Testing My Sleuthing Skills at The Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem Exhibit

Are you a fan of Scooby-Doo? Always wanted to solve a mystery with the members of Mystery Inc. You can become a part of the crew with this new exhibit, Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem Exhibit, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

I got to put my amateur detective skills to the test to solve the mystery of a jewel-thieving ghost in a spooky mansion. From the initial entryway, viewers are greeted by the iconic Mystery Machine van which instantly filled me with nostalgia. It’s a great photo opportunity as well as a chance for long-time fans to get an up close and personal view of the vehicle. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo with the van being a long-time fan of the show and was in awe of being able to see the van in real life!

From there on, the ambiance changes into a slightly spookier ambiance with large tombstones and a cemetery entrance that leads visitors to the mansion. The exhibit interior is set up like the mansion interior with some dim lighting, creepy portraits, and more as you work your way through each section to piece together clues.

Wendy Metros, Director of Media and Film Relations at the Henry Ford Museum stated:

The entire exhibition is immersive so guests can “work alongside” their favorite characters to solve this particular mystery. At the same time, those that just want to have fun and experience the hands-on activities, like competing to build Scooby and Shaggy the tallest sandwich can do that too.

This exhibit has a lot of open space in order for guests to move about and I enjoyed just how hands-on the experience is. You get to look for the smallest details while putting teamwork and problem-solving skills to use. While the exhibit is family-friendly and open to all ages, there are aspects of it that might be frightening to very small children (4 years old or younger). I had a lot of fun being able to interact with everything and I saw that adults like myself were enjoying the exhibit as much as kids. I spotted a few museum visitors dressed up like Velma and Scooby (among other characters) from head to toe.

Metros expressed that her favorite part of the exhibit is the library and music room, which is Velma’s area. The library was my favorite aspect as well!

Two interactives are a clue analyzer and an organ. Kids can experience a piece of science equipment and a musical instrument right in the same space!

If you’re looking for more mystery-themed activities during your visit to the Henry Ford Guests can also check out the“Strange and Mysterious” tour of the museum, which feature objects and stories that are a little weird or perplexing on Fridays-Sundays through April 9.  Daily from March 25-April 2, Metro says that the museum is also are also hosting a Museum Mystery Scavenger Hunt, where guests can use spy technology and our collection to make connections and unmask the mystery.

The museum can get very busy, especially on the weekends. My best advice for this exhibit would be to go earlier in the day so that you can set your own pace while you solve each clue. This is an exhibit you’ll want to take your time in order to become fully immersed in the experience. I enjoyed that there were constant unexpected moments and surprises that kept me guessing the clues and being able to just let loose and have fun. The interactive aspects made me feel like a kid again which is why I think people of all ages seemed to respond so well to this exhibit when I visited.

The Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem is currently open at the Henry Ford Museum and the exhibit runs through April 9, 2023. The exhibit is free for members of the museum or with museum admission. Stay tuned for the next exhibition to come to the museum which is Julia Child: A Recipe for Life which delves into the life of the famous TV chef and cookbook author and explores the key ingredients that made her the powerful and iconic woman that she was (May 20-September 10, 2023).

For more information about Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem and other upcoming exhibits/events you can visit the website to find out full details.


 

About Rachel Moulden

Rachel is a fandom nerd who loves to create new stories. Outside of Fandom Spotlite you can find her writing books, chatting about all things pop culture related, and gushing about all things bookish on her book blog, Life of a Female Bibliophile. When Rachel is not busy writing you can find her jamming out to anime OSTs, indulging in a good cup of coffee, or watching too many K-Dramas. Check out her middle-grade debut novel (Lost Love: My First Boyfriend) available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. You can follow her on Twitter at @bibliophilelyfe and Instagram at @lifeofafemalebibliophile.

View all posts by Rachel Moulden

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