Murder Mystery Night at Buena Vista Mansion Draws Raves, Crowds
buena vista mansion, culture, kristin allen, murder mystery, performing arts, recreation, theater,
Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Col. Mustard and other characters in the popular board game Clue will be brought to life in 2008, when the Autauga County Heritage Association sponsors its annual Murder Mystery Night at Prattville’s Buena Vista Mansion.
Thanks to the success of past Mystery Nights, plans for 2008 call for the event to be expanded to Friday and Saturday evenings on two back-to-back weekends.
“People really enjoy it,” says Heritage Association Executive Director Robin Hughes. “We have a waiting list.”
The fundraiser benefits the mansion, which dates back to 1822 and was once the antebellum home of riverboat Captain William Montgomery. The home was formally acquired by the Heritage Association in 2006.
Darlene Leistner, who manages the mansion for the association, is the playwright and selects a theme each year for Mystery Nights. Seating is limited to 50 each evening, and the play progresses along with dinner.
SouperBowl Bingo, another popular mansion event, is held the weekend of its homonym counterpart, the Super Bowl. Contestants bring soups that are judged, and the winner receives a silver ladle, as well as the right to serve the winning soup as the main course during the next year’s event. Prize-laden games of Bingo follow. December’s Christmas Gala, featuring a silent auction, is the largest fundraiser held at Buena Vista Mansion.
Buena Vista Mansion is located approximately two miles from downtown Prattville and overlooks the Alabama River on property that was once part of a 2,000-acre cotton plantation. The mansion is available for luncheons and receptions and has even served as the location for a re-enactment of the Prattville Dragoons, the Civil War company originating in Autauga County.
Story by Betsy Williams
Photo by Wes Aldridge
