Visitors will be able to get a unique look of the historic Tanner House Museum in Aurora during candlelit tours set to begin Friday.
The popular Death Comes to the Tanner House attraction at the museum is being replaced this year by a program called The Tanner House Candlelight Tours that will be offered by the Aurora Historical Society every Friday and Saturday night in October, beginning this Friday.
According to a press release from the Historical Society, visitors will be allowed to explore the house and grounds for an hour during the tour.
“The one-hour ticketed tour, for ages 16 and up, will begin with a brief introduction that includes the history of the house and the family that inhabited it,” the release said. “Guests will then be able to explore portions of the home and grounds, aided and informed by docents stationed throughout the property. The house will be dimly lit to enhance the ambiance of the season. Guests are free to bring their own flashlights and other gear.”
Aurora Historical Society Executive Director John Jaros said the Death Comes to the Tanner House series had kind of run its course and that “it was a very strong event while we had it going, but it was possibly time to try something new.”
“Some of our people said, why don’t we have this candlelight tour and see what we can find? I guess it’s going to be kind of spooky. It’s very atmospheric,” Jaros said. “People are going to have a chance to go in small groups of no more than 10 in a one-hour show. People will get about a five- to 10-minute introduction in the parlor about the history of the house and a little about who lived, died and got married there, and then they’ll be left to explore the house.”
Jaros said the added feature this year will be that guests “would receive for use that evening an EMF (electromagnetic field) meter that some people say indicates paranormal activity.”
“People will be able to explore for themselves and see what they can find. They’re welcome to bring their cameras and take pictures and flashlights,” he said. “I think what might make this scary is that we’ve never shown the house this dimly lit. We won’t have candles because of fire safety, but we’re using battery-powered candles and any overhead lights we’re using we’ve put very low wattage bulbs in them, and it really does lend a feeling of spooky exploration.”
Jaros said there was some testing done a few days before the opening of the tours and “some of us found some activity on the meters.”
“I personally have never had any ghostly experiences at the house although I know some people who believe they have,” Jaros said. “I can’t say this is a haunted house or anything like that, but people are always interested and asking about that. This is a chance for people to come and explore for themselves. I’m finding the house really shows well in dim light which is probably close to what the Tanners had in the days of gaslight.”
Tours will run at 7 and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the month of October. Ticket prices are $29 per individual or $49 per couple, with discounts for Aurora Historical Society members.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, and can be found online at aurorahistory.org
The Tanner House Museum, at the corner of Oak Avenue and Cedar Street in Aurora, was originally the home of William A. Tanner (1815-1892) and his family. It has been owned and operated by the Aurora Historical Society since 1936.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.