Comments (0) | |

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Kids can get tricks or treats at museums

Macon’s downtown museums have teamed up for Halloween fun that isn’t too scary for children or their parents’ wallets.

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Georgia Children’s Museum and Tubman African American Museum are offering the Downtown Ghouls Festival, where a single ticket will allow admission to all four of the museums Saturday.

“I thought it was kind of weird to have this big building and not have any Halloween decorations, so I came up with the idea to see what we could do to bring everyone together for Halloween,” said Georgia Sports Hall of Fame staff member Natalie Thrash.

A scavenger hunt will take place between all of the museums, and children who get all of the correct answers will receive a goody bag.

Thrash added that while games, crafts and trick-or-treating will be available at all the museums, activities at the sports hall will include games like the spider toss, Halloween versions of Twister and bingo in the Georgia Room, more games in the basketball court and football room upstairs, and a haunted house in part of the museum.

She said activities at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame will include making musical instruments out of household materials, and the Tubman will be giving away candy and a half-price admission ticket for the next visit.

Georgia Children’s Museum director of education and exhibits Scott Corkery said the museum would also offer a holiday-themed craft such as a pumpkin or trick-or-treat bag.

Tickets are available at each of the museums and cost $10 for children 5-16 years of age and $18 for adults in advance, or $12 for children in costume and $21 for adults Saturday. Without a costume, Saturday’s children’s admission is $13, and adult admission is $24. Tickets will be honored beginning at 9 a.m., but the activities will begin at noon and run through 5 p.m.

In addition to the Downtown Ghouls Festival, the children’s museum is hosting “Scared Silly,” a child-friendly Haunted House from 5:30-9 p.m. today.

“With Underworld moving to a new location this year, we decided to do stuff for the little ones,” Corkery said.

The haunted house will feature thrills such as a crazy man in jail, a mad doctor, a wild gorilla in a cage, a fortune teller-type character, witches and cemetery scenes.

“They can walk through the whole haunted house in probably 5-6 minutes then come out on the other side and trick-or-treat in the houses of our Sister Cities exhibit,” Corkery said.

Tickets, available at the door, are $5 per person, with a $1 discount for members and will stop being sold at 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.georgiachildrensmuseum.com.