Kids Go Batty at The Arab American National Museum's Haunted House

posted on: Sep 30, 2014

Dearborn, Mich. – It’s that time of year again, boys and ghouls! The air is crisp, the leaves are turning color and kids are planning their costumes and counting down the days to Halloween.

Families seeking a merry-not-scary celebration with all the traditional trimmings will find it at the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn. The Haunted Halloween Family Party has become a beloved community tradition in its five-year history. This year, it takes place from 4-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. Adults are admitted free; children’s tickets are $7 in advance online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and $8 at the door ($7 for Museum Members).

This year’s Haunted Halloween marks the Museum’s first public event in its brand-new 4,700 sq.-ft. expansion, The Annex, completed this summer. An official ribbon-cutting for The Annex will be held at a later date.

In The Annex, guests will enjoy seasonal crafts and games; a delectable meal graciously provided by Dearborn’s Sky Café & Lounge; and a costume parade and contest with prizes. Back at AANM, kids will visit the Museum’s second floor for trick-or-treating in the galleries, while on the main floor, live things with wings (bats, an owl and whoooo knows what else) will be on display, courtesy of The Bat Zone at Cranbrook Institute of Science, home to the renowned Organization for Bat Conservation and 150 species of bats.

Producing and hosting this year’s Haunted Halloween are the budding philanthropists of the Teen Grantmaking Initiative (TGI) based at ACCESS, the AANM’s parent organization. TGI is a program of ACCESS’ Center for Arab American Philanthropy, the only national, full-service philanthropic institution dedicated to building a legacy of giving in the Arab American community. Proceeds from this year’s Haunted Halloween party will be returned to the community via future TGI grants.

Since 2011, groups of dynamic, dedicated young people ages 13-19 have performed needs assessments to help prioritize neighborhood issues; developed and released requests for proposals; and then reviewed grant applications from youth-focused organizations. TGI now has active chapters in Dearborn, Mich., and is looking to expand with more chapters around the country.
Kim Silarski
The Arab American National Museum