The Halloween season brings spooks and scares aplenty as haunted houses and corn mazes open their doors to thrill-seekers across Knoxville. For those looking for something different, the Mabry-Hazen house has got your back.
The historic house is bringing back its Victorian Seance Experience for the second year in a row. From October 25-27, visitors will be treated to an authentic reenactment of a Victorian seance, complete with costumed “mediums” and 19th century Spiritualist rituals.
In addition to the seance, patrons can look forward to astrologers, psychics, and tarot card readings. Living historians will be on hand to answer any questions about Victorian mourning customs and Spiritualist practices.
Sessions will occur every twenty minutes from 6 PM to 10 PM, and each seance sits eight people. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children ages 12-16. Sitters have to be at least 12 years of age. Visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance and arrive fifteen minutes early to their session. Tickets can be purchased here or on Eventbrite.
The experience promises visitors an interesting and eerie snapshot into the world of Victorian Spiritualism in a richly-preserved, historic setting. Unlike other haunted attractions, the Mabry-Hazen House maintains an entirely authentic setting, and every piece of furniture and decoration was once owned by members of the Mabry and Hazen families.
Guests will have the opportunity to communicate with spirits, who will respond back through the ringing of bells or writing on slate boards. Spirits will also speak through the mediums, who have been trained to enter trance-like states.
“Other strange things may happen, but I can’t speak to those instances,” says Patrick Hollis, director of the Mabry-Hazen House.
This unique experience is not only about getting scared. It is also an opportunity to expose the public to a little-known, but important movement in American history.
“It’s a really interesting part of our history that people often gloss over,” says Gray Casterline, a UT theatre student who will be serving as one of two mediums this year. “The spiritualist movement started in the U.S. and was mainly spearheaded by women in a time where women weren’t able to really have any agency over themselves.”
“This event shows the ties that Knoxville had to Spiritualism back then and allows the viewer to see how Spiritualism has impacted religion in the area today,” added Emma Wright, who is reprising her role as a medium this year.
Guests should be aware that the experience is a true-to-life reenactment of a seance and should not be used to contact deceased relatives. The Mabry-Hazen House cautions against participating if you are in mourning.
For more information about the Mabry-Hazen House, you can visit their website. You can also follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.
