ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When you walk into the St. Petersburg Museum of History you have to be careful, you never know what might follow you out.
Shelf after shelf, from their cold black eyes to their old-fashion outfits, more than 30 dolls dating as far back as the 18th century, are dying to meet you.
“Something called uncanny valley, where something looks a little bit too human and a little bit too not human and some of these definitely fall in that category,” said Jessy Breckenridge, Archives and Collections Manager.
Breckenridge is in charge of the museum’s newest exhibit, The Creepatorium.
She said the most common question she receives about the dolls is whether or not they move at night.
“I should hope not because then I would have to rearrange them all in the beginning of the day,” said Breckenridge.
Keeping the dolls company is St. Pete’s oldest resident, the 3,000-year-old mummy, which ended up here a century ago by accident.
“A carnival ship that came into the pier and couldn’t pay its docking fees so they paid with a mummy,” said Breckenridge.
There is also a taxidermy cow, born with two heads, six feet and two tails. Just a few feet away from that is a human skull whose origin remains a mystery.
“If you look close at it somebody has put all the teeth back in all the wrong places,” said Breckenridge.
She said sometimes it’s tough convincing families to come to a museum. She hopes this latest exhibit scares them into having a good time.
“If you are looking for interesting information about the city as well as some spooks and scares the dolls would love to meet you,” said Breckenridge.
The museum is also extending its hours on Fridays until 7 p.m. throughout October.
