Bushy Run will be lined with classic cars during the day on Saturday, but as the sun begins to set, the park will play host to ghosts and spirits during Paranormal Night.
The car cruise is the second- largest fundraising event for Bushy Run, said museum manager Matt Adams. It was originally slated for July but had to be rescheduled because of inclement weather.
Donations will be accepted at the gates. Attendees can enter a variety of basket raffles and purchase food from the concession stand.
A “best in show” car will be voted on by attendees, and the winner will receive a trophy.
The funds raised from the event will help Bushy Run maintain the museum and host educational programs, Adams said.
Paranormal Night has been held off and on over the past few years, Adams said. Hosted by the Northern Appalachian Paranormal Society, the event will help attendees experience the spirits of the battle that took place at the Penn Township historical site in 1763.
“It’s a really unique way of learning about history,” Adams said. “There’s a very, very large discussion to be had — and there is at museums and historic sites — about the paranormal and what role that should play at your museum.”
The society’s investigators will set up at two locations in the park where the 1763 battle occurred: near the Bushy Run 250th anniversary monument and on top of Edge Hill. Attendees can learn about paranormal activity and ask the investigators questions during the interactive event.
Paranormal Night tours will depart from the Bushy Run pavilion every 30 minutes. The tours will take about an hour and a half.
Since sales started, 80 tickets have been sold for the event. Adams has “high hopes” for attendance.
“It’s a good way to bring those folks in and introduce them to the things that have happened here,” Adams said. “If you are interested in the paranormal, there was a lot of tragedy that happened here on the battlefield 260 years ago.”
