For immediate release

 

Contact: Brian Grams, director, Volo Auto Museum

815-385-3644; brian@volocars.com

 

Svengoolie to thrill museum visitors Oct. 29

 
VOLO — With his trademark top hat, dark circles painted around the eyes and campy, scary-movie intros, Rich Koz has built a career as the rubber-chicken-embattled Svengoolie.
 
Those visiting the Volo Auto Museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, will have the chance not only to meet the Emmy-award winning TV personality, but also to get his autograph and have a souvenir photo taken with him.
 
Brian Grams, director of the museum at 27582 Volo Village Road, said museum officials and fans alike always look forward to Svengoolie’s annual Halloween visits. This will be Koz’s fifth annual trek to Volo.
 
“He brings in people who would never ordinarily come to an auto museum, and they always love it,” Grams said. “I often hear people say ‘I only came to see Svengoolie. I don’t care about cars. But oh my God, this place is so cool.’”
 
Those visiting during Svengoolie’s appearance will be provided a group number so that they can enjoy the museum and not stand in a long line.
 
“We’ll call them when it’s their turn,” Grams said, noting there are plenty of other seasonal treats to enjoy at the museum, which features vehicles from such spooktacular films as “Ghostbusters,” “Alien,” and Stephen King’s “Christine.”
 
Also available during October weekends only are haunted train tours. The 35-minute rides intrigue visitors with what Grams referred to as the “true ghost stories of the property,” said to be haunted by Civil War soldier Wallace H. Gale, who is buried in a nearby cemetery.
 
“Customers, antiques dealers, employees and family members have seen a young man dressed in a trench coat or Civil War-era uniform,” Grams said. “We’ve seen things move on our security cameras when nobody is there. The stories date back to 1960, and were featured in an episode of ‘Ghost Lab’ on Discovery.”
 
The meet-and-greet and train tours are included with the regular price of admission, Grams added.
 
The Volo Auto Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It features roughly 400 classic, antique, muscle and Hollywood cars and more. Admission is $15 for adults, $9 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children 4 and younger. For other information, call 815-385-3644 or find Volo Auto Museum on Facebook.
 
###
 

Photos provided

Suggested caption: Rich Koz, now celebrating his 37th year as Svengoolie, will meet and greet visitors at the Volo Auto Museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Also offered each weekend in October are haunted train rides, featuring stories of ghost sightings around the Volo Auto Museum and Volo Antique Malls property. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo.