As the Halloween holiday draws near, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, the popular attraction in Dublin, is unveiling two spine-tingling events that are sure to captivate families and history enthusiasts alike.
Beware of Dracula Halloween Family Tour
Visitors will explore the dark and mysterious world of Bram Stoker's famous creation, Dracula, in this immersive and interactive experience that will take participants on a themed tour of the museum.
The engaging event promises to be both educational and entertaining as families locate clues hidden in the museum's galleries that point to Dracula's whereabouts and in the process learn more about Stoker's life and the novel that shaped how we interpret vampires today.
Through the combination of storytelling, with a touch of Halloween spookiness, the Stoker character will bring to life tales of creatures from Irish history and folklore that helped the Dublin-born writer bring his famous novel to life.
This tour is ideal for families with children ages 6-12 who are looking to enjoy a fun, safe Halloween outing.
It will open on Oct. 26 and run through Nov. 3. Tickets for adults are €23 and for children, visitors can expect to pay €15, which covers admission to the museum.
Ghosts, Ghouls, and Goodie Glover Day: The Irish Origins of Halloween
In addition, the museum is hosting a fascinating exploration of Halloween's Irish roots through a series of talks, interactive exhibits and themed activities.
Visitors will learn how “Samhain” evolved into the Halloween celebration we know today and how Irish ghost stories and funerary traditions traveled with the Irish diaspora to America and other places around the world and became part of the local customs, shaping in particular, the story of the Jack-o-Lanterns in the U.S.
Additional stories of interest include the tale of The Dullahan/Dark Man, a malevolent harbinger of death who served as inspiration for the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow, how the Irish practice of burying corpses with a stake through the heart influenced Stoker's writings, and a recounting of the Goody Annie Glover story, the Irish woman who was hanged for witchcraft in Boston in 1688.
The event is being launched on Oct. 29th and will remain open to the public on Oct. 30th and 31st. Tickets for adults are €23 and for children, they're €15. This includes admission to the museum.
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The History of the EPIC Museum Building
The museum is located in the vaults of the CHQ building, constructed in 1820 and formerly known as “Stack A.”
The building was used to store containers of tobacco, tea, wine, and spirits.
At the time, it had one of the largest single interior spaces in the city, measuring 8,000 square meters (over 86,000 square feet).
No wood was used in its construction. Instead, a cast-iron frame supported a slated roof.
It was also the site of the Crimean War Banquet in 1856 to celebrate the return of 3,000 Irish soldiers from the Crimean War.
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What You Will See at EPIC
Today, the building is a very different space, and in addition to above-mentioned Halloween-related events at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, there's a lot more to see in this award-winning attraction.
In fact, there are 20 interactive displays to explore that explain the migration patterns from Ireland, as early as 500 AD, in addition to information on religious missionary work, the Irish famine, criminal transportation, and more.
The “Influence” section alone at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum covers notable Irish immigrants in the world of business, sports, science, music, politics, dance and entertainment, art and fashion, food, and literature.
Visitors can learn a whole lot about the Irish emigration experience as they swipe through video galleries, taking motion-censored quizzes, reading emigrant letters, listening to audio from 100 years ago, and watching videos that bring it all to life.
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Opened in 2016, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is the only one of its kind to digitally retell, in full, a sweeping story of the Irish Diaspora.
EPIC is open 7 days a week year-round, except from Dec. 24-26.
