Cynthia Collins's Blog, page 6
November 2, 2013
Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns Not Always Pumpkins
Jack-o-lanterns, those pumpkins with carved out faces, are a part of Halloween tradition. Every year, communities and schools hold contests to choose the biggest pumpkin in the patch, the scariest face, silliest face, or some other related category. This practice of carving faces on hollowed out pumpkins did not originate in the United States and so was not originally done on pumpkins at all.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, Oct. 23, 2013)
October 20, 2013
New York Museum Haunted by Family Ghosts?
The Merchant’s House Museum in New York is reported to be haunted by the family ghosts. This Halloween week, from Oct. 24-31, visitors will have an opportunity to see why the museum has been described by the New York Times as “Manhattan’s most haunted house.”
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, Oct. 20, 2013)
Dracula Sinks His Teeth into Bram Stoker Festival
The Bram Stoker Festival opens in Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 26, to celebrate the author of the world’s most famous vampire, Dracula. This three-day event will turn back the pages of time to the city’s native-born son, Bram Stoker, highlighting his life and work through spine-tingling vampire hunts, historic places and performing arts.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, Oct. 16, 2013)
Oregon Museum Reveals Sherlock Holmes’ Influence Not So Elementary
Sherlock Holmes, that legendary Victorian-era detective, reveals his crime-solving secrets in a new exhibit currently on display at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland. The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes opened October 10 and will continue through January 5, 2014.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, Oct. 13, 2013)
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum Candlelight Halloween Mystery
The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden in New York City, is hosting a family-friendly, murder mystery by candlelight just in time for Halloween. Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings, Oct. 25 and 26.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, Oct. 12, 2013)
October 10, 2013
Sleepy Hollow Halloween Legends and Lanterns
Washington Irving’s grave at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
The small village of Sleepy Hollow is ready for Halloween. Nestled some 25 miles north of New York City, this quiet community has an entire cemetery that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours begin Friday, Oct. 11 and run through Saturday, Nov. 30. Some of the tours are during the day and some are after dark.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, October 10, 2013).
October 6, 2013
Lyndhurst Castle Tours Combine History and Halloween
Lyndhurst
This is the time of year when Halloween themes are woven into tours and programs of historic house museums. Whether the houses are small or large, rustic or filled with wealth, candlelight and shadows await a chill in the air. One such place is Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, October 6, 2013)
Poe Museum Raising Money to Preserve ‘Raven’ Illustrations
Poe Museum in Richmond, VA
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, has launched a public fundraising campaign to save 43 illustrations based on the 1845 poem, The Raven. These drawings were done in the 1884 by British-born street artist, James Carling, and are known for their dark, haunting portrayal of Poe’s classic work.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, October 3, 2013)
Salem Witch Museum: Trials of Hysteria and History
Salem Witch Museum
Throughout the United States, people are beginning to get ready for Halloween. Every October 31st, stories of ghosts and witches, and many other things, filter into conversations. But the subject of witches was far more than a discussion topic in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, October 1, 2013)
September 27, 2013
Smithsonian Day Encourages Free Admission to Participating Museums
Longue Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans
This Saturday, September 28, is the annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live! This event encourages free admission to participating museums for a visitor and guest, providing one of them has signed up on line and has received a ticket to show at venues.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 26, 2013).
