When Oaklands Mansion and the plantation were in their prime, honoring the dead was dramatically different. Throughout the entire month of October, Oaklands Historic House Museum shows how mourning was carried out. The public is invited to come explore the unusual mourning customs and creepy superstitions of the Victorian era at Oaklands Mansion, 900 North Maney Avenue.
The clocks in the deceased person's home were stopped at the hour of their death, the curtains were drawn and the mirrors draped in black.
Oaklands Mansion Executive Director James Manning said, "Oaklands is the perfect example of a hands-on teaching tool. The rotating exhibitions allow us to alternately show the joy and the pain experienced on the plantation. Mourning customs exploration allows us to show what a drastic cultural change our society has experienced when mourning the loss of a loved one."
During this special in-house exhibit be sure to enjoy other events at the mansion such as, Flashlight Night which will take place Friday, October 28th from 7:00-10:00PM and Tours of Evergreen Cemetery to take place on Saturday, October 29th. These special tours will come to an end on Halloween night as the mansion is set to receive spooky visitors for Trick-or-Treating at 4pm until all the candy has been given away. Visit our website and Facebook page for times and ticket information for all of these spooky events.
Guided tours of the mansion conducted by era costumed mourners will be offered during regular visiting hours, Tuesday - Saturday 10:00AM - 4:00PM and Sundays 1:00PM- 4:00PM in October. The last tour each day begins at 3PM. Regular admission rates apply. For reservations and rates for groups, contact Mary Beth Nevills, Educational Director of Oaklands Mansion.
Admission is $15.00 for adults, $12 for seniors and AAA, $6.00 for children and students, call for group rates. For more information visit www.OaklandsMansion.org, find Oaklands Mansion on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
