America’s Oldest Spiritualist Community Has Been Communing with the Afterlife Since the 19th Century

Lily Dale Assembly, NY

In 1879, a group of Spiritualists bought some lakeside land in western New York and created a permanent home for mediums. It’s called Lily Dale Assembly, and it isn’t a gimmick. It’s America’s oldest Spiritualist community.

Lily Dale Assembly still operates much like it did in 1879, complete with Victorian architecture, daily séances, and strict rules about who can live inside its gates.

People Go Here to Talk to Their Departed Loved Ones

This spiritual hotspot sits just an hour’s drive from Buffalo. Founded back in 1879, Lily Dale covers 167 acres next to Cassadaga Lake and has 160 private homes.

Only 275 people live here year-round, but more than 22,000 visitors show up each summer. They come from all over the world to meet with the 37 to 54 registered mediums who give readings in private or at public gatherings where you can connect with loved ones who have passed on.

Two Young Sisters Started It All

In March 1848, Maggie (14) and Kate Fox (11) told neighbors they heard strange knocking sounds in their Hydesville, NY home. They figured out how to talk with what they believed was a murdered peddler’s ghost buried under their house.

This kicked off the Spiritualist movement across western New York, an area already famous for religious revivals. The Fox sisters, as managed by their older sister Leah, later held séances for big crowds, and even President Lincoln reportedly attended one at the White House after his son died.

You Can’t Just Show Up And Be A Medium Here

If you want to give readings at Lily Dale, you’ve got to prove yourself first. Each would-be medium must pass three 30-minute test readings watched by the Board of Directors.

During these tests, you have to show you can really connect with spirits and give accurate messages to complete strangers. Right now, the community has 37 registered mediums, though they’ve had up to 54 before.

Only approved mediums can do private readings here, and they typically charge between $35 and $75 per hour.

The Fox Sisters’ House Was Here Until It Burned Down

The original Fox family cottage was moved from Hydesville to Lily Dale in 1915 as a special historic site. It stood for 40 years until it completely burned down on September 21, 1955.

Now, you’ll find a peaceful meditation garden where the cottage once stood. If you visit the Lily Dale Museum, you can see several Fox Sisters items, including the alphabet chart they used for spirit communication and personal belongings from their days as America’s first famous mediums.

The First Pet Cemetery In America

America’s oldest pet cemetery began on February 13, 1900, after a work horse named Topsy fell through the ice on Cassadaga Lake while collecting ice blocks. You’ll find the cemetery along a path in Leolyn Woods, with hundreds of pet graves from the past 125 years.

Each year on July 26, they hold a Pet Remembrance Celebration where you can honor animals who have died. People here believe animals have spirits that live on after death, just like humans do.

Mediums Offer Free Readings Twice a Day

You can attend free message services twice daily at 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM during summer at Inspiration Stump. The original tree stump, used since 1898, was eventually replaced with a concrete copy after lightning struck it.

Many believe it’s a spiritual energy hotspot where mediums stand to share messages from the spirit world with audience members. Each medium usually gives 2-3 messages during the one-hour service, and it’s all included with your gate ticket.

Surrounded by Old-Growth Forests

When you walk through Leolyn Woods, you’re among living giants. This untouched 10-acre forest has eastern white pines stretching 135 feet high, along with northern red oaks, hemlocks, cucumber magnolias, maples, and black cherries.

Some trees are 200-400 years old—meaning they were already growing before European settlers arrived. Unlike most parks, fallen trees stay where they land—nothing gets cut down or removed.

You’ll find signs identifying 14 different tree species along the shaded paths.

The Town Changed Its Name Twice

When it started on June 15, 1879, this place was called Cassadaga Lake Free Association and served as a summer camp for Spiritualists and free thinkers.

In 1903, they renamed it ‘The City of Light’ to better reflect its spiritual mission. Finally, in 1906, it became Lily Dale Assembly, the name it still has today.

In 2022, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its importance as America’s oldest continuously running Spiritualist center.

Candles and Incense Are Banned

Surprisingly, you can’t use candles or incense anywhere in Lily Dale, even though these are common spiritual tools. This rule exists because most buildings here are over 140 years old and made of wood, creating serious fire risks.

The rule was strengthened after the historic Fox Cottage burned down in 1955. Even the Maplewood Hotel, built in 1880, has a sign in its lobby saying ‘No Seances, readings or healings allowed,’ partly for fire safety reasons. All spiritual work must happen without open flames.

The World’s Biggest Collection Of Spiritualist Books

The Marion H. Skidmore Library holds the largest collection of Spiritualist books anywhere, with thousands of rare volumes dating back to the movement’s beginnings. Located on Cottage Row facing Melrose Park, scholars from around the world come to use this special research library.

You can find first editions of early Spiritualist books, personal letters from movement founders, and complete sets of Spiritualist magazines from the 1800s. You can’t check books out, but you’re welcome to study them there.

Famous Women’s Rights Activists Gave Speeches Here To Thousands

Susan B. Anthony first spoke at Lily Dale in 1891 to a crowd of 3,000 people. The very first speaker here was Elizabeth Lowe Watson, another women’s rights supporter. Even Harriet Beecher Stowe, the famous anti-slavery author, came to visit.

From the very beginning, Lily Dale has supported progressive causes like women’s voting rights, ending slavery, and fighting discrimination. The National Spiritualist Association of Churches, which has its headquarters here, adopted policies against discrimination as early as 1900.

Visiting Lily Dale Assembly In 2025

You’ll find Lily Dale Assembly at 5 Melrose Park, Lily Dale, NY 14752.

The 2025 summer season runs from June 27 through September 1, with daily entry fees. You can get in free during the off-season and Sunday mornings.

If you’re camping, tent and RV spots are available, and the grounds include a beach, cafés, bookstores, and a museum.