A new museum in Plano has already drawn thousands enchanted by its colorful displays. But instead of paintings or sculptures, this institution was made to delight fans of mythology and monsters.
Housed in Dark Hour Haunted House, the North American Cryptid Museum is devoted to the not-so-scientific study of unknown or extinct creatures, such as Bigfoot and Mothman. A labor of love for founder Allen Hopps, the NACM is a year in the making, with over 75 full-sized cryptids designed and built by its founder.
Hopps, who helped construct the 40,000-square-foot seasonal Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, took over the business from its original owner in 2023, which gave him the opportunity to expand his vision. A longtime fan of the uncanny, he remodeled a 3,000-square-foot portion of the building for a year-round tribute to his favorite subject: monsters.
“I have loved monsters my whole life, so this is a way to honor them a little bit,” Hopps explains. “I feel that we do ourselves an injustice when we explain away why the darkness scares us. We need to celebrate that and return to feeling like we’re back in the food chain and connected to the world around us.”
Hopps says he “didn’t have to make anything up,” spending over a year researching and building creatures from every state in the union. The NACM will nearly double in size in the coming months, adding immersive displays featuring eyewitness accounts and scent boxes that capture the olfactory impact of figures such as the Skunk Ape. On-site “park rangers” lend an official vibe and offer tours at a slightly higher fee.
At the recent grand opening, Hopps’ figures crouched in the rafters, hung from the ceiling and stood menacingly above delighted cryptid fans of all ages. The enthusiastic response doesn’t surprise him, since he’s seen the appeal of the uncanny through his years building Dark Hour into one of the most successful haunts in America.
“If you’re looking at monsters, you’re going to see a little bit of yourself,” he muses. “The more we see scary things, the more accepting we can be of other people.”
The North American Cryptid Museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 11a.m. to 7 p.m. at 701 Taylor Drive in Plano. General admission is $16, and a guided cryptid tour is $23. A guided museum and “lights on” haunted attraction tour is $48. darkhourhauntedhouse.com; northamericancryptidmuseum.com