Park House Museum does well with this year's candlelight tours

Park House Museum curator Kat Bezaire leads a "Lanterns & Legends" candlelight tour last Friday night. Bezaire is reporting a record number of tickets were sold for this year's candlelight tours, with one weekend being the "Spooky Jane's Walk" and the other two being weekends strictly for the museum - "All Hallow's Eve" and "Lanterns & Legends."

A local museum is doing well when it comes to attracting people to its candlelight tours.

The Park House Museum held “Lanterns & Legends” tours last Friday and Saturday nights with the Oct. 23-24 weekend being the “All Hallow’s Eve” tours. 

Curator Kat Bezaire said things went well this Halloween season.

“We’re seeing an increase in interest and sales,” she said after one of her three tours last Friday night. 

The increased interest meant increased excitement, she indicated, and that also included additional volunteers.

“It’s awesome to have the extra help,” said Bezaire. “It makes the experiences a lot more fun.”

The tours involved local Halloween history and tales of weird and paranormal experiences that have been reported at the Park House Museum. Most of the two weekends had sold out tours, Bezaire reported.

Through the Park House Museum's social media accounts, Bezaire reported they sold "a record amount of tickets" and "we truly cannot thank you enough for your continued support."

The Park House Museum was part of the “Spooky Jane’s Walk” earlier in October as the lone Amherstburg stop. The “Spooky Jane’s Walk” helps pay for the free walk in the spring.

That tour included talks on what Bezaire and other curators and volunteers have experienced, including hearing unexplained noises, having visitors report of encountering people even though no one else was there, and a tale of a murder of someone who used to work there.

Tammy Dewhirst, a Jane’s Walk volunteer and president of the Windsor-Essex chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO), said the Jane’s Walk occurs the last weekend in April in Essex County and the first week of May. 

Dewhirst said the Jane’s Walk Festival started in Windsor but the local version expanded to Essex County. County efforts first included Amherstburg walks but has expanded across Essex County.

“We expanded to Essex County in 2023,” said Dewhirst.

Funds the “Spooky Jane’s Walk” covers from printing of programs, a GoPro camera, and other supplies needed to enhance the spring event and keep it free. The "Spooky Jane's Walk" raised $3,600 this year through its ten events, including the one at the Park House Museum.

Their 2027 springtime Jane's Walk  Festival will be April 22-25 in Essex County and April 29-May 2 in Windsor.

Park House Museum does well with this year's candlelight tours

By Ron Giofu