The Bigfoot Museum in Sutton, West Virginia, is just a few blocks down the street from the Flatwoods Monster Museum.
The town of Sutton hosts a museum for Bigfoot and another for the monster.
Stir around in West Virginia folklore and you’ll find any number of aliens and monster creatures lurking in those mountains. Frequently mentioned are Mothman, Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. The latter made enough of a resurgence—in popularity at least—to drive the sell-out of a Blenko art-glass creation in his likeness within a scant 14 days.   Â
The Flatwoods Monster Museum and its neighbor, the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum, give some eerie zing to central West Virginia. The monster museum is a part of the Braxton County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Bigfoot is housed in the Mountain Laurel Country Store. Both are located on Sutton’s Main Street and both are free.Â
The story of the Flatwoods Monster began September 12, 1952, when boys playing football in Flatwoods saw a fiery object fall from the sky. With two adults in tow, the boys dashed up the hill to check it out. An overwhelming rotten-egg smell burned their eyes, and they spotted a 10-foot monster hovering above the ground, spewing smoke. It had glowing eyes and greenish body armor, and it was shrieking. The group fled.
Although police found nothing but a lingering smell, the legend lives on. The Flatwoods Monster Museum is an epicenter of interpretations of the monster and was featured in such programs as America’s Got Aliens, Nerdist’s Bizarre States, and the Unseen World. Visitors are greeted by a life-sized Flatwoods Monster costume, and the walls are lined with drawings, figurines, lanterns, t-shirts and video games based on the monster. A Flatwoods Monster Fest is held every September. Â
The West Virginia Bigfoot Museum sits two blocks up the street, housed in a spacious gift shop. Bigfoot sightings have occurred all over Braxton County, particularly around Sutton Lake. The museum displays West Virginia Bigfoot track castings and accounts of encounters with the large primate. The shop also carries Bigfoot merch; the offerings multiply as the annual June Bigfoot Festival approaches.
 For more information, see facebook.com/BraxtonCountyCVB or call 304-765-6533.
The story above first appeared in our January/ February 2022 issue.
