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All the United States West Virginia Point Pleasant Mothman Museum

Mothman Museum

A small storefront museum explores the history and myth of West Virginia's famous urban legend.

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Added By
Jane Weinhardt Goldberg
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Inside the Mothman Museum   Michelle Cassidy / Atlas Obscura
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Mothman Museum   Kevin Bowman on Flickr
Mothman Museum   Kevin Bowman on Flickr
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Mothman Museum   hauntedfondue
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Mothman Museum is located next to the Mothman statue   Don't know
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About

Sitting in a storefront on an otherwise banal street corner in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the Mothman Museum is the only public collection devoted almost exclusively to the mysterious insect creature that is said to have plagued the area in the 1960s, since then becoming prominent enough to give Bigfoot a run for its money. 

Between 1966 and 1967 residents of Point Pleasant began reporting sightings of a mysterious, vaguely humanoid creature said to have glowing red eyes and massive wings. This elusive cryptid was soon dubbed the Mothman and it quickly nestled deep into the American consciousness thanks to a few popular tomes on the encounters. The popularity of the creepy creature continued to grow over the decades, inspiring movies and television pilots among other media, soon leaving a trail of speculation and waves of further sightings. 

The history of the popular legend is documented and exhibited in Point Pleasant's very own museum devoted to the mystery. The collection on display includes everything from newspaper clippings from the time of the original sightings to books, toys, and memorabilia from the Mothman's various multimedia appearances. The focus of the museum is weighted in favor of the beast's media presence and less on the hard history of the sightings but manages to be informative nonetheless. In addition, there is also a prominent and well-stocked gift shop for visitors' Mothman and other cryptid-related needs.

The owner and operator of the museum has not only written a book about the creature, but also founded the city's yearly Mothman Festival, so anyone wanting to try and crack the mystery of the creature wide open would be hard-pressed to find a better starting point for their investigation.

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Mythology Museums And Collections Museums

Know Before You Go

The owners are super-friendly folk, and they offer a military discount. There is free parking out front. Make this an AO two-fer with a visit to the Mothman Statue, all of 30 steps away. Make it a three-fer with a visit six miles north up Route 62 to the TNT Area, where the first Mothman sightings were reported.

Community Contributors

Added By

Jane Weinhardt Goldberg

Edited By

Martin, Blindcolour, rugby007, Osage...

  • Martin
  • Blindcolour
  • rugby007
  • Osage
  • AdOYo
  • EricGrundhauser
  • tonysimental4
  • anjohnst
  • AmyUrbs
  • glamourpuss
  • sally1987
  • LeeMcD
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • SemiruralYeti
  • amygoan
  • sinisterbrewcoffee

Published

January 6, 2015

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Sources
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/12071
  • http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g59426-d621279-Reviews-Mothman_Museum-Point_Pleasant_West_Virginia.html
Mothman Museum
400 Main Street
Point Pleasant, West Virginia, 25550
United States
38.842756, -82.13863
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Mothman Statue

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

miles away

Point Pleasant Battlefield Memorial

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

miles away

Silver Bridge Disaster Memorial

Gallipolis, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant

West Virginia

Places 5
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Mothman Statue

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

miles away

Point Pleasant Battlefield Memorial

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

miles away

Silver Bridge Disaster Memorial

Gallipolis, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant

West Virginia

Places 5
Stories 1

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