on being a minor true crime junkie

I am not one of those online crime-solvers. But the subject does fascinate me. 

I read a fair amount of fictional crime thrillers.

And I'm a loyal viewer of Dateline and Law & Order SVU, and other like shows and movies.

So when I hear there's a pop-up exhibit in NY called Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer, I know I want to go. 

I am kind of embarrassed that this appeals to me, but the good reviews in reputable media outlets slightly lessen the ick-factor.

When I mention the exhibit to Robin, she shocks me by saying she'd like to go too. So a couple of weeks ago we buy timed tickets for today. We meet at 11 near Union Square, on a ridiculously hot, 88-degree day.

Were it not for the sign on this nondescript building, the exhibit would be easy to miss. 

The inside, though, is well-lit with unsettling headlines everywhere.

Photography is encouraged.

The first large room we enter focuses on how techniques for catching serial killers has evolved over the years. No DNA. No ring cameras. No easy recording or phone devices, etc.  

Parts of the room are a bit kitschy, but it doesn't detract from our experience.

We leave this room and find ourselves entering what-feels-like an endless number of other rooms, each focusing on a different murderer. A lot of care and creativity went into the writing and recreations. 

The last part involves wearing VR headsets to "try and solve a mystery." Having never tried VR before, I found it fascinating.

Overall, the exhibit is both disturbing and informative, and worth the two plus hours we spend there. 

Living in a big city somehow feels safer to me than being on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

But wherever I find my self, I always always make sure all the doors are locked.