A Night at the Museum

Excitement at the Penang Museum

Remembered the Ben Stiller movie, "The Night at the Museum" and all those things can came alive after the doors closed from the public at night?

Incidentally, for me, I am teaching Note Expansion for Std 5 and Std 6 pupils and one of the topic I intend to teach was exactly this topic.

So, when I read today's online STAR about the event they approved for the public to stay overnight at the Penang Museum, I just had to blog on this one.

The event was dubbed, A Night at 57, Macalister which is the street address of the museum. Anyone can apply to join the first ever hair-raising slumber party of the museum premise. Forty people join this firs-ever sleep over at the museum.

Before going to bed, they will be shown a host of horror movies, be given a ghost story telling session as well as a sketch on a childbirth in progress enacted by the museum staff.

Why the childbirth enactment, you may ask? That is because the museum was the former King Edward V11 Maternity Hospital where nearly 60,000 babies were delivered. Then the Japanese used it as a naval hospital during their occupation of Malaya. Subsequently, when the British came back, they used it as military barracks before turning it back again into a hospital. In 1955, it ceased being a hospital once more.

The St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross Society then moved in; followed by the Center for Penang NGOs. Then it was left vacant for two years before being turned into the Penang Museum.

This 99-year old museum is replete with all types of ghostly tales. CCTV footage has shown closing doors, shifting chairs, strange flying lights and sounds of heavy breathing at the mortuary.

The participants arrived with sleeping bags,torch lights and other personal essentials. They were served a buffet dinner using hospital-type trays.

When darkness fell, the group were split into smaller groups and given a tour of the various parts of the museum including the mortuary and post-mortem facility. Incidentally both these facilities were gutted in a mysterious fire two months before this overnight stay event.

The next morning, the participants were woken up to take part in a treasure hunt. One of the participants apparently felt someone touching her shoulder when she was given a tour of the pantry last night.

Due to the success of this pilot overnight stay, more of such events will be organised in the future.

Interestingly, all the participants were given practical advice before participating in the overnight museum stay.

Here are some of them.

When you need to go to the toilet, bring along a friend. Otherwise you risk bringing back 'two phantom friends'.

When you take a shower,always keep one piece of clothing on.

Watch what you say and no brave claims of gung-ho bravery