Writer Historian Michael Bielawa leads a fascinating and slightly macabre Wicked Walk lantern stroll of historic downtown Bridgeport on October 21, 2022.
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED. Space is limited to 20 guests. Walk up registration is not available. REGISTER IN ADVANCE HERE.
Paranormal author and lecturer will once again lead another fascinating lantern stroll of historic downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut. October provides the perfect time to visit scenes of suspected hauntings, Victorian era murders, “Men In Black” sightings and other unexplained phenomena. Remarkably this wide variety of mysteries is centrally located within easy walking distance of the Barnum Museum.
The evening tour will be on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 6:30 PM. Tickets are available through eventbrite.com. Tour size is limited to 20, so early reservations are suggested. Tickets are $5 per person for Barnum Museum members, and $15 for others. Please note that this program is NOT recommended for children under 12 years of age.
Award-winning author and historian, Bielawa is well versed in the paranormal and New England history, and his explorations have taken him to the Northeast’s most exotic and mysterious, places. He is the author of numerous articles and five books, including Wicked Bridgeport (which received the first-ever New England Paranormal Literary Award) and Wicked New Haven. Bielawa has discussed Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein on NPR and brought Connecticut’s unique folklore to light on popular WTNH-TV programs Good Morning Connecticut and Connecticut Style. His essays on legends and the supernatural have appeared in FATE Magazine, The Connecticut Post, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game Program (about abandoned 19th century ballparks), Connecticut Magazine, London’s Fortean Times, and The Edgar Allan Poe Review. The Bridgeport Public Library’s History Center webpage posts Bielawa’s essays on such divergent subjects as Jack the Ripper and early encounters with “Men In Black.”
Bielawa has shared his research with radio audiences on WCBS, WABC, WICC and WPLR, and he celebrated New Haven’s 17th century “Phantom Ship” when he created the 4-story-tall, illuminated art installation, “The Persistence of Legend.” His dedication to preserving New England history has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Bielawa’s Bridgeport tales are based on research conducted at local and state libraries, historical societies, and through personal interviews. During the walk, Bielawa encourages participants to take photographs in order to help document the area’s paranormal activity.
The Barnum Museum is pleased to host the Wicked Walk on Friday, October 21st. Masks are mandatory for all participants during the indoor pre- and post-stroll discussions in the museum. Masks are optional during the outdoor walk. Social distancing during the walk is encouraged.
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED. Space is limited to 20 guests. Walk up registration is not available. REGISTER IN ADVANCE HERE.
This event will be held whether the moon & stars are shining or the rain is falling.
Please contact the Barnum Museum at info@barnum-museum.org for more information.
ABOUT THE BARNUM MUSEUM: Bridgeport’s Barnum Museum is one of P. T. Barnum’s many philanthropic gifts. Completed in 1893, the architecturally significant building boasts a unique combination of styles and terracotta ornamentation, and is listed on the National Register. Today the museum proudly shares the history and legacy of the world-famous entrepreneur, showman, and museum proprietor, who was also a state legislator, mayor, real estate developer, and philanthropist. The museum is home to thousands of artifacts, many pertaining to Bridgeport native Tom Thumb and his wife, Lavinia Warren, as well as the acclaimed Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. Carriages, artwork, costume and other decorative items are on display, along with a centaur and mermaid. Since 2010, the historic building has been undergoing repair and restoration due to a series of weather events that compromised the structure.
The Museum’s exhibition in the Peoples United Bank Gallery is located behind the historic building.
The original Barnum Institute building is owned by the City of Bridgeport and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.