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
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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.

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As happy as she could be, despite everything that had happened before—when she had still believed in happy endings. After she'd married James, she'd promised herself that she'd put it all behind her. Over the years, Annabelle had tried to forget about the loss—to appreciate all she had gained. And even though there would always be a part of her that missed him, a part of her that couldn't let him go, she had to keep reminding herself that there was no point in missing something that was never meant to be. So, she did her best to think of him less often, every year trying harder to force herself to forget, to be happy. But maybe being happy was asking too much. Enough, she thought. Shake it off. She brushed her teeth, mentally reviewing everything on today's agenda. After she dropped the girls at school, she had to swing by the drugstore to pick up an anniversary card for James. Then she had a full day at work. As she stepped into the shower, she spoke her daily gratitude affirmations aloud. "I'm thankful for my husband, my chil­dren, our good health, our beautiful home. I'm thankful for a job I love, and good friends." She felt a little foolish doing this, but her last client, a successful author of self-help books, had told her how benefi­cial a gratitude practice was, not only to mental health, but physical as well. Annabelle tried to be open-minded, so she'd committed to trying it for sixty days to see if it made any difference. She was on day ten now. "Mind if I join you?" James's voice cut through her thoughts as he entered the bathroom. "Please do." He opened the door to the large shower and stepped inside. "Happy anniversary," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. "Happy anniversary." Annabelle turned and kissed him, trying to dismiss the earlier feelings of terror from her dream. "Why don't we do this more often?" A banging on the door made her pull back. "Mooom, Parker's throwing up! I think he ate another sock." She adored their golden retriever, but at times like this, not so much. Annabelle looked at James and rolled her eyes. "And that's why . . ." "I'll go. Finish your shower." He stepped out. "Olivia, I'll be right there," he called through the door. Half an hour later, Annabelle was dressed and downstairs. She walked into the kitchen, the smell of bacon filling the air. It was her favorite room of the house, featuring a built-in fireplace with a cozy sitting area, a custom-made farm table, and double French doors opening to their deck overlooking their swimming pool. Her mother had always said that the kitchen was the heart of the home, and some of Annabelle's best memories were of the two of them sitting and talking in their tiny kitchen around their worn wooden table. How she wished her mother was here now. She felt a pang of regret that her mother would never see her settled and content in such a beautiful place. 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