FREEPORT W ith Halloween on the horizon, Freeport Historical Musuem Manager Wade Dillon is excited to open one of his favorite exhibits: “Haunting Tales of The Texas Coast.” “It’s an exhibit that explores our local ghost stories such as ‘The Ghost of Brit Bailey,’ who was a veteran of Fort Velasco. The scariest story of the area for me is ‘The Lady in The Gray Taffeta Dress,’” Dillon said.
Dillon promised more tales would be included during exhibit, which opens Sept. 16. It will remain open through Halloween on Oct.
31. This will be the fourth year the exhibit has been featured in the museum, and Dillon continues to add to the display each year. The exhibit includes an assortment of decorations and special lights that depict the ghostly stories in a vibrant, Technicolor display that is sure to leave an impact, Dillon said.
“It is fully decorated and like walking into a haunted house, minus the jump scares,” he said. “I think we really embrace the creepy factor of the stories and have more of the visuals of the stories to illustrate and flesh out the tales.” In addition to the exhibit, guests can watch a video series that brings the stories to life.
“We have a video series that I created and produced that includes seven episodes of the stories featured in the ‘Haunting Tales of The Texas Coast’ exhibit which will be playing in the back of the museum on a loop,” he said. Stephen F. Austin-Munson County Park Living Historian and Historic Site Manager James Glover was a part of the filmed episodes of the ghost stories.
Although it was a completely new experience, he couldn’t help but see the need for such a project in the community, he said. “Normally, I don’t participate in theatrical endeavors, but I thought this was important,” Glover said. “We can’t have our stories slipping away, and Wade wanted to keep it as true as possible to the traditional telling of the story.
” The importance of knowing the tales and legends of the area goes far beyond having a story to tell around a campfire, Glover said. “Ghost stories, legends and other tales are part of our culture, and they often have more of an impact than the actual history of an era,” Glover said. “They are a way to connect with our past, and to remember the human side of our history.
We have to understand that our past contains both good and bad, and it is important that we remember it all.” Guests also can take a picture with the gown from “The Lady in The Gray Taffeta Dress” during the exhibit and ask any burning questions they have before they leave. Dillon and his team are eagerly awaiting the grand opening of the exhibit and are prepared to give the public a true Halloween experience, he said.
“I love the creativity that comes with Halloween and the creativity involved in recreating the exhibit every year,” Dillon said. “We want it to be a new and fresh experience each time.” The museum is open from 9 a.
m. to 5 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.
m. Saturdays and closed Sundays at 311 Nat Hickey Lane..
