See the Legend of the Mothman Come to Life On Stage in Chillicothe

A cryptid chill is in the air over Chillicothe with the return of the annual Haunted Mountain attraction that’s creeping closer with each passing day. This year, a southeast Ohio legend takes center stage for this year’s theme: The Mothman Experience.

Running select nights from Oct. 2 through 31, Haunted Mountain takes over Chillicothe’s Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre with outdoor movies, a haunted trail and other spooky festivities, as well as a live outdoor performance taking place on the same stage as the long-running summertime show, “Tecumseh!”

Rehearsals are well underway for “It Flies By Night,” the new show that tells a tale of Appalachia’s famed Mothman creature.

“The majority of [actors] were in the show over the summer and wanted to stay,” says Lee Crouse, associate producer at the Scioto Society, a local nonprofit that puts on the shows at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre. “Just about all of them love Halloween as a holiday, and so, anything they can do to enhance their holiday season, they’re happy to do.”

“It Flies By Night” is new to the Haunted Mountain experience, which rotates its themes each year. Last year’s rendition brought Frankenstein’s monster to the stage, and this year’s production proves to be especially close to Crouse, as it was written by his wife Pauline.

“She’s always been interested in cryptids, Bigfoot, [and] other haunting kind of things,” Crouse says with a laugh. “Since I’ve known her, she has watched shows [about cryptids], which means, by proxy, I have watched those shows.”

Inspiration for the play struck after a visit to the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The story of the show follows a young individual who moves to Chicago for a fresh start but encounters strange sightings of a mysterious figure on her balcony at night. The story unfolds through eyewitness accounts, alongside someone trying to debunk the existence of the creature. The story is based on reported sightings of the Mothman out of Chicago that date back to 1957, according to Crouse.

“Shortly after that visit, [Pauline] came back and started writing a play,” he says. “She’d never written one before, but she was just inspired.”

Crouse urges visitors to immerse themselves in the show and to be prepared for the special effects that promise to make the show extra thrilling for the Halloween season.

For the past 10 years, the Scioto Society has been producing a Halloween-season show accompanied by other attractions on Haunted Mountain to bring the fun each October. Visitors are invited to take a stroll on the haunted trail for jump scares and thrills or test their puzzle-solving prowess in an escape room. Other activities include tomahawk throwing, a scavenger hunt and outdoor movie screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Oct. 2), “Halloweentown” (Oct. 10) and “Hocus Pocus” on Halloween night.

Tickets for this experience are available for purchase online, and those looking to upgrade their experience can opt for a VIP ticket. The upgraded ticket includes prime seating for “It Flies By Night,” a free soda, a VIP entrance for tomahawk throwing, a swag bag and more.

For more information on Haunted Mountain, visit hauntedmountain.org.

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