Mothman Museum and Monument

The Moth Man Museum in Point Pleasant West Virginia is dedicated to the history and myths that surround this strange creature. One of these Myths is that the Moth Man brought down the Silver Bridge. Some people believe that there is no Moth Man and that all of the sightings are attributed to a Barn owl that is on display there. What is the Moth Man and where did it come from? Why did the Government investigate sightings of the Moth Man? Does that mean it really exists? Stop by to find out all of this and more.

The creature which would come to be known as the “Mothman” was first seen near Point Pleasant, West Virginia on November 15th 1966. While hanging out around a nearby abandoned ammunition factory used by the United States Government during World War II, woman named Linda Scarberry and three others supposedly came face to face with the creature. She described it as being over seven feet tall with the body of a man, bat-like wings, and piercing red eyes. Over the next year, over 100 locals reported seeing the creature which they named the “Mothman” after a villain featured in a Batman comic book. Some claimed the mothman was a mutant, spawned from the pollution from the abandoned factory. Others believe it was the curse of Chief Cornstalk, a famous Shawnee leader who was defeated and killed near the town.

Locals also began to associate seeing the monster with disasters. Claims that events such as car crashes and house fires occurred to those who had seen the monster were wide spread. The most infamous disaster attributed to the mothman was the December 15, 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge that spans the Ohio River near the town. The collapse killed 46 people and some claimed that the mothman was sighted on the bridge just prior to its collapse. Interestingly, after the collapse of the bridge, the mothman sightings stopped. Some claim that the mothman was living under the bridge and was killed when it fell.

Regardless if there is any truth behind the mystery, the mothman has become a nationally recognized piece of local folklore and has become a major tourist attraction. In 1975, John Keel published a book about the mothman called The Mothman Prophecies. More recently, in 2001, the book was turned into a film. Point pleasant capitalized on the mothman’s popularity and in 2002, began hosting an annual Mothman Festival. In 2003, a twelve foot tall stainless steel statue was placed in the center of town and in 2005, the Mothman Museum and Research Center opened. 

"Mothman Statue, Point Pleasant, West Virginia." RoadsideAmerica.com. Accessed March 10, 2015. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12036