Has anyone been here? Village of Lily Dale

As I am reading “Green Witchcraft” there is a mention of a place in New York that I was curious if anyone has been to or heard of. The place is The Village of Lily Dale, the birthplace of spiritism.
Before I do a Google search on it I thought maybe someone here might know of it. @christina4 is this near you?

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Now you got me interested. I can’t wait to see what others know about the place.

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My interest is piqued! I can’t wait to see if we know someone from around there & what they can tell us! I’m just going to wait with @praecog29

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Me either!

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I grew up a few hours drive from there. I’m sure there are true psychics and talented people, but so many “Muggles” go there for kicks or a thrill. It’s become something of a tourist trap.
Still, it’s worth the drive to enjoy the countryside. Vineyard’s, a place called “Walkers” that sell their home grown fruit, juice in season. Nice rolling hills. I miss home.

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I’ve heard about it, but that’s about it. Not much else besides that.

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I don’t believe so. I’ve heard of it I would work on a google search lol just to be sure.
Edit: I just looked it up…
It’s on the eastern side of New York near the Penn border and I’m on the south east side of NY.

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Thank you Garnet!

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Ahh okay, I’m an east coast girl myself :wink:

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I’ve never been there but it does sound interesting! Even if touristy, the place looks beautiful from what I’ve seen in the Youtube videos!

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A new witchy travel destination? Had to look into this one! :star_struck:

A Google search brought up a few articles that solidified what others mentioned here- the Village of Lily Dale is a small community in New York that exploded in popularity among spiritualists and mediums.

I couldn’t resist this article by Business Insider, as the monetization of spiritualism and witchcraft is a topic of somewhat depressing fascination of mine :sweat_smile: The article turned out to actually be pretty good- it’s un-biased, showing spirituality in a fact-based (and sometimes even positive) light.

I agree with the article that such places will always attract people who are just in for the money, and also nay-saying skeptics. The article put it well in that you “get what you believe” out of places like Lily Dale. I think it’s a bit like Salem, MA in this sense! You have to go to such places with an open mind, while also being aware that not everyone there is offering an authentic experience.

Really interesting to learn about the Village of Lily Dale! Thanks so much for sharing, @Rowan :heart:

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I saw that edit :sweat_smile:

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I didn’t mean to distain Lily Dale. I haven’t visited in decades. What I do remember was a quaint little village, (pop.275) beautiful, well tended homes and nice people. It sits on Cassadaga Lake in upstate NY(read Western).


There is an entrance fee of $10 in season (Ends sept 1) Then there is no fee, but after sept 1, it rains, gets cold and on Halloween it snows, almost every year. Have fun.

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Lmao, :laughing: @christina4

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Thank you for looking into it.
It sounds like a good little road trip destination for sure. For me, the fact that it’s a village just sparks curiousity,
something just about the word “village”, gives a feeling of going back in time.
@Garnet I don’t think you distained Lily Dale. Thank you for your honest opinion.

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I think it’s legally a town, but at 275 people? a village

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Thanks for the photos!! I never lived in a place like that so I think it’s incredibly charming to the eye!

My wife has family in Massachussets so there’s a chance that we’ll go to the East Coast this year. But I’ve also never been to Salem, MA so I don’t know which one would be better for a short visit… :thinking:

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If you only have a short amount of time and have to choose between the two witchy locations, I think Salem will have more to offer for a visitor. There’s a collection of museums and witchy shops, but also a huge cultural scene, waterfront area, and rich history to explore as well.

But I should add a disclaimer that I am a Massachusetts native who has never been to Lily Dale, so I am super duper bias :joy::black_cat:

I think both would be worth a visit if someone has the chance to go! :world_map:

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Absolutely, Salem would be interesting

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