The Ed Gein Experience

The Graveface Museum is home to the only public display of authentic artifacts from the Ed Gein case.

In this exhibit, you will see unpublished material from the investigation, original documents from the polygraph expert who interviewed him at length, original and never-before-seen crime scene photos, and the only remaining piece of evidence from the case is housed in this collection.

You will also be met with the dramatized version of the case— the Hollywood version, if you will. Due to the bizarre nature of the Gein case, several popular horror movies drew a lot of inspiration from Gein’s heinous crimes. The case is over 50 years old and there have been many misconceptions about the case that will be explained and debunked on the first floor.

Read more about the case and our exhibit below!

Ed Gein was arrested in November 1957 for the murder of Bernice Worden in Plainfield, Wisconsin. It was later discovered Gein murdered at least one other woman locally but robbed the graves of an additional nine. All of the victims reminded him of or physically resembled his abusive mother in some capacity.

What shocked the nation wasn’t just the brutal murders and his habitual body-snatching, but he was fashioning their skin and body parts into pieces of furniture, accessories, or clothing to be worn. Notoriously he made several masks out of his victim’s faces.

If this all sounds familiar but the name “Ed Gein” doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve likely seen or heard of horror movies this case inspired after it broke such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Silence of the Lambs to name some bigger ones.

Fictionalized versions of the case arose in addition to misinformation from day one which has made discerning fact from fiction challenging. We at the Graveface Museum have access to a trove of original documents and artifacts from the case which has provided unparalleled insight into the case that we are glad to share publically.

  • Floor 1: Walk through an exaggerated depiction of Ed Gein's house from the perspective of Hollywood. Think haunted house without the jump scares but with unsettling props/fake gore. We are going to debunk a few of the most common misconceptions here.

    Floor 2: Here you'll see a lot of unpublished documents, original black-and-white crime scene photos, and the only surviving piece of evidence from the Gein case. Your guide will give you a comprehensive deep dive into the investigation, Gein, and the reality of the case.

  • Yes. Please leave if it's not for you. Our guides will not be personally offended.

    If you feel unwell or queasy while in the tour you can simply head out OR notify your guide if you're feeling like you might pass out. No judgment we're here to help.

  • This is completely up to you as a parent. This is a disturbing case and in addition to violent imagery, we discuss some very mature concepts (grave robbery, necrophilia, murder, mental illness, abuse, etc).

    If you think your kid can handle the content that is entirely your call and up to you we've had a range of ages inside. That being said, any child on the tour is expected to conduct themselves like everyone else in the group. Interrupting the tour guide, touching exhibits, running, or otherwise being disruptive to the group won't be tolerated and you may be asked to leave the exhibit.

  • Every 30 minutes after 12:30 (1:00, 1:30, 2:00, etc). Please be in front of the house and ready at the tour time.

    Last tour is at 6:30.