West Virginia is home to some eclectic museums like the John Brown Wax Museum and the Castle Halloween Museum, but a museum based on folklore is just, in a word, strange. One of the strangest tourist traps throughout the Mountain State is one based solely on the legend of the Mothman, a bizarre red-eyed humanoid creature with wings. To learn more about this creature you’ll just have to read on and then make plans to visit the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant.

The Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant is one that's based on a legend. Inside you'll find displays with handwritten eyewitness accounts of the Mothman along with movie props from the "Mothman Legacy."
Sean Downey/Google
The legend of the Mothman first began in November 1966 when the first sighting of a strange, red-eyed, winged creature was reported in the town of Point Pleasant. The following year, after numerous sightings, Point Plesant's Silver Bridge collapsed, killing 46 people. Somehow the sighting of the "Mothman" became connected to the tragedy, cementing it into the town's folklore.
Timothy Zachrich/Google
At the museum, read documents from eyewitness accounts of the Mothman from 1966 and see newspaper clippings, photographs, and movie props from the "The Mothman Prophecies," a film based on the book that brought the legend into pop culture. There's so much to discover here and after your visit, you can decide for yourself if the Mothman was real or just a legend.
Management/TripAdvisor

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After the film came out in 2002, tourism started to boom in Point Pleasant and the Annual Mothman Festival began, drawing crowds of over 10,000 people to the town each year.
Anthony Foister/Google
Just outside the museum is the famous 12-foot tall Mothman Statue, perfect for a photo op!
John Evans/Google
Take home some Mothman souvenirs from the gift shop! From apparel to books, drinkware, stickers, magnets, keychains, etc., this store is jam-packed with things you may want to buy to remember your trip to the Mothman Museum.
The Mothman Museum/Facebook
Whether or not you believe in the legend, the Mothman Museum sure is a fun and fascinating place to visit.
The Mothman Museum/Facebook

What do you make of the legend of the Mothman? Have you visited the Mothman Museum? What’s your favorite tourist trap in West Virginia? Please let us know in the comments. For more information on location, hours, and admission, and to plan your visit to the Mothman Museum, visit the website and Facebook page.

Want to visit a strange roadside attraction? Head to the town of Unger to see the Farnham Colossi.

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