Death & Mourning Tours at the Historic Athens Welcome Center
The Historic Athens Welcome Center will host its popular “Death & Mourning Tours” Fridays at 5:30 PM through October which share the mourning customs of the early 19th century. New additions to the program this year include a photography exhibit of funerary art by Jennifer Keane and Caitlin Short as well as mourning custom artifacts on display.
Tours are $20 and take place at the c. 1820 Church-Waddel-Brumby house, where the welcome center operates. The parlor, dining room and study of the house museum will be dressed in mourning decor inspired by what was customary at the time of Mrs. Eliza Waddel’s death in 1830. During the tour, guests will learn about the traditions, beliefs, superstitions, fashions, and art related to mourning customs of Western and West African cultures.
“This is a fascinating topic that offers insights into the traditions of the early 1800s surrounding death and tragedy, but it’s also interesting to learn about the ways in which status was communicated through mourning fashion and decor,” said tour guide Libba Beaucham.
The Welcome Center is located at 280 E. Dougherty Street in Athens, Georgia. There is a small parking lot with handicap spaces available. Street parking is also available nearby through the ParkMobile app. A wheelchair lift is on-site but due to the historic nature of the house museum, the upstairs area is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets are available online at athenswelcomecenter.com or by calling 706-353-1820.
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Located in the charming c. 1820 Church-Waddel-Brumby House Museum, the Historic Athens Welcome Center offers a wealth of local knowledge and statewide resources for visitors, guided history tours, and educational programs for the community.
