As you enter, an enormous door slams shut behind you. There’s a chill in the air and an eerie presence...the mansion is haunted.
This Saturday, Oct. 26, the Park-McCullough Historic House in North Bennington invites brave souls to tour the mansion and learn its spooky secrets. The weekend festivities begin on Friday with an evening of ghost stories; Sunday is devoted to children’s activities such as pumpkin painting and hayrides. To gear up for Halloween, visitors are invited to come in costume.
The idea is for visitors to interact with the house, said Jane Nicholls, executive director. The events are good-natured and light-hearted — and allow the Park McCullough House — “an architectural gem†— to be used to great effect. With rooms set up to look as if someone might walk in and sit down, the mansion is the perfect atmosphere for October fun.
Ghost story festival
The second annual Ghost Story Festival kicks off the weekend on Friday, Oct. 25 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Both classical and modern tales of the occult and supernatural will be told and read; these stories are designed for a sophisticated, “PG-16†audience.
The event takes its cues from the Victorian era of the Park-McCullough House. Perhaps like the original inhabitants of the mansion, visitors will gather to listen to strange and frightening tales. The supernatural was a huge part of Victorian life – and familiar figures like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Headless Horsemen were all born in this period, said Nicholls.
Ghost stories provided Victorians with not only entertainment, but also a outlet for exploring taboo subject matter. “It’s not just guts and gore, necrophilia, cannibalism, homosexuality, and eroticism are all elements in the 19th century ghost story genre,†she noted.
The program includes a brief intermission and light refreshments, and a Halloween Trivia Contest with award prizes donated by area businesses. Admission $5, free for members.
Haunted mansion tours
Haunted Mansion tours, recommended for ages 13 and up, are scheduled for Saturday night, Oct. 26, from 5 to 8 pm. The tours offer a chance to explore Park-McCullough House in a different way and to hear strange and ghostly stories associated with particular rooms and passed down through the years by family and servants, said Nicholls. “It’s not going to be a fright fest — we’re not going to lunge at you with bloody daggers,†she added.
When the house is cold and dark, it has a scary atmosphere. Nicholls told a story from last year that proved the power of the house to frighten: she found two volunteers who abandoned their posts because they got spooked.
Daylight Mansion tours on Sunday will offer a milder — though still creepy — experience for children. Designed to appeal to kids old enough to understand and appreciate a fright, Park-McCullough House recommends parental discretion for children under 10.
Admission to the Haunted Mansion tour on Saturday night is $8, for members $6. The Daylight Mansion tours are $5; discounted tickets are available for Sunday’s tours from Alldays and Onions (519 Main St., Bennington).
Children’s Halloween Festival
On Sunday, Oct. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m., Park-McCullough House will open up its Carriage Barn to kids of all ages for seasonal fun. One activity, apple-biting, offers a more sanitary alternative to bobbing for apples. Getting a bite from an apple on a string takes a little work; Nicholls admitted she had to try a few times before she got the hang of it last year.
The festival also features pumpkin painting, prizes, cider, snacks and hayrides with Petticoat Junction.
Joint admission for both Children’s Festival events is $8; family joint admission is $20. Admission to the Carriage Barn events is $4 per child (adults free when accompanied by children).
For further information visit www.parkmccullough.org or contact Park-McCullough House at (802) 442-5441, or thehouse@sover.net.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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