To make a shrunken head, remove the skull, sew the eyelids shut and boil the remainder. The final product can be seen at the Museum of Anthropology on Oct. 28.

“It’s not a human shrunken head,” assistant curator Jessica Boldt said. “It’s a New World monkey, so it’s nothing too crazy, but it’s kind of cool to see.”

Boldt said Friday’s Spirited Museum event is the ideal venue to see things like the primate head.

“We’re going to bring (some) of our more interesting, kind of spooky items up,” she said. “We have a huge collection and, because we have such a small space, we don’t always have the (room) to display it.”

In addition, museum associate curator Candace Sall said, a new photo gallery of “oddities” will be displayed. What constitutes an oddity?

“I think we’ll have photos of two beheading swords,” Sall said.

Along with these creepy artifacts will be opportunities to learn about “spirits of the past,” as Boldt put it.

The event, a collaboration between the museum and the Anthropology Students Association, will feature anthropology students dressed as historical figures.

“We have some pioneers in there, Boldt said. “We have a Native American, and we actually have an archaeologist. They’re helping and volunteering their time, and it’s a lot of fun.”

She said students shouldn’t be afraid to come in full Halloween regalia, as the fun is more costume-related and less focused on things that go bump in the night. She added that, despite the shrunken monkey head, the fear factor will be minimal.

“It’s going to be guided tours,” she said. “People aren’t going to be jumping out. It (won’t) be scary like that. It’s more of a history museum tour, something like that.”

Sure enough, the walk-through Sall described isn’t exactly the stuff of nightmares.

“The tour guide will take you to the first spirit, the archaeologist, (and) he’ll give you a tour of the archaeology of Missouri” she said. “Then you’ll meet the pioneer, who will give you a tour through pioneer Missouri, and then the Native American will show you some of your more modern artifacts.”

Boldt said museum-goers should come to learn about anthropology and about past historical figures. The goal, she said, is to spread the word about the study of human beings.

“Anthropology is the study of people of the past and (of) different regions,” Boldt said. “It’s a fun way to (teach) people about our museum and about Anthropology itself.”

Sall said she agrees.

“It’s a lot of fun to get in there and you’re able to ask questions, because someone will be there to answer them for you” she said. “It’s just a fun time.”

The Spirited Museum is meant to educate attendees and also serves as a fundraiser for the Museum of Anthropology. Although it aims to raise money, the admission is affordable for college students at a suggested donation of $1.

“It’s a good way to keep the museum going,” Boldt said.

And she said it seems to work. The “Spirited” exhibit is a successful method that is fast becoming tradition.

“We did do it last year, and it went really well,” she said. “People really liked it, so we thought we would continue (it) this year.”

If you’re in the mood for innocent spirited fun this Friday, head over to the Museum of Anthropology where tours will run from noon until 6 p.m.