Become an investigator into demonstrations of Spiritualism at
A Victorian Séance Experience!
Séances
Séances occur every 20 minutes starting at 6:30 pm and ending at 10:30pm (9:30pm Sunday Oct 29). Guests select a specific date and time to reserve a seat at the table. Each session is limited in size, and it is strongly recommended tickets be purchased in advance. All sitters must be age 10 or older. Sitters should arrive at least 15 minutes before their reservation.
Adult Sitting Admission (18+) - $25
Mabry-Hazen House Member Rate - $20
Youth Sitting Admission (10-17) - $15
Tickets can be purchased on our SimpleTix page starting September 27, 2023. Service fees apply for online purchases. Payments with cash or check are available. Call 865-522-8661 to arrange payment during business hours.
These sessions use the traditional tools of the Victorian séance to educate about the history of Spiritualism. These séances are for educational and entertainment purposes. This is not a demonstration of mediumship or a way to contact the deceased. It is not recommended for the recently bereaved.
From 6:30pm-10:30pm on October 26-28 and 6:30pm-8:50pm on october 29, 2023, Mabry-Hazen House will host A Victorian Séance Experience inside the front parlors of the 1858 historic house.
The House of Tarot will offer tarot readings and Halloween vendors from 6:00pm-10:30pm on thursday and Friday, 2:00pm-10:30pm on Saturday, and 6:00pm-9:30pm on Sunday.
As the evenings grow darker and the first hint of winter hangs in the air, the western world enters the season of the dead. It is a time when ghost stories, dark tales, and mysterious happenings rise up to help us understand death and the unexplained. Along with the historic house museum and family history, Mabry-Hazen House also preserves this darker history of Americans' experiences with death, burial, and Spiritualism. For the sixth year, Mabry-Hazen House will exhibit those macabre, yet fascinating cultural moments during their immersive A Victorian Séance Experience.
Under the guidance of a Victorian medium, the séances will reenact a nineteenth century Spiritualist séance filled with “mysterious and startling wonders.” Joining their Victorian host, sitters will judge historic “demonstrations” of mediumship. Relying on primary sources from the nineteenth century, these sessions recreate a Victorian séance and give you an immersive experience to investigate them. Whether true manifestations of spirits or clever parlor tricks, sitters at the séances will experience this eerie, yet ubiquitous aspect of 19th century American life.
This project is being supported in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the City of Knoxville by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance
House of Tarot
In addition to the séances, Mabry-Hazen House also hosts the House of Tarot, a 40’x60’ walled and lighted tent which offers tarot readings and Halloween vendors! No reservation needed to come browse the wares and get your cards read!
House of Tarot Times
Thursday, oct 26, 2023
6:00pm - 10:30pm; Open to the Public
Friday, oct 27, 2023
6:00pm - 10:30pm; Open to the Public
7:00pm - 8:00pm; “Ancestor Veneration” talk by Frank Callo in the Julia Meek Guest House
Saturday, oct 28, 2023
2:00pm - 10:30pm; Open to the Public
2:00pm - 6:00pm; Halloween Festival
2:00pm - 5:00pm; Spirit Photography demonstrations by Kelsey Tiara Photography starting on the hour
7:30pm - 8:30pm; “The Good Death: Victorian Mourning Practices” talk by Karen Peterman in the Julia Meek Guest House
Sunday, oct 29, 2023
6:00pm - 9:30pm; Open to the Public
Tarot Readers
Tarot Reading Vouchers are sold a la carte at $10 per voucher. Cash, card, and Venmo accepted.
East S.M.
Pamona Sparrow
September Max
Stephanie Bibey
Frank Callo
Nikki Lynn
Josh Hinkin
Courtney Lozano
Donald Fenestre-Marek
Malachi Newton
Rachael Carson
Connie Hambrock
Christopher Seaton
Whitney Petelka
Vendors
Tintypes by Kelsey Tiara Photography
LuckyGirl Eleven
Scary Rigged Jewelry
Mountain Moon Jewelry
Lyndsey Ullom Art
Camp Queer Creative Co
Amy Treats
Soothsayer Teahouse and Apothecary
Roshani Designs
Art by Demetrius
Herd Reject Arts
Crafted Hodgepodgery
Tennessee Tea Jars
LevelUp Studios
Enchanted Blessings
Blue Monday
Hambrock Holistic
… and more!
...And more fun to be announced!
A Brief History of Spiritualism
In the early decades of Mabry-Hazen House’s history, Spiritualism, a new religious movement aimed at proving the immortality of the soul by communicating with the spirits of the dead, spread in popularity across the United States. It gave many solace during a time of grief, for others proved a form of entertainment, and for some a livelihood earned from the credulous. In many peoples’ eyes, it even provided empirical proof of the immortality of the soul and life after death.
Claiming an ability to speak with the dead, mediums conducted séances for the curious and devout alike and ostensibly offered empirical evidence of manifestation of spirits. By 1897, spiritualism was said to have more than eight million followers in the United States and Europe, mostly drawn from the middle and upper classes.
Unfortunately, the height of the Spiritualist movement was riddled with cases of fraud. True believers and practitioners were often overshadowed by crooks and con artists who preyed on those who wanted to speak with their deceased loved ones. Although its popularity diminished, Spiritualism remains a vibrant religion today and inspired numerous other spiritual and religious movements. New age philosophies, theosophy, and present-day psychics and mediums trace their lineage to Spiritualism.
The Mabry-Hazen family were no strangers to Spiritualism. In 1868, Joseph A. Mabry attended séances performed by Spiritualist, Madame Mansfield. Evelyn Hazen, last descendant to live in Mabry-Hazen House, was a believer and practitioner of several offshoots of the Spiritualist religion and a small temporary exhibit will be on display showcasing artifacts from this theme.