At Cryptid Mountain Miniature Golf in Morgantown, visitors putt their way through a glowing indoor course filled with life-sized cryptids and scenes inspired by West Virginia folklore and ghost stories.
For owner Matt Tolliver, Cryptid Mountain was never meant to feel like a traditional mini golf course.
“I knew that I wanted it to have kind of a not really haunted house, but similar feel to it, sort of like a maze,” Tolliver said. “I did not want just a big open area where you could see everything. I really wanted that anticipation of what’s around the next corner.”
Creating Cryptid Mountain
The building, previously used as a gymnastics and dance studio, had to be completely reworked to create the space Tolliver envisioned.
“Fortunately, I took a course in stagecraft when I was in college, and had an idea of how to do some set design,” Tolliver said. “Who knew taking that random theater class in college would help me with this?”
Tolliver grew up hearing many of the legends featured throughout the course, including stories about the Greenbrier Ghost, Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Snarly Yow, the Grafton Monster and Flatwoods Monster.
“A lot of it started with The Telltale Lilac Bush and Coffin Hollow,” he said, referencing the well-known collections of West Virginia folklore by Ruth Ann Musick, which were a significant part of his childhood and are now a prominent feature in the course’s gift shop.
With a growing interest in West Virginia cryptids in recent years, Tolliver knew that he wanted them to be represented accurately throughout the course, so he spent a significant amount of time doing research, and he even worked with Musick’s family to properly license her imagery.
“I actually spent time at the WVU Library downtown, going through the old newspaper archives, finding the microfilm and doing screenshots of those articles to get the descriptions as closely as we could,” Tolliver said.
For Tolliver, every part of the course was intentional, from the artwork and the lighting to the bluegrass folk music playing quietly in the background.
“I can’t stand when I go to courses or when I go to some sort of entertainment place, and the music is so loud you can’t even hear yourself think, let alone the people with you,” he explained. “I want grandma to be able to talk to her grandchild while they’re playing.”
Building a Place for Connection
Tolliver said creating spaces where people can slow down and spend time together is closely connected to his background as a school counselor. That idea took on new meaning after COVID-19 and seeing how disconnected many people had become from one another.
“People get so wrapped up in their lives,” he said. “Kids would have friends that they’ve never met through gaming, or through a lot of this online stuff. And yes, they’re still socializing when they’re playing games together, but there’s something that’s missed when you’re not physically present.”
That same connection mindset also inspired a custom board game sold in the gift shop.
“I wanted to design something that, again, families could do together,” Tolliver said. “I wanted that conversation piece.”
The board game can be purchased in the gift shop alongside many other items created by West Virginia artists and small businesses, including Liz Pavlovich, Underground Printing in Morgantown and West Virginia Book Company in Charleston.
Working with the WV SBDC
Tolliver had the concept, but turning Cryptid Mountain into a business came with its own challenges.
“When I had this idea initially, it was, well, I am a school counselor. I have about next to no savings, so I know I’m going to need funding,” Tolliver said.
Because the concept was so different, Tolliver said some early conversations with banks and lenders were difficult.
“Opening something like this is high risk,” he explained.
But, while speaking with someone at a local bank, Tolliver was encouraged to reach out to the West Virginia Small Business Development Center for guidance.
He said he was surprised to learn the WV SBDC offered free business coaching.
“I was shocked to know this is — I’m sorry — free?” he said. “Nothing in this world is free.”
Tolliver connected with WV SBDC Business Coach Frank Goldsborough for help with financial projections, funding and long-term planning.
“When I first met Matt, he came to me with a very well thought-out plan in hand and just needed somebody to help him secure the finances and get him to the finish line,” Goldsborough recalled.
Working with Cryptid Mountain introduced Goldsborough to an entirely new world of folklore and artists.
“One of my favorite things about being a business coach is I’ve got to learn about so many different types of businesses and industries,” he said. “I never heard the word cryptid until Matt walked into my office a few years ago.”
Learning the Financial Side
One of the most considerable learning curves for Tolliver came on the financial side of running a business.
“The biggest benefit from the Small Business Development Center has been the finances,” he said. “That’s the piece I was just ignorant about, and I’ve learned so much just sitting with Frank and him walking me through how to do the books.”
“Good bookkeeping is a foundational skill that all entrepreneurs really need to take to heart,” Goldsborough explained. “Understanding the books will allow them to make better financial decisions about their business.”
During its first two years open, Cryptid Mountain exceeded expectations.
“Even though we had been kind of conservative in our projections, we did pretty well,” Tolliver said.
“I feel like I’m more of a cheerleader than a coach for him right now,” Goldsborough added. “He’s really taken all the things that I’ve helped him learn and really grasped them.”
For Tolliver, the assistance he received from his business coach and the WV SBDC has been invaluable.
“I just had a lot of questions. Fortunately, Frank had a lot of those answers for me,” Tolliver said. “Not only would I recommend the West Virginia Small Business Development Center to other entrepreneurs, but I do recommend the West Virginia Small Business Development Center.”
