“Dracula Cemetery Exhibition”

Olivia Flores Alvarez September 25, 2014 4:00AM

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The “Dracula Cemetery Exhibition” at the National Museum of Funeral History doesn’t have any actual, authentic relics from Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes, the real-life 15th-century bloodthirsty royal who’s the inspiration for the infamous Dracula character of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel. There is a coffin set up where visitors can pull on a Dracula-like cape, stuff some fake fangs in their mouth and pose for photographs. (The ultimate Halloween-selfie.) There’s also a copy of the original Dracula novel on display. And an explanation of some of the terms and phrases that we use today that originated back in Vlad the Impaler’s time. Everyone will recognize terms like “dead ringer” and “saved by the bell.” Both come from the practice of tying a string to a bell and to the corpse’s hand — you know, in case the dead person wasn’t really dead but just in a really deep coma (“dead” was apparently a relative term back in Vlad’s time). Visitors will also recognize “the graveyard shift.” It grew out of the need to have people sit in the graveyard at night listening for any bell-ringing by the buried. Don’t forget to visit the museum’s annual haunted house and catch the 7th Annual Halloween Car Show.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Through October 31. Included with $10 paid general admission.
Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m. Starts: Oct. 1. Continues through Oct. 31, 2014

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Olivia Flores Alvarez

Contact: Olivia Flores Alvarez

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