Webinar – History in the Shadows: Incorporating Dark Tourism at Historic Sites

Museums around the country embrace the Halloween season by tapping into the growing phenomenon of dark tourism to captivate and educate visitors. The John Jay French Museum in Beaumont, Texas embraced the allure of spooky season by partnering with a paranormal investigation team to delve into unexplained occurrences surrounding the historic house museum. Together, they hosted an October event that revealed their findings to the community.

Shelby Brannan and Karli Stansbury discuss this innovative program, its alignment with the museum’s mission, and the logistics of planning for such a unique event. Learn how this initiative attracted new visitors, many of whom never engaged with the museum before, and how dark tourism can create educational and engaging opportunities for heritage organizations. This webinar is perfect for those curious about integrating Halloween’s spooky charm into museum programming along with the importance of balancing sensitive historical narratives with community engagement and tourism development.