Thursday, December 12, 2024
The annual Ghostly Gala, a Halloween tradition at the Long Island Children’s Museum, enchanted families once again this year with an evening filled with fun, creativity and a dash of spooky spirit.
“We are always looking for ways to connect families through special events with their kids,” Ashley Niver, the LICM director of education, said. “So this is really wonderful, because we have so many families come and they’re all dressed up as a theme together.”
Attendees — both kids and their parents and guardians — were encouraged to show up in their best costumes, joining museum staff who were also dressed up for the occasion. Some standout costumes included a circus ringmaster and lion, an axolotl and Jack and Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
The gala offered a safe trick-or-treating experience, with staff positioned throughout the museum to distribute a variety of goodies. Treats were sorted into orange buckets for food items and teal buckets for non-food alternatives, ensuring all children can participate regardless of dietary restrictions.
The toys and other non-food items were available to all kids, but Niver said, “We just wanted to make sure that we had something available to kids specifically that would not have another option too.”
The evening featured numerous free activities for all guests, including the lively “Monster Mash Dance Party.” Families also met beloved book characters, like Elephant and Piggy, who greeted visitors throughout the night. Kids had the chance to decorate their own bat trick-or-treat bags, collect goodies and enjoy festive snacks, including a pumpkin patch cookie decorating station.
The second floor transformed into a “Mummies of the Museum” haunted house, complete with decorations and interactive mystery cauldrons filled with textured items for a sensory experience. Additional activities included creating fun and spooky crafts, like spider web necklaces, in designated crafting areas.
“It’s just a really nice evening where you know you can take your kids to somewhere that is safe and trusted,” Niver said, “and that you know everything being handed out is going to be monitored.”
