Mourning Matters 👻

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Information

The Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion and the Gorgas House Museum are collaborating for a Halloween celebration!

On October 29, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., the Gorgas House Museum and the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion invite visitors to step inside some of the oldest historic homes in Tuscaloosa. This is a unique and intriguing opportunity to delve into the sociocultural expectations and practices of mourning and grieving after the Civil War and the greater Victorian Era.

Through a joint exhibit titled Mourning Matters: Grieving and Etiquette in the Antebellum South and Further, guests can actively learn about the history of mourning and hear firsthand about the ghosts that haunt this town. A free shuttle bus will be available to escort guests between museums. From 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, guests will tour both homes, view the exhibit, and listen to ghost stories from the volunteers who have experienced them! Costumes are welcome, and the event is accessible to everyone.

With historical research and letters from the Gorgas family and others closest to them discussing life and loss, Mourning Matters will provide a deep understanding of the deaths of those within the Gorgas House and present visitors with a historical knowledge of 19th-century practices related to funerals and societal grieving standards. To bring these stories to life, guests can watch “Dead History” videos of actors reading the letters and take a guided tour given by volunteers in costumes, telling the spookiest ghost stories of the house.

Admission to this event is free. However, we kindly ask for your donations to support the preservation of these historic homes and continuing such events. Your contributions are crucial for the upkeep of these homes and for continuing our educational programs. We greatly appreciate your support.

The Gorgas House Museum is located at 810 Capstone Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, just off the Quadrangle of The University of Alabama campus (one block west of the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, at the corner of McCorvey and Capstone Drives).

The Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion is at 1305 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.

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