A historic building is getting spooky at The University Alabama. The Haunting at the Museum, hosted by University of Alabama Museums, returns to the Gorgas House Museum through October 31. The Gorgas House Museum is located at 810 Capstone Drive in Tuscaloosa. Admission is free and Halloween costumes are encouraged.
Guests will hear spooky stories associated with the home during regular operating hours. Those times are from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“You can expect seasonal decorations and theatrical lighting. They provide a spooky and fun ambience in the home,” said Dr. Brandon Thompson, director of the Gorgas House Museum. “What we do [is] when you come in, instead of giving our typical guided tour, we will give you a haunted seasonally themed tour talking about the ghost stories and the spectral anomalies that people have experienced in the home and around the space. A typical tour will last anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes.”
Thompson said visitors often come to the museum for this type of seasonal events and will also return for the normal day-to-day experience. The building has been around for a long time, and Thompson said history behind it is interesting.
“The Gorgas House is the first and oldest building on campus. It was built in 1829,” he explained. “[It] originally served as a dining hall, but it's been a bunch of different things, including a post office, a hospital, hotel, a lecture space. We've been a museum since 1954, dedicated to the Gorgas family: Josiah who was the eighth president of the university. Amelia Gayle Gorgas was the university's librarian post-mistress and nurse matron. Their oldest son, William Gorgas, is known for eliminating malaria and yellow fever in the Panama Canal.”
The Gorgas family occupied the home from 1879-1953. According to UA, the Gorgas House Museum showcases original Gorgas furnishings, memorabilia and a collection of 19th century artifacts. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Read more about the Gorgas House Museum here.
