Haunting Tuscaloosa

Event Date: October 8, 2025

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Historic Tuscaloosa’s Haunting Tuscaloosa event brought together the Gorgas House Museum and the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion for an unforgettable evening of history, folklore, and reflection on October 29, 2025. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., guests explored the stories of those who lived—and died—right here in Tuscaloosa, while discovering how cultures across time have honored life and death.

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Visitors experienced the captivating exhibit “The Veil Between: Mortuary Practices Through the Ages,” which offered a fascinating look at funerary and mortuary traditions in both Tuscaloosa and Thailand. The exhibit guided attendees through the rites and rituals that have shaped humanity’s understanding of death across centuries and continents.

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Costumes, curiosity, and community spirit filled both museums as guests of all ages participated in this free event. “The Veil Between” was made possible through collaboration between the Murphy African-American Museum, Historic Tuscaloosa, the Siriraj Museum, and the Museum of Cultural Anthropology at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Admission was free, though visitors generously contributed donations to help preserve these historic homes and support future educational programming. Historic Tuscaloosa extends its heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and helped make Haunting Tuscaloosa a night to remember.

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The Gorgas House Museum, located at 810 Capstone Drive on The University of Alabama campus, and the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion, located at 1305 Greensboro Avenue, provided the perfect historic backdrops for an evening celebrating Tuscaloosa’s layered past and shared heritage.