George the Giant with Baby Nessie, which was supposedly found by a fisherman on the shores of Loch Ness. Photo courtesy of George “The Giant” McArthur.
If you’re looking for something creepy and strange this Halloween season, a new museum filled with haunted objects, two-headed animals, chupacabras and a giant sword swallower should fit the bill.
It’s all part of George the Giant’s Strange Museum of Oddities and Wonders, a pop-up museum opening in Bakersfield, California, on Friday, October 12th.
George McArthur, a seven-foot-three-inch giant, has been collecting his museum’s worth of oddities and wonders for nearly thirty years—all gathered while swallowing swords, eating fire and glass, hammering nails into his nose, and performing other stunts in sideshows and on television. And if you haven’t seen him doing any of that, you may remember him as Colossus the Giant from Tim Burton’s movie Big Fish.
McArthur learned his unusual skills from one of the last remaining sideshow legends, Bobby Reynolds. Reynolds, now retired, started in the business in the 1940s. One of his former Fiji mermaids and an alligator boy are among the weird exhibits.
Also on display will be a haunted ventriloquist dummy that McArthur recently possessed from a friend. The stories that came with it say its original owners used to hear tiny footsteps and often found it in places they hadn’t left it. Although it sounds like it came straight out of The Twilight Zone or The Conjuring, McArthur’s friend bought it at a seemingly innocent estate sale. Soon after, that friend had a baby and believed the dummy appeared unhappy and jealous.
“So he gave it to me since I don’t have kids,” McArthur told Weird Historian. “I think he seems happy. He has a smile on his face.”
A Fiji Mermaid, originally belonging to Bobby Reynolds. Borrowed from the collection of Shea FreeLove. Photo courtesy of George “The Giant” McArthur.
McArthur will also have some old-time sideshow attractions on display, like the 200-Pound Man Eating Chicken (note: it’s not a “man-eating chicken”) and a giant Ash Wood Bat from Kentucky.
“A grown male can take out a man in three strikes,” McArthur proudly states. “When you open the box, it’s a baseball bat. A Louisville slugger. I love the comedy side of sideshow and roadside attractions.”
The giant will lead tours through his collection every hour, sharing all the bizarre tales behind the objects. As for what’s real and what’s not, well, it depends on what you believe.
“Everything is real. Somethings are real real and some things are real fake. But they’re all real entertaining,“ McArthur said, quoting a line from the recent obituary of legendary showman, Ward Hall (who, like Reynolds, got his start in the ‘40s). “And that’s exactly what my museum is. There’s a lot of real stuff in there but there’s stuff that’s questionable. You get to decide.”
P.T. Barnum operated with the same philosophy. His first attraction, a woman named Joice Heth, was billed as the 161-year-old caretaker of George Washington. Was she 161? Of course not. But people flocked to see for themselves. “That’s what he was told when he acquired her,” McArthur explained. “It was a good story, so he stuck to it.”
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Since the giant will be guiding visitors, he’ll be performing for them, too. Sword swallowing and other stunts that promise to shock, amaze, and maybe gross out a few guests will complete the tour. He’ll also have one of his protégés joining the live act, along with Dakota the Bearded Lady from Hollywood. “She does the blockhead and other acts,” McArthur said. “It’s not just look-at-my-beard.”
The museum has been a labor of love for the giant. It’s a project he’s dreamed of bringing to life for years, and the pop-up shop business model gives him an opportunity to test the waters and explore longer-term options. Calls have already been coming in from music festival promoters who are considering adding it to their events.
“I might end up with a touring show,” McArthur said. More importantly, he stressed, it will help keep the sideshow alive.
For just $5 admission, you can too. The museum will be open October 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th. Stop by at 2007 H Street, Bakersfield, CA, next to the Fox Theater.
