Tuesday, July 31, 2007

THE HAUNTED HOUSE ON HILL STREET HANNIBAL MO

Ok, I know I’m supposed to be posting photos from our Chicago trip, but I just have to post about this cool little haunted house and wax museum that we visited a couple of weekends ago in Hannibal, Missouri.

Located next to the Mark Twain Dinette is The Haunted House on Hill Street and Wax Museum. When you glance at the house you’ll see that it looks similar to most of the historic houses that surround it.

As you look closer you’ll notice a shackled skeleton in plain view out of the top window and that’s when you think that something sinister must be taking place inside!

As you enter, you’ll quickly forget that you’re entering a haunted house as you’re greeted by a sweet old lady, who welcomes you inside with a delightful smile.

Standing next to her and by the window is Injun Joe, sculpted from wax. He stands as a preview of what’s to come.

After you fork over the admission price and go thru the turnstyle, you enter a dark room and are now greeted with the unblinking stares from 27 wax figures. These figures have the likeness of real and fictional people that were a part of Mark Twain’s life in Hannibal. For the next 15 minutes the sweet old lady acts as your tour guide and introduces you to each wax figure.




These wax figures were sculpted by Martin Krewson, the same sculptor of the Jesse James Hideout Wax Museum located in my neck of the woods here at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Once the sweet old lady is done speaking about the wax figures, she invites you to step thru the doorway at the end of the room. She informs you that she won’t be going with you and that you are on your own. Oh, you almost forgot that this place is haunted! The image of that skeleton in the window is now on your mind!

As you step thru the door you can’t see a thing, as everything is pitch black and you notice there is a dampness in the air. Suddenly, a giant spider falls from the ceiling and then something brushes against your ankles as you quickly walk thru a narrow corridor.

A few more steps and a full view of a room opens up with ghastly sites of skulls, coffins, bigfoot and a guy in a bee keeper mask? (Well, I don’t know about you, but bee keeper masks are kind of scary!)



Now you turn the corner and a chilling breeze shoots up your leg that makes you jump forward right smack dab into the face of a giant screeching bat.

You ask yourself, “when will this terror end?” It ends after you walk by the cemetery with the creepy long-haired skeleton ghosts that wave white hankies at you.


Finally, you find the exit door and out you step into the gift shop, where you can catch your breath and try to slow down your heart rate.

Next time you’re in Hannibal, be sure to visit The Haunted House on Hill Street and Wax Museum, as it’s two attractions in one! Of course you must take it with a grain of salt as this attraction is more than 30 years old and it’s something I would’ve loved as a kid, made fun of as a teenager and now respect as a classic tourist trap! It’s simple roadside spook show fun!

9 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

I love stuff like this! Obscure little attractions that are trying like crazy to be amazing. Lucky you to have seen it in person!

Kirk D. said...

My gosh I love it! I didn't even know this existed. thanks for the info!

Anonymous said...

Those Mark Twain waxworks are so frightening by themselves, particularly the little girls, you hardly need the skeletons...

Anonymous said...

I lived in Hannibal for a few years in my late teens. I've visited house several times. It is fun, but whats even better are the haunted places that tourists don't know about. Like Limekill Hill, Grace Street plantation and slave quarters, the caves, the small old cemetaries, Southside, and the Bottoms. Anyone who visits should check these out!!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I went to the museum today and it is now closed. At least we have your pictures and story to remind us of the good times.

Todd Franklin said...

Oh no that's a shame. Hopefully someone will reopen it. Thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

Do you know know what road those are on? We are trying to search for them but even people who have lived here for yeat dont know where those are

Anonymous said...

The Haunted House was there already 40 plus years ago. When I took my small daughter there, Mrs. Arthaud was the lady at the ticket window. A fun, place. Hope it reopened.

Don Clippinger said...

Thank you for the photos, now I finally know what's inside. I went in when I was 10 while my Dad waited outside. I was so scared I couldn't make it past the first exhibit. I killed time in the gift shop. Either my Dad knew I was too chicken to go in and let me have my pride, or just needed the time alone to rest from the long drive cross country!