Children are being challenged to make the scariest ghost masks they can think of to be included in a Dudley hotel’s forthcoming exhibition.

The Station Hotel plans to display the designs alongside masks, puppets and costumes from the original Dudley ghost tour set up 16 years ago.

The competition is split into two age groups for under 10s and children aged between 10 and 16 years old.

In the older age group the winner will get the chance to spend the night in one of the two bedrooms at the Station Hotel, Castle Hill, which it is claimed are haunted. The younger prize winner will get a free ticket for a family of four to the Black Country Living Museum.

Entry forms are available from libraries across the borough.

The exhibition will be on display at the Station Hotel on September 13 and 14 as part of the Heritage Open Days weekend from 10.30am to 4pm.

Historic buildings and other places of interest open their doors under the scheme organised by the Civic Trust. In addition to the masks and items from the original ghost walk there will be historical displays and photographs looking back at the hotel’s history over the years.

The hotel is looking for people to come forward with their memories of the hotel and the former Dudley Hippodrome to form part of the exhibition.

Dudley railway station was opened in 1850 and served by its main hotel The Castle. In 1896 Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery was given permission to build a new hotel, known as the Station Hotel at the junction of Birmingham Road and Trindle Road.

The hotel opened two years later with the main entrance for horses and carriages bieng on the corner of Castle Hill and Trindle Road.

Opposite was the opera house, which opened in 1899 but burned down in 1933 to be replaced by Dudley Hippodrome.

Many of the big stars who appeared at the Hippodrome also stayed at the hotel including famous names such as George Formby.

For more information email Helenclay@stationhoteldudley.co.uk