Grimm Tales Rise Again at Genesee Country Village and Museum

MUMFORD – The Genesee Country Village and Museum is offering dark tours through the candlelit historic village this October, where adult visitors can hear spooky stories brought back from the past in the beautifully restored historic buildings from across the Genesee Valley.

Tour guides in costumes from the past will lead guests by lantern-light through the recesses of the village to resurrect old tales that Western New Yorkers would read and tell some 150 years ago. Each stop along the 75-90 minute tour features a five-minute theatrical vignette based on a popular novel, poem or short story from the period.

This year’s vignettes will all be derived from stories written down by the Brothers Grimm who did not originally write these stories, but inherited them from generations past and merely wrote them down. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm were born in Germany in the 1780s, only 11 months apart.  Some of their tales may seem very familiar to 2015 audiences, as they are well-preserved by the intervening generations, while others may seem new, or told in a unique way.

This year’s presentations include, among others, Snow White, Cinderella, Frau Trude, Little Red Cap, and Godfather Death.

With the uneven walk areas and sometimes steep stairways, walking shoes are a must. The event is not recommended for children under 12 or guests with walking difficulties.

Special non-refundable reservations are required for the tours program, available here. Please note that you must have a tour time included on your reservation and your tour will depart promptly at the time given on your reservation. Unfortunately, museum staff cannot accommodate walk-ins for this program, so please book your tour in advance.

Cost is $23 per person, or $19 per person for members. You can get a $4 discount for booking your tour for Oct. 22.

Tours are booked in groups of 20 and depart every 10 minutes.

On Oct. 16, 17, 23, and 24, the first tour will depart at 6:00 p.m. and the last tour will depart at 9:30 p.m.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, the first tour will depart at 6:30 p.m. and the last tour will depart at 8:30 p.m.

Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the evening in the museum’s Meeting Center, including the museum’s Fat Ox Ale and Intrepid Ale, which will be on tap along with a variety of wines and soft drinks.

Though these refreshments are available at the Meeting Center, beverages are not permitted inside of historic buildings.