Epilogue

This epilogue highlights the Lily Dale Museum, where the history of Lily Dale is collected. The history of Lily Dale has been lovingly cared for by residents, the hamlet, and students of the Spiritualist movement, though perhaps not centrally preserved. But even without indexes and finding aids, the museum is painstakingly maintained, preserving Lily Dale’s history for future generations of seekers. At its founding, Spiritualism was a faith of both rationalism and emotionalism. In the nineteenth century, as today, it purports to provide scientific evidence of life after death. At the same time, it tapped into the very human experiences of grief, isolation, and curiosity. There are also histories of fraud, alcoholism, and spiritual hucksters in Lily Dale. Despite these painful passages—or perhaps because of them—Lily Dale continues to be the largest Spiritualist camp in the world.