Spirits in the Night Come Alive for
Oak Park
Ghost Walk
Explore
the ghostly stories that are woven into the history of some of Oak
Park’s most stately Victorian homes at “Spirits of the Night”,
the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest’s haunted
house walk. This two-hour walking tour on Friday, October 28 will
feature costumed interpreters who will tell the compelling stories of
the former inhabitants of these homes who can’t seem to leave.
Reservations
are required
for this event and
ticket sales are limited. The
tour includes four haunted sites (two
of which are new for 2011), and an authentic
Victorian wake.
Also
new this year ... meet local
paranormals who will unlock the secrets
of the spirit world and share some of their "ghostbusting" efforts
to "cleanse" houses of unwanted visitors. Participants
will meet the spirits of former residents who will share their
stories and describe their encounters with the present homeowners.
The
final stop of the tour will be at the home of John Jones, the last
president of the Cicero Township, who died in 1904. Visitors will
pay their respects to the Widow Jones as she mourns her departed
husband who will be laid out in the parlor. This Victorian wake will
be complete with professional “wailers”, flowers and the local
undertaker Charles Drechsler who will give a history of funeral
customs at the turn of the century.
Admission
is $20 for non-members and $15 for members and $8 for children 12 and
under who must be accompanied by an adult. To make reservations go to
the Historical Society website at www.oprfhistory.org or call
(708)
848-6755.
After
reservations are made you will be assigned a group departure time
between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m.; reservation times will be assigned in the
order they are received.
Tour groups will depart from the
Oak Park Township parking lot (105 S. Oak Park Avenue) between 7 p.m.
and 8:30 p.m., rain or shine.
This
program benefits the Historical Society of Oak Park & River
Forest, a not-for-profit organization that operates a museum and
research center as well as conducts history programs for the
community.
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