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Sights & Frights
October 19-20, 26-27, 2012
Mystic Seaport Sights & Frights is a haunted Halloween celebration featuring fun for the entire family. Step back in time and wind your way through our spooky 19th-century village with beautifully carved pumpkins lighting the way. Take a journey through a haunted ship, or listen to chilling tales of long ago. Have your future told by a roaming fortune teller, enjoy seasonal refreshments in The Galley and be entertained by musicians singing eerie tunes of long ago. The fun includes crafts, games and a nightly costume parade for our younger visitors. There will be activities that are "family-friendly," "mildly-creepy," and "not for the faint of heart!" All "scary" activities are indoors, so families with young children can avoid them en route to the family-friendly events.
Visitors will receive a map and guide at the gate directing them to the various activities and their locations. Please be advised to dress appropriately for the weather, though most activities are located indoors. Also, allow 1-2 hours to experience all there is to enjoy!
Children are encouraged to wear a costume and participate in the nightly Costume Parade at 7:30. All children are welcome to join the parade, and may wish to create their own mask in the mask-making activity located in the Figurehead exhibit.
"Family-friendly" Activities
Roving characters:
As you wander through the village you just might come across a fortune teller looking to foretell your fate, or an herbalist wanting to sell you her latest homemade remedy. You might even meet a pirate looking to recruit you for his crew!
Kids Crafts and Activities:
- Get creative and make a mask in the figurehead exhibit.
- Visit the Children's Museum for a fun craft activity and some gentle stories of the season.
- Join our talented staff for tales of shipwrecks and sea monsters in the Discovery Barn.
- Face Painting (location TBD)
- Costume Parade at 7:30 every night
"Mildly-creepy" Activities
- Step into the Mystic Press building and see what's being printed: obituaries, letters about the recently deceased, and the like.
- Stop by the shipsmith: he might just be busy making coffin nails!
"Not for the faint of heart" Activities
Haunted Ship:
Take a walk through the schooner L.A. Dunton, and hope that you don't run into the spirit of a long-dead sailor along the way!
Storytelling:
Step into our historic village buildings and listen to spooky tales of long ago at these locations:
- The Buckingham-Hall House: "Captain Murderer," a tale of a murderous husband by Charles Dickens.
- The Rope Walk: "Moll Corey," the story of a soothsayer from New London who made an ominous prediction for a local whaling captain.
- The Mallory Rigging Loft: "The Charles Haskell," a legend of ghost fisherman out of Gloucester.
"Sock" it to us and help keep those in need warm this season!
In conjunction with Sights & Frights, Mystic Seaport will be accepting donations of new or gently worn women's or children's socks, which will be donated to the Women's Center of Southeastern Connecticut. The Women's Center provides services to families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault in New London and Norwich. Donations of shoes and athletic footwear are also welcomed to help provide warmth during the upcoming winter months for those in need. Over the past two years, the Museum has collected almost 1,000 pairs of socks. A collection box will be located in the Visitor Reception Center between October 21- 31.