Beacon Hill residents won’t have to travel far to experience the supernatural this season. On October 30th, right in our own backyard, the William Hickling Prescott House at 55 Beacon St. is playing host to ‘Whispers from the Veil: A Victorian Séance Experience,’ a captivating evening that bridges early 20th century history and Jazz Age spiritualism.
Located just steps from the Boston Common, this historic Federal-style mansion sets the perfect local stage to examine how grief, mystery, and scientific inquiry once collided in historic New England drawing rooms. In the 1920s, Boston society was gripped by a flurry of table-tipping and bell ringing, led by the charismatic Mina Crandon, famously known as ‘The Witch of Lime Street.’
The highlight of the evening features a historical re-creation of a 1920s séance led by Crandon, portrayed by the inimitable Laura Rocklyn. Guests will step into the dim lights to experience the mysterious rappings and otherworldly manifestations that once baffled top scientists and enraged master illusionist Harry Houdini. Following the performance, attendees can step back across the veil for an interactive Q&A session with Crandon herself to ask about her spirit guide Walter, her fierce rivalry with Houdini, and the thin line between psychic wonder and theatrical illusion.
Complementing the performance is a pop-up micro-exhibit of 19th-century mourning clothes and accessories drawn from the museum’s extensive costume collection. These fragile garments offer a haunting look into how historic Boston families visually processed sorrow and commemorated the dead during an era of frequent brushes with mortality. Together, the exhibition and performance offer Beacon Hill neighbors an immersive, unforgettable journey into how Bostonians sought comfort in the unknown.
Tickets to ‘Whispers from the Veil’ are available at Eventbrite, NSCDAMA.org, or CrescendoProductions.com.
Mina Crandon in 1924, “The Witch of Lime Street”. (Wikimedia commons – Public Domain)