AUBURN - Trick-or-treaters were out in full costume at the Ward. W. O'Hara Agriculture Museum Saturday for the museum's first Halloween celebration.

Museum director Tim Quill said that this was the most recent in a series of events and efforts to help promote and raise awareness of the museum.

"We hope people come out here and see what we have, and that they will come back and bring their kids and bring the family back in the spring," Quill said.

And Halloween seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something unique that would draw both children and adults to the museum.

"We wanted to do something a little different," Quill said. "Something fun that would get the kids out here and bring the parents, too, and give them the chance to see the museum and see what we have here."

But it was an afternoon that was about more than promoting awareness of the museum, it was an afternoon dedicated to Halloween fun, with a small twist.

Along with pumpkin carving, face paining, caramel apples and other Halloween practices that have long since been tradition for many people, the museum offered a few old-time games like bobbing for apples suspended from strings and a few new twists like a coloring contest.

"We wanted to have different things," Quill said. "Some fun things, a little something for everybody."

And while the caramel apples, games and pumpkin carving drew the attention of many children, it was the costume contest and parade that the children were most eager about.

With Spiderman, Iron Man, witches, ghouls and classic monsters, the parade wrapped through the museum with several dozen children.

Costumes were judged by age group in several categories including, scariest, funniest and most original.

Among those taking part in the contest and the rest of the day's festivities was Teresa Wilt, 9, of Auburn, dressed as a vampire.

Wilt, whose birthday falls on Halloween, said that it was her favorite holiday and the events at the museum gave her a chance to celebrate twice this year.

"Halloween is my favorite because it is my birthday," Wilt said. "I really like to dress up and everything. The apples were really good and so was the parade."

Wilt was accompanied by her mother, Linda, who was also got into the spirit of things with her own ghostly costume.

"We just wanted to come out and have some fun," Linda said. "I think it is great they are doing something like this for the kids. It gives them a chance to see things that they might not see otherwise here at the museum and have some Halloween fun."

This is exactly the reaction that Quill said the museum was looking for.

"It has been going really well today," Quill said. "Even with all the other things, like the event at the mall going on. It has been going really well. I'd say we've had a couple hundred people here today. There are parents and kids that have come here today that have never been here and they have been taking tours and have been really interested and they have been having fun. It is really great to see."