Written by: Michelle Sosa
Edited by: Genevieve Hammang
An interior photo of the museum entrance.
West Virginia is notorious for its endless folklore and continues to serve as the inspiration for countless horror tales. The state is rich in traditional myths and legends as it is home to a melting pot of cultures. Although West Virginia contains a myriad of cryptids within its myths and legends, one of the most–if not the most popular cryptid–is the Mothman.
According to folklore, the Mothman is a cryptid with humanoid body features and glowing red eyes. Descriptions of Mothman sightings date back to newspapers from 1966. As it stands, the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is the only museum in the world which includes a virtual museum and a retail store with merchandise. In addition to the museum, the town of Point Pleasant also hosts a Mothman Festival every September where people indulge in various events, food, and live entertainment–all Mothman themed. The town itself is small with a population of about 5,000 people, however, it is very rich in American history and paranormal history.
An exterior shot of the Mothman Museum.
Within the museum, you will find rare Mothman archives that detail the sightings that occurred in 1966 and 1967. This includes accounts from important historical figures such as John Keel, Mary Hyre, and the Scarberry & Mallette eyewitnesses. Additionally, the museum contains a large collection of props and memorabilia from the movie titled The Mothman Prophecies starring Richard Gere! Inclusively, you will find video clips and newspaper clippings on the tragic Silver Bridge collapse, which is linked to the alleged Mothman sightings, in addition to UFO activity and other Mothman articles.
During the walk-through of the museum, guests will experience exhibits where they can see the original police depositions and even information on the suspicious Men in Black who were also spotted back in 1966. There is also an exhibit on Mary Hyre, a newspaper reporter from the Athens messenger whose work would inadvertently turn the legend of Mothman into a long spanning legacy. Her reporting on the cryptid began with a phone call that she received in November of 1966, which she reported on in an article titled “Winged, Red-Eyed ‘Thing’ Chases Point Couples Across Countryside.” The rest is history.
Since 2020, there have been new and original exhibitions added to the museum. However, the website has not been updated to reflect these changes. As soon as guests are finished touring the museum, they have the opportunity to take a picture with the life-size Mothman statue that is located right next to the museum!
An image of the Mothman statue.
All in all, the small town of Point Pleasant has a lot to offer with its small town charm. History buffs and Mothman fanatics alike can enjoy visiting sites such as the Silver Bridge Memorial, the Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, and the Point Pleasant River Museum. For more information on the museum and/or to plan your visit, you can click on this link to their website.
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