Vent Haven Museum

American museum about ventriloquism

39°03′11″N 84°33′07″W / 39.053°N 84.552°W / 39.053; -84.552CollectionsVentriloquial figuresCollection size1,000+FounderWilliam Shakespeare BergerPresidentJohn S. BrookingCuratorLisa SweasyWebsiteventhaven.org

Vent Haven Museum is an American museum of ventriloquial figures and memorabilia. It claims to be the only such museum in the world. The museum is located in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, five miles (8.0 km) south of Cincinnati.^[1] It opened in 1973.^[2]

The museum is open seasonally, May through September, by appointment only. As of March 2022, the museum was closed for construction on a new facility. The museum is scheduled to reopen on May 9, 2023.^[3]

History

Vent Haven Museum was founded by William Shakespeare Berger (1878–1972), a Cincinnati businessman and amateur ventriloquist.^[4] Berger amassed his collection of approximately 500 dummies from 1910 until his death.^[5] The museum has continued to grow through donations of ventriloquism materials, and its collection has doubled in size since opening as a public museum in 1973.^[6]

Collection

The museum's collection contains more than 1,000 ventriloquist figures from 20 countries, as well as hundreds of photographs and other pieces of memorabilia related to ventriloquism. The collection includes replicas of figures used by Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell, and Shari Lewis, and authentic performance pieces used by Jimmy Nelson, Willie Tyler, Jay Johnson, Terry Fator, Jeff Dunham, and Darci Lynne.^[7]^[2]

The museum has four performance figures that reportedly belonged to William Wood, who died under unclear circumstances when the tugboat he and his daughter were on foundered in the Gulf of Mexico in 1908. The dummies were later recovered after washing ashore.^[8] A 2013 episode of Mysteries at the Museum recounted the circumstances of Wood's death and the figures at the museum.^[9]

References

^ "Vent Haven Museum FAQ". Vent Haven Museum. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-02-20. (webarchive)
^ ^a ^b "Overview". Vent Haven Museum. 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
^ "Vent Haven Museum". Retrieved March 13, 2023. Reopening May 9, 2023!!!!
^ "Vent Haven Museum FAQ". Vent Haven Museum. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-02-20. (webarchive)
^ Day, Teresa (January 30, 2005). Fun With the Family Kentucky: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Globe Pequot. p. 57. ISBN 9780762734900. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
^ "Vent Haven Museum Capital Funds Campaign".
^ Smith, Steve; et al. (2007). "Arts & Attractions". Cincinnati USA City Guide. Cincinnati Magazine. p. 22. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
^ Trav S.D. (October 24, 2014). "More Creepy Ventriloquists: William Wood". Travalanche. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
^ "The Death William Wood, Hacker Spy, Skunk Ape". IMDb. October 24, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2023.