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John Brown Wax Museum

168 High Street, Harpers Ferry, WV
304-535-6342
Website
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Ranked #10 of 19 attractions in Harpers Ferry
Type: History Museums, Speciality Museums
Description: The museum tells the life story of abolitionist John Brown, from his youth to his death on the gallows.
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23 reviews from our community

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    7
    4
    2
Date Rating
Greensboro, North Carolina
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 March 2013

My family would gather and go to Harpers Ferry when I was a child. It was fun then. We would always go inside the wax museum, and their was one section where you could actually see a wax figurines chest move up and down like he was really breathing. It always scared me. But over all, its a pretty nice... More

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Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, United States
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 December 2012

This is no Madame Tussauds, so if you're expecting lifelike recrations of John Brown's life and times, then consider this a warning. However, if you're looking for a retelling that has changed little over the past several decades, then you're in the right place. I took my kids and was amused to find that nothing had changed from when I... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 2 more reviews by Becky310 for Harpers Ferry
Hagerstown, Maryland
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
11 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 November 2012

Very interesting place, great history, a little creepy. If you are in the area you should see this one.

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 October 2012

As wax museums go, this one is rather small. It tells the story of John Brown's life, but honestly, I'm not sure it was worth the $7 admission fee. Still, it does inform.

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See 5 more reviews by Diane E for Harpers Ferry
Gaithersburg, MD
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 October 2012

Many people "dinged" the museum as needing updating. I beg the owners to touch nothing. If you want a fancy wax museum, go to Madame Tussauds. If you want to see a museum that beautifully tells the John Brown story while also making you feel like you stepped back into the 50s, go to this one. I loved the wallpaper,... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Wanaque, New Jersey
2 reviews
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 September 2012

The wax musuem was alright. Gave you a lot of history but there are a lot of stairs. Needs to be updated and repaired.

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
IA
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 September 2012

There was information, items from John Brown's time there. The explanation was done very well. It was located in an original old building. We learned much.

Was this review helpful? Yes 3
Washington, DC
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
18 attraction reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
91 helpful votes 91 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 September 2012

Hadn't heard of John Brown and his contributions before this tour. I walked away quite impressed with his efforts! The museum is old and in need of repairs and updates, but they do a good job telling the story with what they have.

Was this review helpful? Yes 3
See 3 more reviews by Crysha for Harpers Ferry
Chesapeake, Virginia
Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
24 attraction reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 July 2012

This was a well laid out wax museum that told the story of John Brown. It did a good job of this. It was sadly over-priced for the 20 minutes it took to go through it. The house that it is within is an interesting old one.

Was this review helpful? Yes 3
PA
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
31 helpful votes 31 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 July 2012

same John Brown story, again and again. A VERY important guy, yes - but this is nothing special as an attraction

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
See 2 more reviews by tedley7 for Harpers Ferry

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