Vent Haven: Ventriloquist Museum – Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Located in the bump at the top of Kentucky bordering Ohio (just 5 miles south of Cincinnati) is the small community of 8000, Fort Mitchell. In this little town is the Vent Haven: Ventriloquist Museum. This unique stop, for those visiting the area, will have you reliving memories from when you were younger and watching the talented ventriloquists bring you from the real world into the often times humorous world of the "dummy".
Vent Haven is unique in the museum world. It is the only one dedicated to the art of ventriloquism. It was started by William Shakespeare Berger in 1894 when he was just 16 years old. When he died the collection had grown to a substantial size and now houses over 700 figures along with thousands of photographs and playbills, and a library of books.
Vent Haven ("vent" is lingo for "ventriloquist") isn’t a large building stuffed with dummies in glass cases for you to stare at and read the little placards. It is in a private home with many small outbuildings also home to some of the collections and the stories they can tell. If you want to know anything about the art of ventriloquism you can probably find the answer from Lisa Sweasy, the curator. She has more facts and history available to her than you will probably ever have a need, or desire, to know.
There are those that visit the museum who are scared of the dummies…seriously…they think they are being stared at by the dummies. Yes, the eyes are focused forward (in most cases) but seriously, it’s not human, it’s a dummy. Rest assured that it isn’t paying special attention to you, it looks the same way at everyone that goes through the museum..yes, everyone.
There are rooms filled with the silent dummies in different locations, lining the walls, seated on chairs and then of course there are the heads on the shelves that are not attached to a body. Perhaps the body has been lost or some other problem arose and so all that was left was the head. The museum treasures these too, they all have a history and a story to tell.
The facial features of the dummy were exaggerated to show the expression to everyone in the theater, even those in the back seats. If you have ever seen a show with a ventriloquist you know that they are able to take you out of the everyday and into the world of fantasy with their humor and stories. Dummies don’t do well on TV or in videos since the features are so exaggerated, they are actually quite scary in those situations. Just remember the movie "Magic" and you will understand. How many of you have seen the movie "Chuckie"? Now how would you like to spend some time with that dummy? There were even dolls made to look like Chuckie for a time. The curator of the museum, Lisa, believes that these movies poisoned the minds of a whole generation of people to the joy of ventriloquism.
There are famous dummies, not so famous dummies and those that no one but the owener probably remembers at all. But each one has a history that may be of interest to you. Each one has a story to tell if you want to delve into it.
Why are people afraid of the dolls? They are just dolls that have given people joy for years. If you remember Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney or Waylon Flowers and Madam you have seen some of the classics in the world of ventriloquists. If you don’t remember them you should spend a little time in the achieves of TV history and you will be able to find a clip showing how they "really seem alive."
The museum doesn’t get their dummies from the living vents. Those still living have such an attachment to the dolls that they won’t let them go. Their children often times honor those feelings by holding on to the dolls too but, fortunately for the museum and the rest of us, the grandchildren usually donate the dolls where they know they will be cared for and honored.
Most of the ventriloquists carved their own heads. They look so real from a distance that it’s hard to tell if they are real or a doll. It’s easy to see how the ventriloquist got so attached to their dolls that they held on to them even after their years in the business came to and end.
You need to call ahead for reservations to visit the museum since they aren’t open without an appointment. Groups of less than 15 needs to request tours at least three days in advance. Larger groups need to allow two weeks.
Hours: May 1 – September 30 (by appointment)
Admission: Please leave a donation, a $5 is requested (strongly suggested but more is welcome.)
Length of tour: Between 45 and 90 minutes.
Phone: (859) 341-0461
Location: 33 West Maple Ave.
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Directions: Just off I-71/75 exit 188. US 127/42/25 north a half-block, then left onto West Maple Ave., a dead-end street. Museum is on the left.
Related posts: