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The Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Point Pleasant is one of the more well-known cryptid towns, hosting this museum, a statue and an annual Mothman Festival that attracts thousands of tourists.[1]

A cryptid town is a colloquial term given to a town which has a close cultural identity with a local cryptid, often with the goal of encouraging tourism.[2] Cryptid towns may have festivals, museums, statues and research organisations dedicated to a given cryptid. Areas called cryptid towns tend to be rural and remote, which correlates with the types of areas cryptids are said to often originate from, which in turn can make them appear economically deprived and reliant on the economy of cryptid tourism.[2][3] Some places may not necessarily be best known for their folklore or rely on it for tourism, but do still feature it prominently in events and local culture.

Notable examples

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Fouke, Arkansas

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Fouke, Arkansas, with a population of about 800, is known for the Fouke Monster, a cryptid synonymous with the town and surrounding area. Fouke holds an annual festival dedicated to the monster, is home to the Monster Mart store, and is the setting for the cult classic horror film, The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), based around the alleged events within the town.[4]

Willow Creek, California

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Willow Creek, California, with a population of about 1,700, is approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of where the famous Patterson-Gimlin film was made. Willow Creek calls itself "The Bigfoot Capital of the World", has a Bigfoot Museum and holds an annual "Bigfoot Daze" festival in September.[5]

Remer, Minnesota

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Remer, MN welcome sign advertising the town as the "Home of Bigfoot".

Remer, Minnesota, with a population of around 400, has a festival dedicated to Bigfoot.[6]

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

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Point Pleasant, West Virginia, with a population of around 4,000, has a festival, museum and statue dedicated to its local cryptid, the Mothman.[7]

Annual Mothman Festival

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Photo from the 2011 Annual Mothman Festival, showing a Mothman cosplayer and other festivities.

The Annual Mothman Festival was founded by Jeff Wamsley and Carolin Harris in 2002 as an attempt to drive tourism to the area and is celebrated in the month of September.[8] The festival has been credited with creating an "economic boom" for the local community each year and features merchandise vendors, guest speakers, food, live music and exhibitions. Cosplay is practiced by many attendees and is encouraged by the festival. In 2022, organisers claimed the festival brought in over $2 million in revenue and regularly attracts between 12,000 and 15,000 attendees.[9][10][11]

Sutton and Flatwoods, West Virginia

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Sutton, West Virginia, with a population of around 859, has a museum dedicated to the Flatwoods monster, featuring life-size replicas of the creature, various interpretations of it in the form of drawings, figurines and artwork, as well as merchandise.[12][13] A Flatwoods Monster Convention was held in 2023, which drew visitors in from around the country.[14][15] Locals say that, across Braxton County, people can sometimes be found staking out at campgrounds to try and spot the creature, and children have been known to dress up as the Flatwoods monster for Halloween.[16] Sutton is unique as a cryptid town, as the Flatwoods monster did not originate there, but rather from the nearby town of Flatwoods, West Virginia.[17]

Flatwoods, which comparatively has a much smaller population of around 264, instead features a simple welcome sign that read "Welcome to Flatwoods, Home of the Green Monster". Also in the town is a Flatwoods monster and alien themed restaurant and dairy bar, the Spot, and one of five decorative chairs that depict the cryptid, which are spread around Braxton County.[12][13][18][19]

Drumnadrochit, Scotland

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Drumnadrochit, Scotland, with a population of around 1,130,[20] is home to the Loch Ness Centre and Nessieland, which entertain the idea of the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Centre focuses on the history of the Loch and the monster associated with it, offering an "immersive experience" and showcasing eyewitness accounts, photographs, videos and artifacts.[21] Nessieland, named so after the affectionate term for the cryptid, Nessie, is a family attraction that features a souvenir shop, children's playground and view of the Loch.[22] The village attracts many tourists and so-called "monster hunters".[23]

Drumnadrochit received significant attention in 2023[24][25][26] when the Loch Ness Centre conducted a large-scale search for the monster, with around 300 volunteers assisting in the search.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mothman Festival returns Sept. 21–22". www.mydailyregister.com – The Point Pleasant Register. 2019-09-06. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
  2. ^ a b "I Tracked America's Cryptid Obsession, From Bigfoot to Sentient Pants". Vice. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  3. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian. "A Search for Mysteries and Monsters in Small Town America". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  4. ^ "Fouke". arkansas.com. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Big Foot Days Willow Creek California". www.seecalifornia.com.
  6. ^ Lauritsen, John (27 June 2024). "How a northern Minnesota town became known as the "Home of Bigfoot"". cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Mothman Festival brings thousands of cryptid fans to West Virginia". West Virginia Watch. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  8. ^ WRITER, Chad Vaughn STAFF (2023-09-13). "Here's what's happening at this weekend's Mothman Festival". WV News. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  9. ^ "The 2023 Mothman Festival is ready to fly". WVNS. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  10. ^ "2023 Mothman Festival summons economic boom for Point Pleasant". WOWK 13 News. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  11. ^ "The Mothman Festival: Point Pleasant's celebration of the urban legend". The Mothman Festival: Point Pleasant’s celebration of the urban legend – The Post. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  12. ^ a b "Census.gov". Census.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  13. ^ a b "The W.Va. Monster That Crept Into International Pop Culture". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  14. ^ "When are WV's monster festivals in 2023?". WBOY.com. 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  15. ^ "Flatwoods Monster Convention". Wild & Weird WV. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  16. ^ Blashke, John (2023-10-31). "Remembering West Virginia's Famous Monster this Halloween". WDTV. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  17. ^ Nickell, Joe (November 2, 2000). "The Flatwoods UFO Monster". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 24, no. 6. CSICOP. pp. 15–19.
  18. ^ "In 1952, the Flatwoods Monster Terrified 6 Kids, a Mom, a Dog—and the Nation". HISTORY. 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  19. ^ "Monster Chair A: Flatwoods Municipal Building". Visit Braxton, WV. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  20. ^ Team, National Records of Scotland Web (2013-05-31). "National Records of Scotland". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  21. ^ "New Loch Ness immersive experience tourist attraction to open after £1.5m revamp". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  22. ^ "Loch Ness Nessieland | Loch Ness Monster | Find out more about Nessie". Loch Ness Nessieland. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  23. ^ "Nessie hunters prepares for opening of new £1.5m Loch Ness visitor centre". The Herald. 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  24. ^ "Loch Ness monster enthusiasts gear up for biggest search in 50 years". The Guardian. 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  25. ^ "'Monster hunters' needed for biggest Loch Ness search in 50 years". Washington Post. 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  26. ^ "Loch Ness Monster hunt in photos: See Scotland's biggest search for Nessie in 50 years". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  27. ^ "Hundreds join huge search for Loch Ness Monster". BBC News. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
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