UFO tourism gaining foothold in West Virginia county
FLATWOODS, W.Va. (AP) — When it comes to unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, Flatwoods is no Roswell, New Mexico, but the small Braxton County community is embracing its own tale of alien visitation and enjoying success as an offbeat tourist destination.
The Flatwoods Monster legend, which dates to Sept. 12, 1952, is gaining attention again, thanks to a new History Channel TV series, a video game and documentary.
And now there is a museum in nearby Sutton that's drawing visitors eager to learn about the bizarre event that happened on a Flatwoods hilltop.
Sixty-seven years ago, a woman and six boys saw what has become variously known as the Braxton County Monster, Flatwoods Monster or Phantom of Flatwoods. The "monster" sighting coincided with a wave of UFO reports over the Eastern part of the United States in 1952.
Fireball in the sky
The incident began when the boys, playing football at the elementary school, saw what they took to be a fireball or meteor fly over the town and then appear to land or crash on a hilltop overlooking the community.
Accompanied by Kathleen May, mother of two of the boys, the group followed a path to the hilltop, where a glowing, red object pulsated in a field. Moments later, they came face-to-face with the Flatwoods Monster.
As a way to nurture the Flatwoods legend, the Flatwoods Monster Museum opened in October 2017 at 208 Main St. in Sutton, sharing space with the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Museum visitors can learn about the Flatwoods Monster, as described by the witnesses. Based on their descriptions, early artists' renderings depicted the Flatwoods object as about 12 feet tall with an Ace of Spades-shaped head, glowing, red eyes and claw-like hands.
Despite the monster-like illustrations at the time, at least one eyewitness said it appeared to be mechanical in nature — a structured machine of some type — rather than a flesh-and-blood creature.
"One common thread that seems to go through the whole story is that it definitely seemed extraterrestrial in nature," said Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Andrew Smith.
Whatever it was, it garnered national news coverage when it happened, ranking as one of the top 10 news stories in 1952.
Smith also serves as the museum's curator and is always on the lookout for Flatwoods Monster-related items. When the CVB offices moved from the Flatwoods outlet mall to Main Street in Sutton, he realized that the roomier space would be ideal to house a museum dedicated to the area's famous legend.
When the signs went up in the windows, the museum's popularity took off.
"As soon as we slapped the stickers on the window, making it (the museum) official, the traffic has far outpaced our expectations, that's for sure," Smith said.
Out-of-town travelers as well as local residents have embraced the Flatwoods Monster Museum. Smith said many out-of-state travelers know about the museum through the internet or by using various smart phone travel apps that direct motorists to unusual roadside attractions.
"In the busy season, during the summer, it's probably one-fourth in-state (travelers) and three-fourths out-of-state."
Visitors from other countries have also signed the guest book.
Smith said a recent check of the guest book revealed that travelers from 27 states had visited the center and museum. Visitors from Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland and Australia had also signed the guest book.
"And not everyone signs the guest book," he said.
Monster media: TV shows, film and a video game
UFO enthusiasts have made pilgrimages to the museum to learn more about the 1952 occurrence and about several other similar events that happened in the same time frame. The actual site where the monster was seen is on private property and not accessible to the public, Smith said.
The legend of the Flatwoods Monster received a boost recently through a new History Channel television series titled "Project Blue Book."
Full story at site
FLATWOODS, W.Va. (AP) — When it comes to unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, Flatwoods is no Roswell, New Mexico, but the small Braxton County community is embracing its own tale of alien visitation and enjoying success as an offbeat tourist destination.
The Flatwoods Monster legend, which dates to Sept. 12, 1952, is gaining attention again, thanks to a new History Channel TV series, a video game and documentary.
And now there is a museum in nearby Sutton that's drawing visitors eager to learn about the bizarre event that happened on a Flatwoods hilltop.
Sixty-seven years ago, a woman and six boys saw what has become variously known as the Braxton County Monster, Flatwoods Monster or Phantom of Flatwoods. The "monster" sighting coincided with a wave of UFO reports over the Eastern part of the United States in 1952.
Fireball in the sky
The incident began when the boys, playing football at the elementary school, saw what they took to be a fireball or meteor fly over the town and then appear to land or crash on a hilltop overlooking the community.
Accompanied by Kathleen May, mother of two of the boys, the group followed a path to the hilltop, where a glowing, red object pulsated in a field. Moments later, they came face-to-face with the Flatwoods Monster.
As a way to nurture the Flatwoods legend, the Flatwoods Monster Museum opened in October 2017 at 208 Main St. in Sutton, sharing space with the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Museum visitors can learn about the Flatwoods Monster, as described by the witnesses. Based on their descriptions, early artists' renderings depicted the Flatwoods object as about 12 feet tall with an Ace of Spades-shaped head, glowing, red eyes and claw-like hands.
Despite the monster-like illustrations at the time, at least one eyewitness said it appeared to be mechanical in nature — a structured machine of some type — rather than a flesh-and-blood creature.
"One common thread that seems to go through the whole story is that it definitely seemed extraterrestrial in nature," said Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Andrew Smith.
Whatever it was, it garnered national news coverage when it happened, ranking as one of the top 10 news stories in 1952.
Smith also serves as the museum's curator and is always on the lookout for Flatwoods Monster-related items. When the CVB offices moved from the Flatwoods outlet mall to Main Street in Sutton, he realized that the roomier space would be ideal to house a museum dedicated to the area's famous legend.
When the signs went up in the windows, the museum's popularity took off.
"As soon as we slapped the stickers on the window, making it (the museum) official, the traffic has far outpaced our expectations, that's for sure," Smith said.
Out-of-town travelers as well as local residents have embraced the Flatwoods Monster Museum. Smith said many out-of-state travelers know about the museum through the internet or by using various smart phone travel apps that direct motorists to unusual roadside attractions.
"In the busy season, during the summer, it's probably one-fourth in-state (travelers) and three-fourths out-of-state."
Visitors from other countries have also signed the guest book.
Smith said a recent check of the guest book revealed that travelers from 27 states had visited the center and museum. Visitors from Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland and Australia had also signed the guest book.
"And not everyone signs the guest book," he said.
Monster media: TV shows, film and a video game
UFO enthusiasts have made pilgrimages to the museum to learn more about the 1952 occurrence and about several other similar events that happened in the same time frame. The actual site where the monster was seen is on private property and not accessible to the public, Smith said.
The legend of the Flatwoods Monster received a boost recently through a new History Channel television series titled "Project Blue Book."
Full story at site
