Mummies are scary enough already, what with their penchant for getting up and walking around in search of a living victim. But a clown mummy? That actually might just be too much.
The California Institute of Abnormalarts, a bar and concert venue that also functions as a museum of oddities, is home to something that will make anyone with coulrophobia (an irrational fear of clowns) quake in their boots… and it’s every bit as creepy as you might imagine.
The California Institute of Abnormalarts (CIA) is a museum and concert venue in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles.
Operated by former actor and freak show enthusiast Carl Crew, the CIA specializes in especially bizarre exhibitions, from two-headed babies to specimens of impossible creatures. But one new addition really takes the creepy crown.
Some time ago, Crew acquired what he claims to be the mummified corpse of a clown known as Achile Chatouilleu, a performer who died in 1912.
Achile, whose name translates to “French tickler,” reportedly asked before his death to be embalmed in his favorite clown costume and makeup. The body – which is still in perfect condition today – is pretty creepy, to say the least.
If this seems a little fishy to you, you’re not alone. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time a museum attempted to profit from a phony, but experts say that Achile’s mummy is real. The arsenic and mercury used in the embalming process even match the era.
Though the sale of corpses is illegal, that hasn’t stopped the mummy clown from becoming one of the CIA’s top attractions.
If you find yourself in Los Angeles and want to see something truly creepy, make sure to stop by the California Institute of Abnormalarts… if you dare.
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Categorised in: Bizarre, Paranormal
This post was written by Nadia Vella