Photo by Amy Phelps The Mothman statue on Main Street attracts many visitors wanting a selfie with the creature.

The small town of Point Pleasant became infamous in the late 1960s when tales of Mothman began springing up, a strange gray creature with glowing red eyes that terrorized residents. Shortly after, stories of Men in Black that were perhaps aliens trying to cover-up Mothman’s also alien origins were told and strange lights appeared in the sky.

But while Mothman may have given the town infamy, it was also the site of a historic battle that lead up to the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Point Pleasant on Oct. 10, 1774.

The town’s history can be explored through several local museums and historic sites, including the Mothman Museum, Fort Randolph, the Navy Poster Museum, Tu-Endie-Wei State Park and the murals along the floodwall of the town.

The town also had another museum to show its history, the Point Pleasant River Museum. On July 1, the museum caught on fire and is now in the process of being rebuilt.

“It is in the process of getting a new roof,” said Denny Bellamy, director of Mason County Tourism Bureau. “A lot of the exhibits were salvaged. The simulators were fine and some exhibits are trying to be cleaned up now. Some photographs had water damage. Fortunately the building was salvageable.” He said the town is taking donations to help rebuild the museum via a Go Fund Me page. “It is one of the cornerstones of our tourism,” he said. “It will come back better than it was before.” Bellamy is estimating the museum will be back by next year, if not by the fall.

Photo by Amy Phelps The front of the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant is shown.

On Main Street the Navy Poster Museum showcases an extensive collection of U.S. Navy recruiting posters from World War I to now. It also has a gift shop that sells Navy souvenirs, t-shirts, posters, postcards and more.

In Krodel Park in Point Pleasant is Fort Randolph, once a refuge for settlers and was once the farthest outpost of the colonies. The Fort hosts structures true to 1776, including an officers’ quarters, surveyor’s cabin, hunter’s cabin, blockhouses, a blacksmith’s shop, a gunsmith shop and a tavern. The fort also has a trading post in which visitors can purchase items of the period and West Virginia products. It is open on the weekends and has re-enactors, as well as several special events throughout the year. It also has a fishing area.

The riverfront park at Point Pleasant has an 1000 seat amphitheater, as well as almost a mile’s worth of murals of the history of the area. “We have two of the largest murals in the country,” Bellamy said. “There are also statues in stainless steel all over the park of historical figures like Daniel Boone, Chief Cornstalk and Daniel Lewis.” He said the murals are a history lesson and are told in chronological order.

At the end of the murals is Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, four-acres that commemorate the 1774 engagement. On Oct. 10, 1774, Colonel Andrew Lewis and his militiamen fought off Chief Cornstalk and his Shawnee people. This is considered a battle in the American Revolution because it prevented an alliance between the British and Cornstalk’s people. It also resulted in a peace treaty with the Native Americans that helped the Virginians to return across the Allegheny Mountains to aid forces. At the park, there is an 84-foot granite obelisk that honors the militiaman who died in battle with a statue of a frontiersman at the base. There are memorials to Chief Cornstalk and “Mad” Anne Bailey on the grounds.

The Mansion House, erected in 1796 as a tavern, it is the oldest hewn log house in Kanawha Valley and now hosts antiques and heirlooms of the era.

Photo by Amy Phelps The front of the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant is shown.

The Mothman Museum rests around the center of Main Street, right next to the stainless steel statue of the Mothman himself. “The Mothman Museum has about 100 visitors a day from all over the world,” said Bellamy. Inside, visitors can look at several Mothman statues and costumes, the relics of a local diner in which the Men in Black were spotted, movie props from “The Mothman Prophecies,” historic papers and documents and several pieces of Mothman lore. There is also a gift shop in which to buy t-shirts, books and more, all featuring the famous monster. In addition, the town yearly holds a Mothman Festival to celebrate the creature.

“We encourage people to come back other times than (the Festival), when it’s not crowded,” Bellamy said. “We have nice gift shops on Main Street and are adding more, that feature local artists, crafts and food.”

The town also has the longest railroad bridge in the country, which crosses the Ohio River and the Kanawha River.

For those coming from Parkersburg, Bellamy encourages following the Quilt Trail. “We started putting them on barns and got carried away, there’s one on a silo, one by the River Museum on the Ag Building.” A map can be found at the tourism center and it connects to other quilt trails.

“People don’t think of us in terms of art, but when you add it all up, what we have and what we spent on it and what’s it’s worth (it’s a lot),” Bellamy said. The town not only has its riverfront murals and statues, but a television show, Art Attack, came and did a mural of the town on the back of the Mothman Museum. “It’s his version of Point Pleasant.”

Photo by Amy Phelps One of the many murals along the riverfront in Point Pleasant.

The town also has its own art gallery, Gallery 409.

In July, the American Queen stopped by Point Pleasant and more promise to visit.

“I’m excited to see riverboats back on the Ohio River and making stops,” Bellamy said.

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Hitting the Road: Point Pleasant is Worth the Trip

Photo by Amy Phelps Stainless steel statues of historical figures revelant to Point Pleasant’s history line the walkway of its riverfront park.

Getting There

* Point Pleasant is 55 miles from Parkersburg via OH-7S a little over an hour drive.

Eating

* There are several chain restaurants in the area. On Main Street, there is The Coffee Grinder, which sells sandwiches, soups, coffees and is home of the Mothman cookie. Rio Bravo 2, a Mexican restaurant, is also on Main Street. Hillbilly Hotdogs is in Lasage.

Shopping

Photo by Amy Phelps The Magazine honors the militiamen who fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant.

* There are several shops along Main Street, including The Mason Jar, an antique and craft mall, which some Mothman merchandise. M&Z Boutique has exclusive Mothman leggings and Victoria’s Prom and Bridal carries an exclusive Mothman necklace.

Outdoors

* Beech Fork State Park is in Barboursville, about an hour away. It has swimming, game courts, fishing, hiking trails, campgrounds and several cabins.

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Find It Online

* Mason County: masoncountytourism.org

* Mothman Museum: mothmanmuseum.com

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Mothman Museum Hours

* Monday through Thursday: noon to 5 p.m.

* Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Sunday: noon to 5 p.m.

* Admission is $3.50 for adults, $1 for kids 10 and under

Photo by Amy Phelps A costume of the Mothman and a Man in Black is shown at the museum.