‘Eerie storytelling’

STURBRIDGE — Old Sturbridge Village has rebranded its popular Halloween season happenings with Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter, an original production created exclusively for New England’s largest living history museum.

According to a press release, for 11 nights — weekends Oct. 3-25 — the normally peaceful village will transform its 200 acres into a spooktacular shadowy world of dense fog, ominous music, and crackling electricity.

“We are definitely leaning into the more spinetingling side of Halloween this year,” Old Sturbridge Village’s Director of Interpretation Rhys Simmons said. “The village really sets the perfect stage for this kind of eerie storytelling. The dark woods, dimly lit paths, and unsettling quiet come together to make you wonder, ‘What’s around the next corner?’”

And one of literature’s most iconic and misunderstood creatures will be lurking somewhere in the darkness. Here’s the history twist — Mary Shelley’s iconic literary offering “Frankenstein” was published in 1818, right within the period Old Sturbridge Village interprets, according to a press release. So, as they are bringing this haunting story to life, they’ll also explore what actually scared New Englanders 200 years ago.

Shelley’s novel emerged during an era of rapid scientific and medical advancement, when new discoveries inspired both fascination and fear about where science might lead. As visitors are drawn into Frankenstein’s fictional world, the village’s interpreters will reveal the real history behind it, exploring the changing science and long-held beliefs of the period from experiments with electricity to medical theories surrounding the four humors.

The evening will begin on the lighter side of Halloween with family-friendly games, ghost stories by the bonfire, live music, fire performances, and a monster-themed take on trick-or-treating, the releases shares. Throughout the village more darkened paths and historic buildings will be open for visitors to explore than in years past and they can watch historic craftspeople demonstrate the macabre side of 19th-century life with coffin-making and gravestone carving, delve into Gothic literature, and enjoy food and drinks along the way.

As darkness falls, Shelley’s story takes over. A cast of professional performers from New York City and Las Vegas will bring key characters to life as visitors are drawn deeper into the unfolding drama. No knowledge of Frankenstein is necessary, but fans will recognize settings and scenes from the original novel — including the creature’s awakening, the ill-fated wedding, Victor’s desperate pursuit into the Arctic, and the final confrontation between Victor and the creature.

“The village is doing what it does best, transporting visitors to another time and place,” said ClockJack Productions Artistic Director P.J. Griffith in the release, which has produced Phantoms by Firelight and other popular village programs for the past eight years. “This is the most ambitious and haunting story we have ever told here, and I think visitors will walk away feeling like they have never experienced Halloween quite like this before.”

Event information shares that Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter is a fully immersive experience that includes theatrical fog, strobe, and lighting effects, low-light areas, fire, uneven flooring and tight passageways, loud music and sound effects, and recreated scenes of conflict. The night will grow increasingly eerie as the Frankenstein story unfolds and while there are no planned jump scares, gore or graphic violence, visitors are encouraged to use their best judgment when deciding whether the full experience is appropriate for younger children.

The Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter opens Saturday, Oct. 3, and runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Oct. 25, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets and more information are available by visiting osv.org/phantoms.