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EAST ALTON - The National Great Rivers Museum is getting into the spooky spirit with their first-ever "Haunted Night at the NGRM" on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 from 6 to 9 p.m. Featuring multiple haunted tours, a costume contest, and much more, the event offers a rare nighttime look inside the depths of the dam and free Halloween fun for the whole family.
Park Ranger and Event Coordinator Corrinne O’Brien from the National Great Rivers Museum said they’re excited to host their first-ever Halloween event as a festive way to bring people to the museum during the fall season.
“It’s got a little bit of everything,” O’Brien said of the Haunted Night event. “It’s family-friendly, but also some more adult-type activities.”
The “Haunted Night at the NGRM” features two types of haunted tours. The “Haunted Dam Tours” will take visitors 80 feet to the top of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam for a rare nighttime experience overlooking the Mississippi River. A series of spooky and playful decorations along the path will set the tone for the season.
For those looking to venture deeper into the dam, the “Haunted Tunnel Tour” will take participants through the depths of the Locks and Dam as the 90-minute tour spans the gallery tunnels, machinery rooms, and cave-themed overlook. Visitors should note that the Haunted Tunnel Tours involve some tight corridors and are not ADA accessible, and military regulations require proof of U.S. citizenship to participate. A registration link with more details is available here.
O’Brien said both tours will run during evening time slots from sunset to dark, which are all-new for the NGRM. Aside from the tours, there will also be plenty of fun activities taking place inside the museum itself.
Attendees are encouraged to costume up for the Costume Contest, led by Bobber the Water Safety Dog, who O’Brien said may end up leading a conga line as well. Blazer, the mascot for Lewis and Clark Community College, will also be on-site to meet and greet with visitors.
Other free indoor offerings include a screening of the film “Hocus Pocus,” animal presentations from Treehouse Wildlife Center, live snakes from the St. Louis Herpetological Society, a presentation on bats from The Nature Institute, a presentation on the history of candy from the Lewis & Clark State Historical Site, and tarot card readings from It’s Raining Zen.
Alton Hauntings Tours will also be at the event to preview their upcoming October tours around Alton and raffle off four tickets to the Troy Taylor Oddities Museum. Dam-It Joe’s BBQ will fuel the festivities with tasty food and drink options from their pop-up tent.
O’Brien said she looks forward to seeing this collaborative group effort come to life as the museum offers a brand-new, first-of-its-kind event that’s both spooky and educational.
“This really is the first time that we’re doing something like this, so I think it’ll be really exciting,” she said.
Visit this link to register for the Haunted Tunnel Tours and learn more about the Haunted Night at the NGRM. For more details, see this article on Riverbender.com or check out the full interview with O’Brien at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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