This Halloween, Oct. 31, join friends and neighbors at the Museum of the American Revolution and online for Revolutionary family-friendly frights and fun, including turnip-carving demonstrations, Revolutionary stencils for your jack-o-lantern, and more.

Turnip-Carving Demonstrations
Rotunda | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Learn from a Museum educator how early Americans in the Revolutionary era carved turnips — not pumpkins — to ward away evil spirits and watch a demonstration on how they were carved.

In-Gallery Talks: The Legend of the Headless Horseman
Core Galleries | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
It is believed that The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, Washington Irving’s gothic tale about the ghostly Headless Horseman, was based on a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by cannonball fire. Join a Museum educator for a 10-minute, in-gallery talk about the legend, and visit the Hessian tableau to learn about the surprisingly historic origins of this classic scary story.

Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Online | Anytime
With All Hallows’ Eve quickly approaching, we know that choosing the perfect jack-o-lantern pattern can add some unneeded stress. We’ve created eight pumpkin carving stencils to make your Halloween truly Revolutionary so that you can focus on planning the perfect trick-or-treating route.

Why the Revolution on 18th-Century Spooky Stories
Online
Did people in 18th-century British North America celebrate Halloween? What were some spooky stories told during the Revolutionary era? Was the Headless Horseman a decapitated Hessian soldier? Watch as the Museum’s Dr. Tyler Putman shares the story of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and discusses the story’s Revolutionary roots in this edition of Why the Revolution.