AUBURN, N.Y. (NCC News) — A home owned by a member of President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet is being used as a haunted house this weekend. The Seward House in Auburn, home of former Secretary of State William Seward, is a museum turned haunted house. Seward and his family lived in the house for nearly 50 years (1824-1872).
The tours this weekend focus on the history of the Seward House and Auburn. The guides tell real stories about the town’s chilling past. The home’s Director of Development Maria Coleman said one tale involves a creepy Victorian burial practice.
“There was a fear of being buried alive, so when somebody passed away. They would tie string around their finger in the casket and then put a bell outside of it,” Coleman said. “So if for some reason that person was buried alive and they woke up after, they could pull the string and then the bell would ring in the graveyard.”
Due to this Victorian theme, the guides dress in 19th century style. The female guides wear hoop skirts and shawls, while the men wear suit jackets and cravates. The tour doesn’t just stay on the Seward property. Coleman said the tour focuses on the city’s history too.
“It takes visitors through the Seward House gardens and then on a little loop through downtown Auburn,” Coleman said. “So we visit some of the main kind of historical sites that are close to us downtown.”
Each location and historical site triggers a story for the guides. The tours go to the town courthouse, where Seward himself used to practice law. The guides tell eerie stories of murder cases that Seward was assigned to.
When they go to the Harriet Tubman Statue at the Equal Rights Heritage Center, the guides tell stories about Tubman’s relationship with William Seward’s daughter, Fanny Seward. One story that’s told involves Tubman having a vision predicting the death of Fanny Seward just before Fanny actually died.
Each story is bone-chillingly true. This is why Coleman said the tour takes some maturity.
“What we try to do with our stories each year is keep them rooted in history so we’re not going to the fantastical stories or really getting it spooky — vampires and all that stuff.” Coleman said. “It’s not really for really little kids. Either they wouldn’t be interested or some of the stories might be a little scary for them, talking about murder and things like that.”
This hasn’t stopped plenty of people from coming. Tickets are sold out for all the tours this weekend. The museum is holding hour-long tours Friday and Saturday at 6, 7, and 8 p.m.
