LAKE GENEVA – Looking for a haunting getaway this October?
Lake Geneva’s Black Point Estate & Gardens invites visitors to explore a time when séances were fashionable, mysterious creatures were reported in Wisconsin waters and gothic tales captivated the public’s imagination.
Three curated experiences offer a glimpse into the fascinating history of the Victorian era and Lake Geneva.
Two of the experiences unfold inside the historic 1888 mansion overlooking Lake Geneva, including the rare opportunity to visit the estate after dark. On Oct. 2, 9 and 23, just 13 guests per evening can step inside the mansion for an intimate exploration of Victorian spiritualism, a movement that surged in popularity during the mid-to-late 1800s.
Set in the home’s dining room, Black Point Estate & Gardens Site Director David Desimone will discuss the Victorian fascination with death and communicating with the departed, share stories of the Fox sisters, who helped launch the spiritualist movement in America, and explore Wisconsin’s connection to spiritualism, including Whitewater’s Morris Pratt Institute, the country’s first spiritualist school. Guests can also enjoy a cordial during the presentation.
The experience runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and is $75 per person. Advance registration is required.
“Each October, we embrace all that’s fascinating and a bit scary about this special time of the year,” said Desimone. “I’ve long been intrigued by Wisconsin’s connection to the spiritualism trend that took hold during the Victorian era. After researching the topic extensively, I enjoy sharing this knowledge with those attendees who are curious about the topic and enjoy learning more.”
For an evening of gothic tales, guests can board a sunset cruise with Lake Geneva Cruise Line on Oct. 15, 16 and 17 for “Poe at the Point.” The excursion carries guests across Lake Geneva to Black Point Estate & Gardens, once the home of Chicago beer baron Conrad Seipp. Following a first-floor tour of the historic mansion, Poe historian and author Joshua Dubbert will read three of Edgar Allan Poe’s most revered tales – “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven” and “The Masque of the Red Death”– during a 45-minute presentation in the home’s parlor. The experience runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and includes round-trip boat transportation, the estate tour and reading. Tickets are $85 for adults, $83 for seniors (65+), and $49 for youth (age 13 to 17). Advance registration is required.
Lake Geneva’s more unusual history is highlighted during “Sordid and Scandalous: A Walking Tour of Lake Geneva,” offered Oct. 3, 10 and 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. During the 90-minute tour, knowledgeable Black Point Estate & Gardens docents share stories of bank robberies, riots, Prohibition-era gangsters and scandals, along with some of the area’s more mysterious legends, including, a reported sea serpent sighting on Lake Geneva in July 1892 and tales of flying saucers. Tickets are $25 per person, and advance registration is required.
For further information, visit blackpointestate.org. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission and 10% off select ticketed events and store merchandise.