Mourning Otis at Rose Hill Mansion: An October Evening Tour in Geneva Worth Planning Around

Two nights before Halloween, Rose Hill Mansion opens its doors after dark for Mourning Otis — a special evening tour built around one of the more quietly fascinating chapters of American history: the elaborate rituals of Victorian mourning. What did grief look like in 1860? It looked like specific objects, specific clothing, specific timelines, period decor placed with intention. The mansion itself, an 1839 Greek Revival landmark perched above Seneca Lake, has stood through enough history to make the subject feel less like a lecture and more like a conversation across time. An evening tour here — with fall dark coming early and the lake beyond the windows — is exactly the right container for a story about how people have always needed ceremony.

Date: Friday–Saturday, October 23–24, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Rose Hill Mansion, Route 96A, Geneva, NY Cost: $12

Advance tickets are required — purchase at historicgeneva.org before capacity fills. This is a limited-capacity evening event.