This Halloween Eve, take a spooky walk back in time at Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead.
On Friday, Oct. 30, Hallockville will host guided evening tours throughout its Sound Avenue homestead. Led by spectral storytellers who will take visitors on an otherwordly tour of the 250-year-old property, the evening will be filled with scary tales, myths and folklore.
The museum is stressing, however, that this will be a family-friendly Halloween tour appropriate for everyone. The 50-minute guided tours will depart from the Hudson-Sydlowski house, leading visitors on a spooky historical visit.
“It’s not going to be people jumping out at you with chainsaws, we want it to be for all ages to enjoy,” said Beth Motschenbacher, assistant director at Hallockville Museum Farm. “Actors will be wearing Victorian attire to help share these darker stories from history and not in a ‘gotcha’ sort of way, but in an educational, entertaining and spooky kind of way.”
Professional actress, costume designer and museum educator Colette Gilbert is bringing this event to Hallockville for the first time. She will be joined by East End-based professional actors like John Hudson and Alan Stewart, who have performed at North Fork Community Theatre.
“I am a descendant of Lydia Gilbert, who was one of the first women to be hung for witchcraft in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1652,” Gilbert said. “We are celebrating stories of women, stories that no one hears about. We are giving voice to the people that haven’t had a voice for centuries.”
“The stories told on the tour are all either rooted in New England or local East End folklore, then passed down through generations,” Motschenbacher said. “We try to keep it as close to accurate as possible.”
The Hallock homestead will be decorated for Halloween as about a dozen creepy tour guides tell their spooky stories, as visitors wander from room to room of the historic property.
“We’ll have lanterns lit to set the tone; the space really lends itself well to the event,” Motschenbacher said. “It looks very different at night compared to daytime visits and festivals.”
Tours will begin at 4:30 p.m and run all evening, with the last tour departing at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and free for children 10 and under. Advance reservations are recommended and can be made online at hallockville.com/event/haunted-hallockville-museum-tours/.
For more information, visit hallockville.com.
