By Angela White, Kelly Schmitz, Will Kamps & Emily Krause
The Neville Museum is getting spooky this month, featuring a late-night “morbid curiosity” exhibit focusing on the macabre, strange, and unexpected items that have been collected over the years. The event is open every Tuesday in October (12th,19th, & 26th), and tickets are $15 per non-museum member or $12 per member. The museum is located at 210 Museum Pl, in Green Bay.
An attendee inspects a weapon used in the attack on Fort Howard.
The Morbid Curiosities exhibit is a walkthrough of what Green Bay used to be like hundreds of years ago. Taking spectators behind the scenes of the Generations Gallery, Morbid Curiosities takes audiences on a one-hour tour of the historic Fort Howard area through some of the items they have collected from as early as 1820. Many items displayed are described in spooky detail as part of a centuries-old unsolved murder. The event takes audiences through behind-the-scenes areas and storage facilities of the Neville Museum, so masks are required for participants.
One of the items highlighted is a 19th-century musket used on Fort Howard and possibly involved in the murder of one of the Fort officers back in the early 1800s. Along with the musket, several uniforms are displayed that the officers wore from the Fort Howard era, complete with a gunshot hole on the left shoulder. “It was cool to see artifacts that were used in action, especially when attendees can see bullet holes or something that was in the hands of another when involved in taking someone’s life. It’s interesting,” Julie Krueger, an attendee, said. A unique, bear carving-ended knife is also a featured artifact displaying the intricate artistry of bespoke weapons.
Along with relics from Fort Howard, the exhibit also includes some medical and dental equipment from that era. Chris, a presenter during the tour, stated, ”It’s really fun to have people guess the intended purpose for each of the instruments. Not many get the answer correct the first time, but it definitely shows creativity!” One of the most interesting artifacts at the exhibit is an X-ray tube from the 1800s (pictured right). It was stated that Thomas Edison’s assistant’s hands were used daily to help develop the technology, eventually leading to lesions, amputation, and ultimately, death.
Visitors can see a lot of the parts of the gallery that were never open to the public. Upon completion of the spooky side of the tour, spectators are able to view the museum in its entirety. A free admission ticket is given at the end of each tour for another chance to see an exhibit on display. Visitors can find tickets at the Neville Museum, 210 Museum Pl, in Green Bay. The last time visitors will be able to see the exhibit will be on Tuesday, October 26th.