Marvin the Monkey was at the Lizzie Borden B&B last year when I was in Fall River and I met him and his keepers. They all were quite charming and Marvin’s adventures there can be seen here. Very cute! My favorite is when he is in Abby’s death position.
So what ever became of the Borden house – the site of those gruesome murders over a century ago? Why, it’s a Bed & Breakfast, of course! The house has been lovingly restored by owners Donald Woods and Lee-ann Wilber. During the day you can drop by for tours, but why settle for that when you can actually spend the night? Take a snooze on the sofa in the sitting room if you’d like, or sleep in the very same room where Abby Borden met her demise! Guests are treated to a full tour of the house – basement to attic, along with a blow-by-blow (pun intended) account of life – and death – in the house at 92 Second Street. Then it’s off to sleep – if you can. Did I mention the ghosts? Yes, there are ghosts in the Borden house. I’ll let you in on a little secret, though – the most active spooks in the house aren’t Bordens. If you’re feeling confidant get a room on the third floor. That’s where the kids hang out. Turns out a boy and girl were drowned by their mother next door, and they’ve taken residence here. They’re good kids though – they’ll play games but they’re friendly. Feeling extra-extra confident? Stay in the Bridget Sullivan room – there’s an entity there that’s not so friendly. I have to say the creepiest I felt was going up to the third floor alone to take pictures. Something’s just not right up there.
If you make it through the night you’ll be rewarded with a tasty breakfast much like Andrew and Abby’s last meal – thankfully minus the rancid mutton stew. Then it’s out to explore Fall River. Stop by the Oak Grove Cemetary and pay the Bordens a visit.Take a gander at Maplecroft – the place Lizzie moved to after she was acquitted. A must-see is the Fall River Historical Society. Housed in a gorgeous mansion, they’ve got a wonderfull collection of Lizzie artifacts: the handleless hatchet, the blood-spattered pillow shams Abby was holding when she was murdered (as well as the braided hairpiece that flew off her head), Lizzie’s prison lunch pail, and a whole lot more. A word of warning: the folks at the Historical Society seem actually annoyed that they have to discuss the whole unseemly Borden incident. Humor them (you have to – the Borden section is fifteen minutes right in the middle of an hour-and-a-half tour) – they’ve got some really nice stuff in the place, and you get to see a fantastic Lizzie Borden collection!
