The West Virginia Bigfoot Museum in Sutton

After my recent trip to Sutton, I realized I have never dedicated an entire blog post to the WV Bigfoot Museum! Sure, I've shared photos on my social media platforms and mentioned going there a few times, but I never gave this awesome spot the attention it deserves. So, today I'll hopefully remedy that.

In regards to the other popular museums throughout WV dedicated to the fringe sciences (The Mothman Museum, The Archive of the Afterlife, and the Flatwoods Monster Museum), The West Virginia Bigfoot Museum is fairly new to the scene. However, it's been awesome seeing how quickly they've grown and become another great resource for those interested in exploring and learning about WV's unique (and sometimes spooky!) history.

Back in 2019, Louis and Laurel Petolicchio opened up the Mountain Laurel Country Store, located at 400 4th St. in downtown Sutton. The building dates back to 1900 and was built by William Hampton (W.H.) Lee and was used as the home of the W.H. Lee Wholesale and Retail Hardware and Furniture Company. The shop is a cozy, welcoming space filled with one of a kind, handmade gifts and crafts from local artisans. There's jewelry, toys, books, home goods, indoor and outdoor decor, soaps and munchies, and so, so much more. Recently, they've also added a little on-site cafe, Main Street Coffee, serving up coffee, sandwiches, and lots of different goodies. It's an ideal spot for picking up unique gift items and supporting local business/local artisans, as well as just being a wonderful addition to Sutton's growing revitalized downtown.  But, within two years, it would become so much more. 

A local woodcarver who sold pieces through consignment at the shop brought in a HUGE 6 foot, 300lb carving made from a solid block of hemlock. The carving was of a Bigfoot. The Stone Man, the Yahoo, Sasquatch---he goes by many names, but the hairy man of the woods has long been sighted throughout West Virginia, with plenty of reports coming from right in the area around Sutton! Locals and visitors alike visiting the store would see this beautiful wood carving of a Bigfoot, and it would spark their own stories and sightings. Now, not only was the Mountain Laurel Country Store a gift shop, but it was quickly becoming a repository for Bigfoot reports! 

That seemed to suit Louis and his son, David, just fine, as both had an interest in the phenomenon. Around the same time, researcher and investigator, Les O'Dell of WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters was needing a spot to showcase his personal collection of plaster casts of Bigfoot tracks found in the state, as well as his massive collection of reports, spanning back decades. At the same time, more and more reports, including RECENT reports, of Bigfoot activity from the Sutton area were coming to light...and thus, the idea for the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum was born.

Opening officially in May of 2021, the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum's GRAND OPENING would wait until July to coincide with the First Annual  WV Bigfoot Festival! The event was a huge success, and has become an annual event, featuring awesome speakers and vendors showcasing all sorts of Squatchy goodness. But, you don't have to wait for the festival or any of the other Bigfoot-related events happening in Sutton---the museum is open year round! 

And, it's definitely a cool spot to check out, whether you're a complete skeptic or whether you relish in the idea of an unknown primate lurking about. The collection focuses on West Virginia sightings, reports, and evidence, but a general overview of the Bigfoot phenomenon is displayed. You'll find information on famous cases, such as the Patterson-Gimlin footage, as well as information on Bigfoot's cold weather cousin, the Yeti. It's a neat space filled with Bigfoot artwork (including some new wall murals featuring hidden Bigfoots), plaster casts, and photographs. There's also a HUGE gift shop featuring books, T-shirts, jewelry, home decor, and every manner of Bigfoot novelty you can think of. 

Unfortunately, Louis passed away in 2022, but through the rest of the family and support from the community, the WV Bigfoot Museum is still going strong with plans for new exhibits and upcoming events. I cannot recommend this little gem of a museum enough, and even though I've been there a handful of times now, the warm, welcoming atmosphere and hospitality from the owners never changes. They truly want to make sure you enjoy yourself and feel right at home. And, I always happen to see or notice something new, whether in the museum itself, or the gift shop. Definitely add it to your itinerary if you're coming through the area! 

Know Before You Go:

This museum is completely FREE to visit and is family-friendly! If you'd like to help support their continued work in the preservation of Bigfoot memorabilia and the education of this fascinating subject, they do accept donations. There is also an extensive gift shop with really cool souvenirs in all price-ranges.

The WV Bigfoot Museum is open year-round. Their current hours are:

Wednesday-Friday: 10am to 6pm

Saturday: 10am to 4pm

(Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday)

WV Bigfoot Museum Website

WV Bigfoot Museum FaceBook

WV Bigfoot Festival FaceBook (June 23-24, 2023)

Theresa's Travels: Sutton, WV 2023

On Wednesday, February 15th, my husband and I had to make a trip to Elkins for family business. It's been a hot minute since I've found myself headed north up Interstate 79, so I insisted that we make a quick stop in one of my favorite unique, spooky lil' WV towns---Sutton!

Located in Braxton County, right in the center of the state, Sutton is quickly becoming the paranormal heart of the Mountain State. It's home to one of SRI's top haunted locations (The Haunted Haymond House), as well as the haunted Elk Hostel, which I hope we'll get to explore one day soon. It's also home to not one, but TWO really cool museums featuring the paranormal: The Flatwoods Monsters Museum and the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum. These two museums were the focus of our little impromptu stop. 

Up first was the Flatwoods Monster Museum to browse around and check out any new acquisitions. As many times as I've been there, it seems like there's always something new and interesting to see and discover. I think my favorite exhibit is still the original mold and information on the creation of the Flatwoods Monster lanterns. There's a great little documentary about the lanterns which you can watch HERE, as well as a little How It's Made clip on the actual process. The How It's Made clip was actually playing on the museum's television while we were there, much to my husband's delight. He's a sucker for that kinda thing. Luckily, I already own a lantern, or else I think we would have been walking out of there with another one that day. This visit was actually only my husband's second visit to the museum. Although he supports my weirdness, he's just not as in to the spooky stuff as I am, so I'm thrilled whenever he finds something (like the lantern making process) that he finds especially interesting and can enjoy.

I also love seeing the reactions of other visitors, especially those who have never been there before, as they experience the story of the Flatwoods Monster for themselves through an awesome collection of memorabilia related to the sighting, as well as depictions of the creature in art and in pop culture. Even on a Wednesday afternoon, there were a good number of visitors there that day, which warms my heart!

It was also a pleasure getting to chat with the curator of the museum, Andrew Smith, who has worked tirelessly and has done so much in promoting and sharing the story of the Flatwoods Monster, as well as the history of the area as a whole. If you're new to the area or unfamiliar with the Flatwoods Monster incident of 1952, Andrew is your go-to guy. He's a wealth of information, and has always been super accommodating to the countless bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, etc. that are eager to showcase Braxxie and the Flatwoods Monster Museum. 

Including all the wonderful displays, articles/print media, videos, and chatting, you could easily spend a couple hours just in the Flatwoods Monster Museum alone. Unfortunately, we did have to be in Elkins at a certain time, and had another stop we wanted to make. But, I couldn't leave without adding a new Braxxie t-shirt to my wardrobe and picking up some postcards. 

Upon leaving the Flatwoods Monster Museum, it was a beautifully warm and sunny day, so we made the short walk a block or so down to the Mountain Laurel Country Store, home to the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum.  The store itself is a cute little shop full of handmade and unique gift items, jewelry, books, primitives, home goods, and more. They've also recently added a little cafe-type area, called Main Street Coffee, serving coffee, sandwiches, and other goodies. We looked around a bit, and I got a bit sad, thinking about how much my mom would have loved this shop, but never got the chance to visit. 

Anyway, the shop is great, but I was ready for the main attraction: The WV Bigfoot Museum! The Flatwoods/Sutton area has a long history of Bigfoot sightings, beginning as early as 1919 and continuing to this day, largely around Sutton Lake. So, this is the perfect spot for a museum dedicated to our Appalachian hairy man. 

The museum showcases an impressive collection of plaster casts made throughout WV and beyond, information on sightings around the state (largely collected and researched by the awesome Les O'Dell of WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters), and a general overview of the Bigfoot phenomenon, with some Yeti information as well. There's also wood carvings, wall murals featuring hidden Bigfoots, and an EXTENSIVE gift shop, where you can pick up books, toys, novelties, clothing/accessories, and seriously...anything you can think of Bigfoot-related. Again, I couldn't leave without adding a new book by Doug Waller to my library and a few Bigfoot stickers. 

As with the Flatwoods Monster Museum, it was a pleasure having a nice lil' chat with the owner. Every time I've visited, she has been so sweet and welcoming, making sure that everyone who steps foot through the door feels at home and enjoys the museum experience. This was my husband's first visit to the Bigfoot Museum, and again, even though he's not super into the strange and unusual side of history, he really enjoyed the novelty of the experience. I also think he was a little shocked that in one little West Virginia town, we had stopped at a museum dedicated to arguably the weirdest and wildest UFO/monster cases in the WORLD, then made a two minute walk to another museum, this one dedicated to arguably the most famous cryptid in the world. 

I'd bet a lot of people feel that way, but I'm thrilled! As a whole, West Virginia is such a cool place to explore, especially for anyone interested in the paranormal, be it ghosts/hauntings, UFOs, or cryptozoology. As more and more locations around the state open up, catering to WV's weird history, it's wonderful to see downtown Sutton becoming a premier mecca for those wanting a truly unique tourist experience. I could have stayed in the area a week or more, checking out all the cool stuff to see and do, but alas, we had to get back on the road. But, not before grabbing a late lunch!

Normally a trip to the Sutton/Flatwoods area means a trip to The Spot, a cute little restaurant in Flatwoods, located close to the original 1952 sighting of the Flatwoods Monster. You can grab a sandwich, chicken strips, calzone, hot dog, ice cream, etc, many with fun, monster-themed names. You can also pick up some souvenirs, take advantage of some neat photo ops, and of course, visit one of the five monster chairs located just across the road from the restaurant. I highly recommend adding a stop at The Spot to your Sutton/Flatwoods itinerary. But, as we were walking back to the car, discussing exactly what to do about food, we passed by a new-to-me business and noticed it was open. A split decision later, and we were seated at a table in the Bad Axe Bistro!

The Bad Axe Bistro is open for lunch and dinner, serving up a variety of sandwiches and appetizers during the lunch hour, and a more extensive menu for dinner. They also offer lanes for axe throwing, which we didn't take advantage of on this trip, but definitely next time!

My husband and I both had a grilled chicken sandwich and fries, and ordered the Bad Axe spiral loaded potato for an appetizer. The restaurant was clean, the service was great, and the food came out quickly. I really enjoyed my chicken sandwich, but my favorite was absolutely the appetizer. It was a spiral-cut potato on a stick, smothered in cheese and bacon and served on a wooden skewer. I love an opportunity to support small, local businesses and am happy to have another restaurant, located right in town, to add to my food options for when I'm in town. 

By the time we paid the check, we really did have to get back on the road, so I had to say goodbye to Sutton. Fortunately, I'll be back again! SRI is planning an event at the Haunted Haymond House for April, so make sure you follow our page for information on that as it comes available. I'll also be sure to visit for two upcoming festivals, showcasing the area's strange history!  The West Virginia Bigfoot Festival will be held in Sutton June 23-24, 2023 and the Flatwoods Monster Convention will be held in Flatwoods on September 9th, 2023. 

I hope you get the chance to visit the Flatwoods Monster Museum and/or WV Bigfoot Museum soon! If you do, tell 'em that Theresa's Haunted History sent ya! And until then, follow me over on Facebook for MORE pictures of my trip to Sutton, as well as my other paranormal adventures around West Virginia and beyond. Stay spooky, ya'll. 

Book Review: The Wild Man of North America

Title: The Wild Man of North America--Historic Newspaper Accounts About Encounters with Wild Men, Feral Humans and Other Curiosities

Author: Louis R. Petolicchio

Published: 2021 by Witherspoon Publishing (Sutton, WV)

Back in December, Spectral Research and Investigation returned to Sutton, WV for a holiday get-together and investigation of the Haunted Haymond House. In a serendipitous turn of events, right after we confirmed our date, the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum announced that they'd be holding a special event called the Yeti Expo on the same day we were going to be in town! Obviously, myself and other members of the team jumped on the opportunity, and if you know me...you know I can't attend such an event without picking up souvenirs in the form of whatever paranormal nonfiction books are being sold!

After touring the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum, perusing the interesting items for sale at the Mountain Laurel Country store, and talking with Les O'Dell of WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters about HIS new book (Theresa's Review of West Virginia Cryptids) I picked out a book from the museum's gift shop area. The book I chose was The Wild Man of North America by Louis R. Petolicchio.

In another moment of serendipity, Louis was actually the one who rang up my purchases at the register! We had a lovely little chat about the book, the museum, and what I was in town for. He gave me some inside info about the book as well---apparently there was a mix-up with the cover art, and the image on the front of the book was NOT part of the public domain. So, there was only a limited run of this particular edition, with a re-publish coming soon. I promised that I'd come back and buy the updated copy as well, just for my own personal paranormal nonfiction collection. That seemed to tickle him, and he offered to sign my copy, which I gladly agreed to.

Unfortunately, Louis R. Petolicchio recently lost a battle with Covid, a huge loss to his family and friends, as well as the community of Sutton and the Bigfoot/cryptid research community. He was such a nice, likable person, and I was really sad to hear of his passing. I only got to speak with him the one time, but he made me feel very welcome and appreciated and it really bothers me that my next visit to the WV Bigfoot Museum won't include me telling him how much I LOVED his book! 

The Wild Man of North America is a really cool collection of vintage newspaper articles, dating back from the early 1800's through the early 1900's. Throughout the United States, newspapers in nearly every city and state ran articles about Wild Men--strange, feral human-like creatures that seemed to be covered in fur/hair, were nearly always nude or nearly-nude, and who often had quite the bad temper towards anyone who tried to make contact. 

Louis makes a note in the introduction that these types of stories seem to fall into three broader categories: 1. Large, hairy bipedal humanoids that we'd probably classify as a Bigfoot or a Sasquatch today. 2. Feral humans, who can use tools, are often violent, and if caught, speak gibberish and are usually deemed to be insane. And, 3. Lost hominids, which seem to be neither man, nor beast...not quite as elusive and animalistic as a Bigfoot, but taking on some human-like characteristics, such as using fire, clubs, and other tools. For the most part, I agree with these classifications, but reading through the stories, I can definitely see some shared characteristics and similarities between some stories that I think make classification of such 'creatures' a little more gray. 

Either way, this is an excellent book for the Bigfoot researcher, or who is interested in a historical perspective of creature reports that we'd probably classify as a Bigfoot today. Although quite a few of the tales included are obviously humans who for whatever reason found themselves living away from 'modern civilization,' there are plenty of stories that really do seem to be more cryptozoological in nature. For me personally, I'm not ready to head out in the deep woods looking for Bigfoot today, but I really enjoy deep diving into the history of sightings and trying to make connections with the research being done today. Plus, its just really entertaining! The writing style and language used in some of these articles is downright hilarious, and reads like something you'd find in the Weekly World News...not an established, respected newspaper. 

In addition to the large section on these Wild Men stories, there's a chapter on the infamous Teddy Roosevelt's re-telling of a friend's possible Bigfoot experience, as well as a small section of newspaper articles on other curiosities, including a ton of articles on giant skeletons found in burial mounds and some creature reports that sound a lot like misplaced kangaroos! If this book is lacking anything (which I don't think it is) I think I would have liked to have some additional commentary by Mr. Petolicchio. Additional commentary really isn't NEEDED throughout most of the book, but I would have been interested in whether or not he would make any connections between giant skeletons and deceased Sasquatch creatures and just some general thoughts on the nature of these stories. I was super pleased, however, to see several stories from West Virginia and surrounding areas, including a really weird story where a wild man attacked a train near Morgantown (Wild Man Attacks Train Near Morgantown)!

I am so happy that I was able to pick up a copy of this book when I did, and I'm even happier that I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Petolicchio. My heart goes out to his friends and family who lost a good man too soon. This book will take a place of honor on my bookshelf, as a reminder of the awesome contributions to the field of Bigfoot research made by Mr. Petolicchio. Today, the WV Bigfoot Museum will reopen to the public--if you're in the Sutton area, stop by and let them know you support them. I've also included a link below to the family's GoFundMe page in case you'd like to help out. And of course, if you get the opportunity to add this book to YOUR collection, I highly recommend you do so! It is a well written, well-curated collection of really interesting historical news accounts that is a must-have for any researcher wanting to see how reports of hairy hominid creatures has evolved over the last 200 years!

Petolicchio Family GoFundMe

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Louis Petolicchio
Photo by Braxton Citizens' News

Wild Man Attacks Train Near Morgantown

Opekiska Locks and Dam
Source

Last December,  I had the opportunity to head up to Sutton, WV and attend the Yeti Festival, hosted by the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum! While I was there, I purchased a copy of Louis R. Petolicchio's awesome book, The Wild Man of North America: Historic Newspaper Accounts About Encounters with Wild Men, Feral Humans and Other Curiosities. I was pleasantly surprised to see the following account from March 3, 1905 included in the book. The Daily Telegram, a newspaper based in Clarksburg, WV, reported that passenger trains coming through Opekiska, a small community in Monongalia County, located along the Monongahela River between Fairmont and Morgantown, were being attacked by a wild man! After one man was arrested, the attacks continued, scaring both train personnel and passengers so badly that they refused to go after the wild man themselves. 

I think this is a really interesting story in the annals of wild man lore, because to me, there is no mistaking this wild man as anything other than a normal human, possibly suffering with a mental illness. Despite being described as a 'giant,' by today's standards, his estimated height of 6' is about average for a man, and the fact that he was able to shoot a gun (given that it was the same 'wild man' in each encounter) would be more indicative of a human being than something more...animalistic. But, that does bring up a fascinating point...was this Lynch fellow involved in the first incident, and a separate 'man' involved later on? If so, why was Lynch trying to flag down the train? Was he trying to escape the true wild man? And just where did this wild man come from? In many stories where the wild man is clearly a human being, it is suspected that he is an escaped inmate, of either the prison system or the insane asylum, or has otherwise witnessed something so horrible that he takes to the wilderness and becomes feral, slowly losing his human identity which is replaced with more animalistic characteristics. I'll be completely honest: while I love this story as another one of WV's oddities, I'm a little disappointed that this is not an example of a wild man story that is clearly an early sighting of what we'd call a Bigfoot or Sasquatch today.  Anyway, I'll get more into my theories of Wild Men, both from a historical perspective AND a modern one, in another blog, so until then, enjoy this strange and fascinating tale from right here in the Mountain State. 

WILD MAN ATTACKS TRAIN

Giant Creature in Human Form with Bristles on Face Is at Large Near Morgantown

03 March 1905

The Daily Telegram (Clarksburg, WV)

The citizens of Monongalia County are thoroughly aroused over the strange and murderous actions of a man in that country, whose identity has not been established so far and whose capture seems a remote possibility, unless the state authorities organize a posse and force him to surrender.

Only a few days ago as chronicled, a man was seen standing on the track in front of a passenger train nearing Morgantown.  He was violently waving his hands.  The train did not stop and he was compelled to step aside to save himself. As the train was passing he fired several shots at it.

Later a fellow Lynch was arrested suspected of the deed and is yet held. But after his arrest the matter of trying to hold up passenger trains continued and Thursday afternoon at Opakeiski* as the passenger train was coming toward Fairmont a strange looking man stoned it.  The train stopped after having run him and the brakeman went back to arrest the fellow, but as he approached him the fellow showed fight and the trainman grew so nervous over the man's strange appearance that he returned to the train.

By the time he boarded the train, it had started again, but the brakeman called upon the passengers to volunteer to go with him and capture the giant--as he was at least six feet tall and wore a beard all over his face which looked more like a mass of bristles than whiskers. 

The passengers were not sufficiently alarmed over the attempt made by the fellow on their lives to organize themselves into a posse and pursue him. 

*You can read the original newspaper article as it appears in the Daily Telegram on the Chronicling America website, located at THIS LINK.