M**der at the Museum

Step into the shadows of mid-1950s Sanford for a night of mystery, secrets and retro tales, all while supporting a great cause! Join us at the Sanford Museum for a one-of-a-kind M**der mystery fundraiser where the exhibits aren’t the only things hiding secrets. As night falls across Sanford on September 27, a chilling crime unfolds and it’s up to you to solve the case. Who killed our Museum Curator? Find clues throughout the museum, question suspect families, and piece together a chilling tale set among century-old family secrets. Will the murderer be discovered?

Bring your crew and step into the mystery as a suspicious family at the heart of the drama! With a family ticket, your group becomes key suspects, each with their own shady backstory, motive, and something to hide. Are you innocent, or just really good at pretending?

By signing up for a Family group, you'll be asked to wear a color themed to that family, much like the board game Clue. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. You'll also be given 10 statements about your backstory and connection to the night's events, which must all be told casually in conversation to any guests over the course of the night. We will email these backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with a statement that lists your motive and details. Someone from your Family will read this statement aloud after the Investigators make their accusations. 

By signing up as an Investigator, you’ll have to interview members of all Family groups over the course of the night, to learn their backstories and figure out any possible motives they may have brewing. Once the M**der has tragically taken place, you’ll be able to examine the body for clues. All Investigators will cast their accusations toward the end of the evening. All Investigators who guess correctly will be entered into a raffle for a prize at the end of the night’s events. We encourage dressing up for this role! Think classic trench coat, fedora hat, notepad, and magnifying glass details.

By signing up as the Screamer, a Nosy Neighbor, or a Reporter, you’re really there just to witness the glamour and intrigue of the night. You’ll overhear conversations and can share that gossip and develop your own theories, but will not make any official accusations. We encourage dressing up in a 1950s style! Think dress shirt with rolled sleeves, cuffed jeans and suspenders, or a poodle skirt, neck scarf, saddle shoes and cat-eye glasses. For a reporter, perhaps a fedora with a "Press" card tucked in the band, a vintage notepad or even a camera slung over your shoulder.

**Any actual names or likenesses of real Sanfordites or people are used in a fictitious and parodic manner.

• This is a 21 and up only event - IDs required.
• A cash bar will be available, hosted by our friends at Celery City Craft.
• Heavy appetizers will be served.
• This is a cocktail-style party, there will be no seating available.
• Parking: Streetside along 1st Street or in the lot at the Civic Center.

Info: The Greenfields are based on Sanford’s celery farming royalty from the 1900s to the 1950s: families like the Chases, Terwilligers, Whitners and Paces. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color GREEN. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: The Jaffas are based on poor laborers who were oftentimes exploited. This is based on real Sanford families such as the Oglesbys, the Kinlaws, and the migrant workers who spent part of the year in Rochester, New York. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color ORANGE. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: These organizational members are founders of our town, inspired by the original Sanford family, and other agents and investors of the Florida Land and Colonization company, such as Mackinnon, DeForest and Houston. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color PURPLE. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: The Russells are a family of politicians. The biggest inspiration was Sanford’s former mayor, Forrest Lake, but we took from rumors of other politicians in Sanford’s history, too. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color RED. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: The Gulsson family is based on Sanford’s Swedish immigrant family of the late 1800s, similar to the original families of Lundquist, Vihlen and Carlson. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color YELLOW. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: This family unit is based on a former police unit who had to step down for unknown reasons. There are allegations of corruption similar to past law enforcement figures like Sheriff Hobby and Roy G. Williams. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color BLUE. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: This fundraising organization helped to build the Sanford Museum, based on Sanford organizations such as the DAR, SARAHs, and Woman’s Club of Sanford, but also on secret fraternal organizations such as the Oddfellows, Masons and Elks Lodge. By signing up for this Family group, you'll need to arrive to the event wearing the color BLACK. Have fun with it! Load up on the colorful accessories. Think bow ties, feather boas and color-drenched ensembles. We will email your backstory details to you after your reservation has been made, 1-2 weeks before the event, so you have time to study them, to casually share in conversation during the night. We ask that you show up as early as 5 p.m. to meet and mingle with other Family groups before the event begins. One Family group will end up being the murderous family, with Investigators attempting to identify the guilty party during the event. If you are the Guilty Family, we will email you the night prior to the event with more details.

Info: Ready to crack the case? As an Investigator, you’ll play a key role in uncovering clues, interrogating suspects, and piecing together the puzzle to solve the M**der. Whether you’re a seasoned sleuth or a first-time detective, this role puts you at the center of the action, with a desire to learn the truth. Once the M**der has tragically taken place, you’ll be able to examine the body for clues. All Investigators will cast their accusations toward the end of the evening. All Investigators who guess correctly will be entered into a raffle for a prize at the end of the night’s events. We encourage dressing up for this role! Think classic trench coat, fedora hat, notepad, and magnifying glass details.

Info: Want to make a killer entrance? As the exclusive Screamer, you’ll be the unlucky guest who stumbles upon the crime scene and delivers the dramatic scream that kicks off the mystery! Screaming skills encouraged but not required. We encourage dressing up in a 1950s style! Think dress shirt with rolled sleeves, cuffed jeans and suspenders, or a poodle skirt, neck scarf and saddle shoes. For a reporter, perhaps a fedora with a "Press" card tucked in the band, a vintage notepad or even a camera slung over your shoulder.

Info: You’re at the Sanford Museum to witness the glamour and intrigue of the night, but with a backseat role. You’ll overhear conversations and can share that gossip and develop your own theories, but will not make any official accusations. We encourage dressing up in a 1950s style! Think dress shirt with rolled sleeves, cuffed jeans and suspenders, or a poodle skirt, neck scarf and saddle shoes.

Info: You’re at the Sanford Museum to witness the glamour and intrigue of the night, but with a backseat role. You’ll overhear conversations and can share that gossip and develop your own theories, but will not make any official accusations. We encourage dressing up in a 1950s style! Perhaps a fedora with a "Press" card tucked in the band, a vintage notepad or even a camera slung over your shoulder.

Host or Publisher Sanford Historical Society and the Babcock Family