6 days ago
Annabelle doll that inspired multiple horror movies coming to Lexington Scarefest
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Lexington horror fans can get a chilling up-close and personal experience with the inspiration for the highest-grossing horror franchise in film history.
Annabelle, the terrifying Raggedy Ann doll that spent decades locked away in the occult museum of the famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, is coming to ScareFest 2025 in Lexington.
Annabelle doll that inspired multiple horror movies coming to Lexington Scarefest
$8 million PFAS water project moves forward in Morganfield
Lexington nonprofit in dire need of resources for military members
The Central Bank Center announced that the doll, supposedly possessed by the malevolent spirit of Annabelle Higgins, will thrill and terrify horror fans as part of the Warrens' Occult Museum Experience.
The Conjuring cinematic universe began in 2013 with 'The Conjuring,' followed by 'Annabelle' in 2014.
The lore behind the Annabelle doll is most famously traced to the account of a nursing student, Donna, who was given the doll as a birthday present by her mother. Within days of being given the doll, Donna and her roommate, Angie, noticed Annabelle began mysteriously moving around the house and standing on its feet.
Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news
Soon, the two women said they noticed Annabelle leaving written messages on parchment paper, something Donna claimed she didn't keep in the apartment.
A friend of Donna and Angie, named Lou, claimed he had terrifying recurring dreams involving the doll and was convinced it wasn't a dream. Lou said the doll would climb up his leg and stop at his chest. He later claimed that, after hearing loud rustling in an empty room in the apartment, he found Annabelle tossed aside in the corner of the room.
Lou said that when he turned to leave the room, he was attacked by something he couldn't see and had seven distinct claw marks on his chest. The claw marks supposedly disappeared after two days.
The Warrens investigated the claims surrounding Annabelle and took it home to their museum-like basement, where the doll was sealed in a special glass case with the words 'Warning, positively do not open.'
The Warren's museum stayed open in their Connecticut home until it was closed in 2018 due to zoning issues.
Annabelle will be joined at Scarefest by horror icon Robert Englund, who is famous for portraying Freddy Krueger, and 90 celebrity guests from Oct. 17 – Oct. 19. Tickets are available for those brave enough to come face-to-face with Annabelle here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
