This past weekend Oct. 28 and 29, the Michigan Technological University Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) department put on a haunted event at the Quincy Smelter. The Haunted Smelter was brought together by students of the department who signed up for one of the department’s many practicum classes. For several years, the VPA department has been putting on events at the Quincey Smelter and Quincy Mine.
VPA students spent the past month working on designs, building, and testing. Last week, they spent over 5 hours each evening setting up the atmosphere for the frightful show.
Over the 3 nights of the event, visitorsexperienced a tour full of jump scares and spooky frights. This was done by VPA students dressed as Copper Country creatures in search of MTU students who had gone missing on an expedition to gather samples from the smelter for research. During the event, each group’s tour guide was “taken,” and groups led themselves on a self-guided tour of the site where they encountered the creatures out to get them.
Sean Gohman, who works for the Keweenaw National Historical Park’s Advisory Commission, said, “I’m very pleased to cooperate with the VPA program and the Mine Hoist Association to put this on again at the smelter. It gets people down to the place, many of whom have never been to the smelter. Hopefully their visit encourages them to return in the summer to take a historical tour of the place. Learn how it operated. Its impact on the local history. What it means to be the last surviving one in the world, etc.”
For behind the scene photos from the event, go to
https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/e0abfac0068344528083c2aac323b9e7
