 50th anniversary of the original Mothman sightings in Pt. Pleasant as well as the festival's 15th year, I knew it was going to be a big one---I just had no idea HOW big!

An estimated 10,000 visitors poured through the streets of the small town, many there to see the cast of Mountain Monsters. Wait times to see the AIMS crew went upwards of 6+ hours, but every single person I talked to said the wait was worth every minute. The AIMS crew stayed until after 10pm that night, making sure that every last one of their fans got some personalized attention.

As for me, I didn't get to do much looking around on Saturday because I was so busy manning my own table! I had an excellent time chatting with those who recognized the blog, some familiar faces, and some totally new to my work. I also sold a TON of handcrafted items!  To rent a vendor's table wasn't exactly cheap, so even though my main focus was to draw attention to my website, I thought I'd sell a few things to help recuperate my costs. I ended up covering the entire cost of my table and then some, selling items priced from 25 cents to $5, lol. I actually sold out of ALL my Mothman themed merchandise the first day, and had to go home and make more!

I was spotted by a Man in Black (aka, Junebug Fugitt of the Appalachian UFO Research Society)

Sunday was a little less successful. The day started out super rainy and there were only brief, intermittent periods of cloudy sunshine. Many vendors chose not to return on Sunday, or either came late or left early. Since attendance was a little lower that day, I got a chance to look around a little. I bought some used books and chatted a little with some of the other vendors. I was absolutely fan-girled out when Susan Shepphard of Parkersburg Ghost Tours came over and talked to me! Seriously, if you haven't checked these tours out, you NEED to this year.

Unfortunately, I missed my favorite part of the festival---seeing the top-notch speakers who present a variety of paranormal topics at the State Theater throughout the weekend. I have said this hundreds of times, and I can't say it enough: there is NO other festival in the country where you are going to see the level of speakers in one place...and for FREE! Rosemary Guiley, Loren Coleman, Nick Redfern and Ken Gerhard are just a FEW of the presenters who gave talks. I was also very lucky to have a table beside another presenter, Cameron Jones. Cameron is a researcher specializing in the paranormal/cryptozoology/ufology and gave a talk about UFOs in the Pt. Pleasant area. Based out of Ohio, Cameron was a really nice guy, and I enjoyed getting to know him, as well as the author on my other side, Roger W. Russell, who wrote a book about local ghost tales. I would have totally bought a copy, if I hadn't already did so the year before, lol!

All in all, it was a super successful weekend, and I can't thank Jeff Wamsley, Ashley Wamsley-Watts, and the many, many others who worked so hard to make this festival a reality. I know it got super crazy at times with so many people in attendance, but everyone did a great job, and I kept hearing how nice and polite everyone was treated. We've already made plans to be back next year!

I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but please check out this short video shot by my boyfriend, Aaron!

Mothman Festival 2015 (Day 3) and Final Thoughts

Better late than never, right? I promised over a month ago to discuss my three days spent at this year's Mothman Festival in Pt. Pleasant, WV...and just never got around to finishing it, lol. I thought I better get around to it before I had to start writing about Mothman Festival 2016. Anyway...

Like I said before, I really only planned on attending one day of festival activities, but ended up being there for all three days of Mothy fun. Since Carrie couldn't make it down on Saturday, I returned with her on Sunday, the third and final day of the festival. The main thing we wanted to accomplish on Sunday was attending the panel discussion of the event's speakers.

Rosemary Guiley moderated the discussion with guest speakers Susan Sheppard of the Parkersburg Ghost Tours, researcher Joedy Cook, cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, cryptozoologist Lyle Blackburn, UFO researcher Stan Gordon, and cryptid researcher Bill Brock. As with the individual talks, the panel discussion took place within the historic (and haunted!) State Theater and was really quite interesting. Rosemary got the ball rolling by asking some general questions of the speakers, and then the mic was opened up to the audience.

Previously, Carrie and I had had an in-depth discussion about an issue in cryptozoology and had wanted to get the panel's take on it---but neither one of us could actually bring ourselves to standing up in front of everyone and asking our question. So, after the discussion was over, we followed the speakers back over to vendor's row. We browsed around a bit to take in all the cool art, t-shirts, books, and other paranormal/horror novelty themed merchandise for sale. We stopped by Jen's PlushyBoo booth and had a great conversation with her and her family. I was bummed that I missed my opportunity to pick up a plush Mothman (she had sold out) but she gave me a wonderful deal on a Braxton County Monster AND Man in Black plushy. Seriously, if you haven't checked out her work, go do so NOW. These little cuddly cryptids are so well made, so adorable, and just so freakin' awesome. They'd be  great gifts for paranormal researchers and enthusiasts, look great on the shelf of any collector of curiosities, or serve as a unique toy for the kids in your life. Here's her Etsy and here's her Facebook page.

My lil' cuties!

After we talked with Jen, we continued to make our way through the vendor's area...and saw Ken Gerhard at his table. Carrie and I had both been impressed with Ken's answers and his personality at the panel discussion, and since he wasn't currently bombarded with fans at the time, we decided to go have a chat...and ask the question that had been plaguing us, lol. Our question basically was about why more witnesses didn't come forward describing Bigfoot's, uh...junk. After reading several works by Linda Godfry, it seemed like several other cryptids always had their gender visible...but with Bigfoot it never really was talked about all that much.

Ken was obviously amused by our questions, but handled it like a true pro. Without making us feel too weird (we handled that all on our own) he gave some pretty good answers as to why more people aren't describing Bigfoot genitalia. And since I know you're DYING to know....basically, there are a few reasons why this phenomena is under reported. There actually have been several well documented cases of people having up-close encounters with Sasquatch creatures and they definitely reported being able to tell a difference between males and females, but generally, witnesses never get close enough to notice that detail because its not a very noticeable detail, lol. In general, primates are NOT well-endowed in relation to their body size, humans being the exception. So, in summary, people aren't reporting seeing Bigfoot junk because its too tiny to see from the distance which they are being observed.

Can you find the igloo?

After our little talk, we caught the tram tour through Pt. Pleasant and we were lucky to have Dennis Bellamy, the head guy of tourism in the city, as our guide. We learned a lot about the history of Pt. Pleasant, but a few items stuck out in particular to me. For starters, most locals still will not talk about or embrace the idea of the Mothman. After the Silver Bridge collapsed, it was like the issue was never discussed again and the Mothman mania that had gone on over the past year died down as the town mourned the loss of so many of its own. Secondly, the whole Chief Cornstalk curse thing---total fabrication. It came about as part of a play put on by the local elementary school in conjunction with the town in 1926. Still, I loved the tour, and it was a great value at only $3 a ticket. By then, though, we were getting a little tired.

However, no trip to Pt. Pleasant is ever complete without a trip to the TNT area to check out the old igloos. At one point, there were only three igloos down one little road that I knew to be open. On this trip, however, we noticed a bunch of cars parked at ANOTHER side road, so we parked the car and walked down the path to find that two igloos that I had never been in before were open. It's always a fun experience walking into those, hearing the strange acoustics, and imagining what it must have been like during the days of TNT manufacture in the area. It can definitely get a tad...spooky.

So that wrapped up our day in Pt. Pleasant, and Mothman Festival weekend for me. This year, I tried to cram in several things that I normally don't do during the festival. Every year we go to the Mothman Museum, take a tour of the Lowe Hotel, and visit the River Museum. And, if its not too busy, we eat at Harris'. All of these are wonderfully fun things to do, and I recommend them to anyone coming to the festival or visiting the area throughout the year. This year, I just wanted to do things a little differently! There are only so many hours in a day, and the Mothman Festival is so packed full of awesome activities for everyone.

I really have to congratulate Jeff Wamsley, Ashley Wamsley-Watts, and the many others who really come together to pull off such an awesome festival! As I alluded to above, there is literally so much to do that its nearly impossible to cram it all into one weekend. I also have to give the staff and guests major props---there really isn't anywhere else, and certainly no where around here, where you're going to find the caliber of speakers the Mothman Festival brings in...and for FREE! And, unlike many other conventions and festivals, the Mothman Festival allows an opportunity to really network with and get to know so many members of the paranormal community. If you haven't been, I highly recommend making the trip. Next year will be the festival's 15th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Mothman sightings, so it's sure to be big in 2016.

Mothman Festival 2015 Day 1
Mothman Festival 2015 Day 2

Mothman Festival 2015 (Day 2)

Saturday at the Mothman Festival was family day for me! Aaron and I took our son Luke for a day of Mothy fun. Luke, who turned six on the Monday following the festival (happy birthday, my boy!), has been to just about every Mothman Festival since he was born and loves it. He always calls Pt. Pleasant "Mothman City" and this year, he was really looking forward to having a Mothman Hotdog from Hillbilly Hotdogs.

It was a warm, sunny day when we arrived about 10:45 am and after a stressful drive around trying to find a parking spot, settled in and immediately went to the food trucks, lol. Unfortunately, Hillbilly Hotdogs must have just been opening up because we got in the fairly long line...which didn't move for at all in 15 minutes. So, we decided to just grab some standard fair fare and go down to the riverfront to eat and catch a little bit of the Mothman Pageant activities. Before settling in, Aaron stopped to get a huge mug of old fashioned soda from Wild Bill's Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co. For $10, he got a huge collector's mug and a voucher for FREE refills all day long!

As we found our seats, we noticed that there was something going on to our left, not far from the stage and where the pageant judges were set up. There were a LOT of people milling about and a police boat in the river. An ambulance had its lights on and was standing by. Since the pageant kept going on, we really didn't pay too much attention to what was going on. Finishing up our lunch of corn dogs and cheese fries, we then went to do the vendor circuit.

Luke wanted to play some carnival games and won a few prizes and I picked up a few vintage books for less than $2! Luke and Aaron both found some treasures, as well. We checked out everything, and I was really impressed with the variety of art, books, jewelry and other items being sold, plus the array of paranormal speakers and researchers present. One of my absolute favorite booths was the PlushyBoo vendor. Jen, of PlushyBoo, was selling the coolest and cutest plush cryptid/paranormal themed figures in a variety of sizes. I really should have bought one of the three different Mothman styles she had, because by the time we came back on Sunday, they were all gone...but more on that in Sunday's blog, lol. But, if you were like me and missed her, she has an Etsy shop, too, where everything is 20% off this month! Vowing to come back in a little while to make my final purchasing decisions, we decided to drop what we had already accumulated off at the car. On the way back toward downtown, Luke convinced us that he needed to take a horse-drawn wagon ride!

My PlushyBoos

The horse-drawn wagon ride was pretty awesome, but it was a little expensive. For Luke and I to ride together, it was $8, which wouldn't be that bad, except that the ride only lasted about 7-10 minutes and simply went down the street and back. Still, it was something we hadn't tried before and we had resolved to make this year the year we did all the stuff that we usually DIDN'T do during our festival visits. As soon as we got off the wagon, though, Aaron pulled me aside. He had gone back to the riverfront to take advantage of his free soda refill just as they were closing the area. What we had seen going on at the riverfront earlier was finally explained---a man had jumped into the river and never resurfaced.  This must have happened right before we arrived and while we were on the wagon, his body was recovered. After hearing witness testimony and looking through the photos, Carrie and I can't help wondering if the man was the same man we had been spooked by the night before---the descriptions certainly matched up and it might explain why we felt so uneasy in his presence. But, whether or not it was the same man, our prayers and condolences go out to his family and friends, and all those involved who either had to witness the event or took part in the recovery efforts. Here's a short news article on the event: WSAZ

Luke at Navy Poster Museum

After that devastating news, we looked around some more, got our picture taken with Mothman, who happened to come up RIGHT beside Luke, checked out the Ghost Busters and bought Luke a Daphne pin from the Mystery Machine guy. Then we decided to check out the Navy Poster Museum. Aaron had been there last year, but I didn't go in, so I was in for quite a treat. Located where the old Mothman Museum used to be, the Navy Poster Museum is a huge collection covering a huge chunk of time in Naval history.  The lady who runs the museum is also very nice and you could tell how passionate she is about sharing that passion with others. Even Luke really enjoyed it---especially the pin-up girl posters and the puzzle that was thoughtfully laid out on a table with chairs. If you're in the Pt. Pleasant area, definitely make this a stop on your trip and go give 'em a LIKE on Facebook, too!

Immediately following our trip to the museum, we made our way down to the State Theater to hear Rosemary Ellen Guiley's talk on Spiritualism during the Civil War era. We were a bit early, so we caught the end of Susan Sheppard's Indrid Cold presentation. I'm sorry we missed the beginning, as it seemed like an excellent talk, but luckily, it was recorded and can now be found on YouTube! Anyway, I was really excited to see Rosemary this year. We are generally so busy with other things (and having an impatient child along doesn't help) that we rarely get to sit through the speakers. As predicted I really enjoyed Rosemary's presentation. I have to say, if you get the chance to see ANY of the Mothman speakers, definitely take advantage of it! There is no other place that I know of where you can see the caliber of speakers the festival brings in...and for FREE. And, even though the festival sets record numbers of visitors each year, there's still a real family reunion type atmosphere. You have the chance to get up and personal with the special guests and speakers and have a conversation with them, ask them questions, and if you'd like, buy any books/merchandise they're selling. It's just a really great experience.

But, that was the end of our experience for Saturday. By that time, we were all tired and hot and Aaron and I had some birthday party stuff we needed to attend to while Luke spent the night at my mom's, so we concluded our trip. I wasn't disappointed though....because I'd be back the next day!

Mothman Day I
Mothman Day III

Mothman Festival 2015 (Day 1)

Originally, I had planned on attending only ONE day's worth of Mothman Festival festivities this year, but as things worked out, I ended up spending three days in Pt. Pleasant! In order to make sure I give every event, attraction, speaker, and vendor I experienced this weekend the attention deserved, I thought it would be best to break this up into several different blog posts.  Let's start with Friday evening....

As part of the weekend kickoff, the historic State Theater in downtown Pt. Pleasant was having a FREE screening of the documentary, Eyes of the Mothman. This 2011 documentary was written and directed by Matthew J. Pellowski and runs a little over 2.5 hours. There are a LOT of great documentaries and television shows featuring the Mothman, but you're not going to find anything as thorough and as well-researched as this documentary. It really goes in depth with exploring the Native American history of the area, the border warfare between the Native Americans and the white settlers/soldiers during the 1700s, the different sightings of Mothman, the different theories of what Mothman might be, other types of flying humanoids, Indrid Cold, etc. Anything that even remotely ties in with the Mothman mythos is covered and many different experts, professors, locals, and eyewitnesses are interviewed. I definitely recommend this movie if you haven't seen it.

Anyway, before the film even started, Carrie (my HPIR buddy), her son, and I got to town early for a quick dinner. Having always wanted to try the Iron Gate Grill and being turned away  last year, we decided to give it another shot. The Iron Gate Grill has been a fixture in Pt. Pleasant for years and we were pleased to see that they weren't too busy. We were quickly seated and had our drink orders taken. The booth we were given was extremely comfortable and unique, and the decor of the restaurant was really cool. I love old buildings, and this one definitely had a great feel to it.  The staff, including our server, seemed pleasant enough. Unfortunately, our sodas took over 15 minutes to arrive, and it would be at least another 10 before our waitress made time to take our food order. When the food arrived, it wasn't horrible---but it just wasn't what I expected. I was under the impression that this was a nicer restaurant. It certainly looks classy from the outside and the prices reflect a more upscale establishment, but the food just didn't reflect that. It wasn't bad--just very bland and very simplistic. My burger didn't taste like it had any seasoning at all, and the macaroni was straight out of a box of Kraft. I've read a lot of reviews of this place and it seems that people LOVE it throughout the year, but during Mothman Festival time, they just cannot get it together. I understand that the festival is a busy, stressful time, and being one of few nice, sit-down restaurants within walking distance, its gonna get crazy. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend trying this place any time near the festival, but it might be worth it during other times of the year.

Dinner wasn't a five star experience, but we weren't going to let that bother us. We finished up and made our way to the theater. An array of baked goods (including Mothman brownies), candies and drinks were available in the lobby for purchase, and a small food truck was set up outside with some tasty-looking options. I loved the fact that the State Theater was being used to show the movie.  Way back when HPIR had its first booth at the Mothman Festival (2007) we were invited by the people who were running the theater at the time to investigate the claims of paranormal activity. Several members of the team had simultaneously seen what looked like a shadowy form cross by in front of the ladies' restroom and we were excited about the prospect of witnessing the alleged apparition of a former employee who was said to make his nightly rounds, checking out the theater floor. We also learned that the storefront adjacent to the theater was used as sort of a staging area during the recovery efforts following the Silver Bridge collapse and that bodies were temporarily stored there.

We didn't experience any ghosts the night of the documentary, but we did experience something that was pretty darn strange. There was a really good turnout for the film, but we still managed to get good seats right in the middle section, just a few rows back from the front. After awhile, a few people around us left, leaving the rows in front of us completely empty.  It was a little under 2 hours into the film when an older man came walking down the aisle to our right, threw his stuff down, including a cane and a bundle, sat down, threw his hat off, dropped the cane, picked the cane BACK up, put his hat back on, and walked back up the aisle without the cane. He came back a moment later and sat down. At that point he began furiously writing something in a notebook, despite it being pretty dark in the theater. While this is going on, I started feeling uncomfortable. I know the Mothman Festival has the potential to bring out some...different...types of folks, but this was getting to the point where I felt personally that we weren't dealing with an every-day eccentric.

When the guy violently ripped a page from his notebook, tearing the paper almost in half in the process and then walked over and thrust it at a boy sitting with his family in the next aisle over, all three of us present gave each other the LOOK. When the guy then approached the stage and leaned over it (using it as a table, I guess, but giving him an eerie appearance from behind as if he were praying at an altar) we decided we needed to leave---immediately. I don't think I can put into words what I felt---just that I felt so uncomfortable and had a nagging feeling that we had to leave or else. As we were standing outside the theater discussing what we should do (tell the staff, although they didn't seem too concerned by the guy's erratic behavior or go back in and find different seats) the guy quickly comes out of the theater and starts walking towards us. We made a hasty retreat to the car and booked it out of town!

Our night wasn't completely over yet, though. We decided to drive out to the TNT area. When we got out there, there were plenty of other people who had a similar idea, so we chose to avoid the crowds waiting to explore the igloos and come back when it wasn't so busy. The drive back was a little eerie. A crescent moon hung low on the horizon and the clouds gave it a reddish glow, almost turning it the color of blood. It was quite the backdrop as we discussed what happened in the theater to have made all of us have the same feelings and react the way we did. Did we just overreact to someone who was a little off, or did we all simultaneously pick up on something that threw up a red flag? We might just have gotten our answer the very next day...

Mothman Festival Day 2
Mothman Festival Day 3

Collections: Mothman

It's Friday, September 20th here in Kanawha Valley and I bet there's a BUNCH of you out there reading this that cannot wait until tomorrow!  This weekend obviously marks the 12th annual Mothman Festival in Pt. Pleasant, WV!  HPIR and Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours have usually set up an informational table every other year at this world-renowned event, so it saddens me that we won't be there this weekend (we went last year)....too much other stuff, including my son's 4th birthday party AND a very important investigation later that evening that I'll tell you more about later!

But just because I won't physically be there (actually, I'm probably taking the family down there Sunday, so look for me wandering!) doesn't mean I'm not excited for all of you who will be!  To get you all super excited about the big event and to give you a few places to make sure you check out while in town, I wanted to do a special Collections post.  Here is a collection of some of the Mothman-related and Pt. Pleasant area posts I have on my website.  Enjoy, and please feel free to share the word with anyone you know who will be making the trek to the spookiest small-town in West Virginia this weekend!

Mothman Through the Peephole:  Late last year a woman from Portland Oregon claimed to have been harassed by a large humanoid with wings.  She even claimed to have snapped a picture of the beast through the peephole of her apartment door.  And while the photo does show something that resembles or beloved Mothman, most experts agree that her story just doesn't add up.  Decide for yourself!

TNT Area:  Everyone knows the TNT area as the alleged home and hiding place for Mothman.  However, I had a paranormal encounter of a very different nature there.  Was I helped by chivalry from beyond the grave?  Includes a brief history of the TNT area and my own story about what happened when we tried to visit an igloo that was off the beaten path.

The Lowe Hotel:  No other building is quite as synonymous with the haunted history of Pt. Pleasant.  If you weren't lucky enough to secure a room here for the festival, there WILL be public tours at designated times.  Check the sign on the front door for more information.

Pt. Pleasant River Museum:  It's probably gonna rain on Saturday, so if you get caught in an unfortunate downpour (and even if you don't) I highly recommend checking out the Pt. Pleasant River Museum, located across the street from Tu-Endi-Wei.  There's a great collection of riverboat history, films, and even a giant fish tank.  There's also the ghost of a man in white coveralls seen roaming the building!

Historic State Theater:  Located right down the street from the main hustle and bustle, and directly beside the Silver Bridge Memorial, the State Theater is an integral part of the Mothman Festival, showing wonderful films and documentaries and even hosting guest speakers.  It's also haunted, as we got a chance to find out for ourselves!

Summers House:  Located on the WV Farm Museum property, and rumored to be haunted.  The Farm Museum offers hayrides through the TNT area on Saturday evening, and its definitely worth getting there early to explore the actual museum itself.  You'll see a two-headed stuffed cow and other strange taxidermy, historic log church and a schoolhouse...and the Summers House, which is reportedly haunted by a member of an esteemed early WV family!

Pioneer Cemetery:  It's not haunted that I know of, but you won't want to miss this small collection of some of the area's earliest graves.  You can't miss it as its literally right on the side of the road!

Book Review for Haunted Hospitality:  This is single greatest resource for anyone wanting to know the history of the Lowe Hotel...and its hauntings.  Written by Robin P. Bellamy who is an annual guest speaker at the festival.

Mothman 2012 Recap:  HPIR DID have our table set up last year in Vendors' Row...and had some interesting experiences!  Read about them here!

Inside one of the igloos.  Vandals painted an extra, er, appendage on him since this was taken.

Here's a few BONUS locations in the general area!

1. Our House Museum.  Located across the river, in Gallipolis, Ohio.  Apparition of the former owner, plus the sound of opera singer, Jenny Lind, as well as tons of other activity reported!

2. Bruce Chapel and Mai Moore Mansion:  The mansion is no longer standing, except for a few ruins deep within the woods, but Bruce Chapel is located a short drive from Pt. Pleasant, in the Apple Grove area.  Permission to investigate this location can be sought by looking the location up on FaceBook!

3. Sliding Hill Phantom:  Located in Mason County, Sliding Hill Road has a ghost tale going all the way back to the Revolutionary War!

4. Anna Potts:  Speaking of the Revolutionary War, here's another vintage tale of a woman still searching for her daughter who was captured by Indians.

Anyway, that should definitely get you started, but please feel free to message me if you'd like any additional information...and definitely take a look around this website!  I've got a ton more haunted places within an hour's drive of Pt. Pleasant and a pretty fair collection of book reviews of books I've picked up from Mothman Festival speakers and vendors!

Have a safe and happy Mothman Festival 2013!