The Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the one and only Mothman Museum in the world. It is located along Main Street in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Between November 1966 and December 1967 many local residents reported sightings of what we today know as the Mothman. There were reportedly over 100 recorded sightings and potentially more from residents too frightened to come forward. The sightings ended in December of 1967 when the Silver Bridge collapsed tragically taking 46 lives.

Mothman was described as a black avian human hybrid creature with red eyes and large black wings. Interestingly, it was first dubbed "Batman" due to the enormously popular Batman television series. Further, it remains unclear how a "birdlike humanoid creature" became known as Mothman. Throughout history and in various cultures there have been numerous legends about birdlike humanoids. One such example is Horus in Egyptian mythos. The Egyptian deity had the body of a man but the head of a falcon.

The Mothman Museum was a ton of fun. The museum contained movie props from the 2002 blockbuster The Mothman Prophesies staring Richard Gere as well as tons of newspaper articles from the 1960's and great props for photo opportunities. One thing that I did not know before exploring the museum was that in the wake of the Mothman sightings of the 1960's supposed Men in Black began visiting the town and making inquiries regarding the incidents. Many of the original witnesses had even found themselves under surveillance.

If you happen to find yourself in the quaint waterfront town of Point Pleasant, WV be sure to pay a visit to this unique museum. The stores in town are packed full of all the Mothman and cryptid merchandise anyone's heart could desire. There is even a Mothman statue perfect for selfies right downtown. Who knows, maybe you will even catch a glimpse of this elusive cryptid?