In the aftermath of the Civil War, Americans turned to the spirit world to make sense of staggering mortal losses and uncertain futures. In New Orleans, Afro-Creole mediums gathered around séance tables to commune with the dead.

Join us for an evening tour, using the Mansion as a backdrop, for tales of the Victorian-era phenomenon of Spiritualism and the heavy influence of death and mourning on Victorian society. Following the tour with be a brief talk and demonstration on the special effects behind the seances that fooled and inspired the public for decades. 

Join Victoria Mansion and Portland Ballet as we explore 6 stories from the 19th century that are told very differently in today's popular culture. Dancers will perform excerpts from their fall ballet, “Alice in Wonderland", then guests will be led around the Mansion to hear the original stories of tales we all think we know.

Learn about “Cabinets of Curiosities,” which date back to the 1500s and were the origins of the modern natural history museum. Cabinets of Curiosities were early ways to organise and display objects of wonder, and sparked eclectic Victorian hobbies of collecting, displaying, and preserving the world around them. 

Since 2021, Victoria Mansion has been researching and sharing the stories of the individuals enslaved by the Morses in New Orleans, and how their unpaid labor provided the funds to build this beautiful summer home. Victoria Mansion has been working with artist Carl Joe Williams to produce a piece of art to bring the stories of the Unwilling Architects Initiative to life.