This October, Marietta's own William Root House Museum is rolling out the black crepe for a Victorian-style funeral experience that will immerse visitors in the macabre atmosphere of 19th-century mourning practices. The historical house, managed by Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, is presenting its uniquely somber exhibit throughout the month, highlighting how family deaths were observed during the 1850s, specifically reflecting on October 11, 1856, when Hannah Root's father, Leonard Simpson, passed away in their shared home.
The Root House's normally cheery historical displays take a turn towards the somber side with rooms draped in dark fabrics and furnished with artifacts that might seem morbid to modern sensibilities, including mourning jewelry fashioned from human hair, 19th century embalming tools, and other remnants that unravel the tapestry of Victorian death rituals as cited by the City of Marietta’s official website. Additionally, for those looking for a nighttime thrill, the museum offers two exclusive late-night events: the Midnight Wake and the Victorian Funeral Flashlight Tours, both designed to deliver an intimate encounter with the past.
On October 11, the Midnight Wake beckons the bravest of visitors to take a candlelit journey through the historic home, learning about Victorian embalming and funeral practices just before the clock ticks to Leonard Simpson's death anniversary—this tour also features a recitation of a death poem composed by Simpson himself. Space for this VIP experience is snug with admission capped at 13 guests; as the City of Marietta's notice elaborates, "By purchasing a ticket, you acknowledge that you understand this program will include adult themes."
Later in the month on October 25, the Victorian Funeral Flashlight Tours offer a chance to shadow the crepuscular corridors of the Root House, under the faint beam of flashlights, casting light on the same array of funeral-related paraphernalia much like the daytime viewings, but with the added shroud of night hanging palpably over the experience; tickets for these self-guided tours can be snagged at a lower rate if purchased in advance, and no passes or discounts will apply, per details provided by the municipal announcement.
The William Root House Museum, stewarded by Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, stands not merely as an educational establishment but as a tactile conduit to the 19th-century Marietta, inviting the living to brush elbows with the traditions of the dead; the museum, with its period gardens and exhibits, usually operates Wednesday through Saturday, from 10am to 4pm. More information about the museum, the Victorian funeral exhibit, and related events can be found by paying a visit to the Root House Museum's dedicated webpage.
