An actor portraying Wednesday Addams at the Haunted Library event at the Prendergast Library in 2023 is pictured.

The Prendergast Library will host its third annual Haunted Library Tour on Saturday, Oct. 26, allowing those attending to journey along the Yellow Brick Road and meet various characters from the Land of Oz.

“We decided to do something a little different this year,” said Anne Greene, executive director of the Prendergast Library. “Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz, so we’re doing a take on it based on the book rather than the movie.”

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 children’s novel by author L. Frank Baum. The book sold three million copies when it entered the public domain in 1956. The book was reprinted with the title The Wizard of Oz, the title of the successful 1902 Broadway musical adaptation and the 1939 live-action film. Baum wrote an additional thirteen Oz Books, sequels to the first story.

Tickets are available for $5 at the library’s front desk for $5.00. Buying tickets ahead of time is encouraged. Tours will have 25 spots and run every half hour starting at 2 p.m. Oct. 26, with the last tour beginning at 7:30 p.m. Ticketholders should arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the start of their tour time, as there is no guarantee that late arrivals will be able to join a later tour. Cider and donuts will be available at the event. Library staff will provide simple craft activities that keep kids and adults busy while waiting for their tour.

“We sell out every year,” Greene said. “It is a wonderful event that people seem to love! And I know our staff has much fun putting it together. Taking books and bringing characters to life is another way to promote literacy in our community.”

Fessenden Laumer & DeAngelo is sponsoring the tour.

The Prendergast Library will be closed on Saturday, Oct. 26, for the Haunted Library. Any checked-out materials can be returned to the library’s outdoor book drop on Friday, Oct. 25,, after 7 p.m. until Monday, Oct. 28, before 9 a.m. Materials returned in the drop box will be backdated to Friday, Oct. 25.

For more information, contact the library at 716-484-7135. Stop in and get a ticket during library open hours. The Prendergast Library is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.