Illinois Valley Times

You might say it's frightening how things have improved for the Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle.

But, of course, being frightening is part of the historic home's appeal, thanks in large part to Executive Director Kelly Klobucher, who has taken steps to revitalize the home through event programming.

“We were a dead and dying historic house museum,” Klobucher told the website Museum Hack. “…I don’t come from a history background. I come from a marketing and PR background. I took a page from Ringling Brothers and made this museum the 'Greatest Show on Earth.'”

Klobucher gave Museum Hack a presentation on her turnaround of the mansion, which has seen its annual attendance jump from approximately 3,000 visitors a year to approximately 9,000. She essentially worked to create that audience from scratch, engaging people previously disinterested in the historic home by breaking several “don’t’s” of the industry.

Klobucher took the mansion’s creepy reputation and introduced paranormal-themed programming. She also installed a museum gift shop and started running events to attract kids. She allowed people to take photographs and offered the home for events like weddings and classes.