The little wings of Alpa Patel's ladybug costume wiggled as she concentrated on the ink stamp she was pressing at one of the Long Island Children's Museum's sold-out Ghostly Gala craft tables Saturday night. She was one of 1,500 children and adults – also sporting costumes – who packed the museum's ninth annual Halloween event.
In addition to many of the museum's full-time exhibits, staff members set up ten special stations where throngs of kids like Patel engaged in activities and crafts. Museum staff spent weeks preparing the attractions, but only had one hour to transform the museum into a Halloween spectacle after it closed for the day's regular business.
"There's a lot of black magic that gets done just to turn the place around," said Maureen Mangan, the museum's Director of Communications.
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Musician C. Chris Peters, a.k.a. "Doctor Strangesound," waved his hands over a motion-sensitive device producing eerie, making a cacophony of sound throughout the museum as lilted music combined with the excited voices of chattering children and their adult guides busying themselves with activities like designing "Rockin' Monsters" and making edible "Ooey-Gooey Spiders."
Maria Veramendi, 33, helped Enrique Montero, 28, and his 21-month-old daughter Julianna, all of North Bellmore, glue trinkets to Julianna's "Rockin' Monster," made - as the name implies - from a rock. The gala was their first experience with the museum.
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"This is absolutely great, she's having fun," Veramendi said, motioning toward Julianna. "That's the most important part."
Program Director Aimee Terzulli said good times were the goal.
"We try to have a variety of events that are multi-sensory and fun, and activities that are geared for all ages and family members to participate in," she said.
A few feet down Museum Row, Nunley's Carousel, built in 1912 and now owned by Nassau County, was transformed into "The Creepy Carousel," festooned with Halloween decorations. Giant spider webs bowed in the wind from glowing lamps that threw their pale glow across the entry-lawn-turned-graveyard while music from the Phantom of the Opera and other seasonal selections pumped from the sound system and the carousel spun costumed riders in lazy circles.
Back at the museum, Mangan predicted the result of the high-energy gala, which took place the night before Halloween.
"I think by the end of this day, everybody's going to go home ready for bed."
