FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
On a picturesque October evening at Fort Eustis, Service members, retirees and civilian personnel went home, settling in for their nightly activities.
However, on this particular evening at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum, droves of costumed children anxiously awaited a night of spooky adventures and Halloween treats.
More than 750 children, ages twelve and younger, weaved through the ghostly-lit historical exhibits during the museum's annual "Night at the Transportation Museum" event, Oct. 28.
Children and parents from the local community lined up outside the building, eager to see the museum's transformation into an eerie collection of ghosts, skeletons and cobwebs.
Once inside, trick-or-treaters journeyed through a maze of dark corridors, visiting exhibits where volunteers posed as mannequins, waiting for children to approach.
A sudden echo of shrieks could be heard, followed by laughter as the "mannequins" sprung to life and reenacted battle scenarios of their respective historical eras.
Volunteers handed out more than 7,000 pieces of candy to approximately 1,000 guests - a number that grows each year, said museum director David Hanselman.
"I am extremely pleased with the turnout," said Hanselman. "Every year we do our best to get the word out. We want it to be a broad community event and surrounding [families] to come and partake in it."
Hanselman said the idea behind the event started when he walked through the museum's hallways one night with just a flashlight, realizing its spooky potential.
Now in its fourth year, Hanselman said the event would not have been possible without the hard work of the volunteers, who said they enjoyed the event as much as the trick-or-treaters.
"This was my first time participating in this event and I loved it," said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class William Million, C Company, 1st Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment instructor. "I also brought my kids and they loved it, too."
After a tour through the creepy passageways, the children's light-hearted shrieks turned to laughter as they enjoyed coloring and face-painting in an arts and crafts section.
Next year, Hanselman hopes to expand to 11 Halloween exhibits to provide more entertainment for visitors.
An idea that spawned from walking down a dark hallway has turned into a continuously-growing Halloween event that reaches not only members of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, but families from all over the Hampton Roads area for a night of ghoulish fun and entertainment.