Witch’s Dungeon Classic Movie Museum

I wasn’t sure what to expect with our visit to the Witch’s Dungeon Classic Movie Museum in Plainville, Conn. I mean, what is a “classic movie” museum doing in a small town in Central Connecticut? And why is it only open three hours a week?

Original headpiece of Linda Blair from *The Exorcist* for the head-spinning sequence.

Honestly, I expected to find some dusty shelves of disorganized miscellany.

The museum itself is located in an old brick warehouse tucked behind railroad tracks, which only adds to the mystery.

But I’m happy to report that the collection commemorating classic science fiction and horror films is fascinating!

Original headpiece from *Close Encounters of the Third Kind.*

Original alien head from *This Island Earth.* This piece is very large, the size of three or four human heads, and was rescued from the studio’s garbage dumpster after an inventory cleanout!

The museum is owned by Cortlandt Hull, who is the great-nephew of film actor Henry Hull, who appeared in 74 films between 1917 and 1966, most famously as the original Werewolf of London (1935).

In addition to working in the industry himself, Cortlandt’s mother was a professional costume-designer and her friends assisted with creating many of the costumes for figures in the wax museum’s collection.

Vincent Price was a good friend to the museum, donating items (such as this life mask). He also recorded welcome and farewell messages for visitors.

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. The movie studio was initially hesitant to hire Lugosi for the part because of his thick Hungarian accent; that eastern European accent has now been closely associated with depictions of the vampire for decades!

Cortlandt’s many other friends “in the industry” have helped ensure inventory for the museum.

Our tour (just the two of us) was led by Cortlandt himself. First he walked us through the display cases in a small room, with life-casts and props from classic horror movies filling all the available space.

Then we moved on to several rooms of professionally-done wax figures, exceptionally-detailed in dress and display, with great attention to detail.

Boris Karloff as Dr. Frankenstein’s monster.

Henry Hull in the title role in *Werewolf of London*.

Many included sound bites from the movies they represented, and the lighting was done by the Emmy award-winning Bill Diamond.

“The Witch’s Dungeon features highly accurate life-size figures based on the classic films of Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Vincent Price, and others from the golden age of horror & sci-fi cinema” (per their website).

Boris Karloff as Professor Lampini in *House of Frankenstein*.

At Halloween (of course) and other holidays, the exhibits are updated as per theme. Some of the items go on tour (currently E.T. and the ark from Raiders of the Lost Ark have been loaned out). Each year the museum creates a large display at the Big E in Springfield, Mass.

I left with an astonished smile on my face, that’s for sure!