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The Peoples Mortuary Museum.

Cawley and Peoples Mortuary Museum

Field review by the editors.

Marietta, Ohio

It's not "People's" as in "We the People;" it's "Peoples" as in Bill Peoples, who owns the collection. The museum is housed in the former hearse garage of a working mortuary, which has been in Marietta since 1898. Highlights include several elaborate old hearses, such as an 1895 Sayers & Scovill whose fiberglass horses whinny as you walk past, and a 1927 Henney prominently featured in the 2009 Bill Murray/Robert Duvall film Get Low (The film studio borrowed it from the museum).

There's a variety of other funeral memorabilia, caskets, and preservative regalia on display, mostly from the early 1900s, including a variety of corpse clothing and a giant hair dryer that was once used by embalmers on their customers. Most of it is portable, because morticians used to stage funerals in people's homes.

Cawley and Peoples Mortuary Museum

Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home

Address:
408 Front St., Marietta, OH
Directions:
Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home. I-77 exit 1. Drive east on Hwy 7/Pike St. into town. Follow signs for Hwy 7, which eventually becomes 3rd St. Turn left at the stoplight onto Scammel St. Go through one stoplight, drive a half-block, then turn right. You'll see a large parking lot ahead, and the funeral home will be on the left. The museum is in the garage behind the mortuary.
Hours:
By appt. only (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
740-373-1111
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