Minnesota Museum Announces Winner of Creepy Doll Contest

Like clowns and twins who talk in unison, dolls can be unintentionally terrifying. Dolls with a past are especially spooky, as the employees of the History Center of Olmsted County in Rochester, Minnesota know too well. The museum houses a collection of antique dolls, and in honor of the Halloween season, it's embraced their unsettling nature by holding a creepy doll contest, MPR News reports.

Everyday from October 16 through October 24, the History Center posted a new picture of a creepy doll to its Facebook and Instagram pages. Contestants included a 19th-century toy with real human hair, a figurine with dead eyes and a mischievous grin, and a doll that automatically opens its eyes when lifted. Curator Dan Nowakowski was responsible for determining which dolls were scary enough to be featured in the competition.

The museum measured each photo's fear factor based on the number of likes it received on social media. A 169-year-old handmade doll with a missing arm and chipped paint resembling peeling skin was the clear winner.

Originally, the winning doll and the runner-up would be on display just for Halloween, but following the success of the contest, the museum is extending their stay. All nine creepy contestants, in addition to 15 more dolls from the collection, will be exhibited at the History Center now through December 1.

Can't imagine going out of your way to see scary dolls in person? It's not as wild an idea as you might think. There's an entire trail in Atlanta where visitors can hike among eerie, abandoned doll heads.