Haunting Humanities returns with a wicked lineup of attractions
LAWRENCE — The Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas will bring the mysterious, the magical and the macabre to downtown Lawrence next week with Haunting Humanities, the all-ages “science fair for the humanities” with a Halloween twist.
Haunting Humanities will explore the spooky side of history, literature, art and culture through chilling activities, historical games and eerie stories inspired by scholarly research. This year’s festival will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 29 at Abe & Jake’s Landing.
“Haunting Humanities is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Giselle Anatol, director of the Hall Center. “This festival bridges our campus and the community through shared curiosity, transforming scholarly research into something accessible, engaging and delightfully unexpected.”
Visitors will receive a map of the venue and can guide themselves through a series of innovative presentations, activities, games and enactments at their own pace. Each exhibit will have a rating — G, PG, PG-13 or R — listed in the event’s program to indicate whether it is appropriate for younger audiences or adults. Food will be available for purchase from Trav’s BBQ, and the Abe & Jake’s bar will feature a unique menu of spooky boutique cocktails.
Haunting Humanities is a KU original. It began as the brainchild of the Public Humanities Roundtable, a loosely knit group convened by the Hall Center, of faculty, staff and community partners who were interested in developing new ways for humanities researchers to engage the public interactively with their work.
Haunting Humanities has a host of community partners, including the Friends of the Hall Center, Kansas Public Radio, the city of Lawrence, eXplore Lawrence, Coneflower Consulting and numerous KU academic departments.
This year’s attractions include:
Seance It Ain’t So!: Nineteenth-Century Women Who Communed with the Dead & Men Who Called it a Hoax (PG)
In the 19th century, séances were popular with many American Victorian women. Find out what it was like to attend a séance and discover the proto-feminist roots of the 19th-century spiritualist movement.
“Upon That Night When Fairies Light”: Victorian Halloween Parlour Games (PG)
Discover the enchanted Victorian parlour and participate in divination games, word games and other such diversions with which the Victorians entertained their guests.
The Monstrous Cute of Japanese Mascots (G)
Explore the world of Japan’s monsters and mascots from the cute to the creepy, often sharing features with yokai, the traditional monsters of Japanese folklore. Participants can learn about these mascots before designing their own.
Museum Detective (G)
The Watkins Museum of History will display a variety of artifacts — some genuine, some reproductions. Spot the differences and win the chance to play for prizes.
Arachne’s Web: Weaving Together Spider Myths, Textiles, and Science (PG)
Hear the tale of Arachne — a young maiden so skilled at weaving, she won a challenge against the goddess Athena and was turned into a spider — while weaving friendship bracelets and playing spider-themed games.
Prospero’s Pernicious Proposal Escape Room (PG-13)
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” this interactive escape room explores the colorful halls of Prince Prospero, a man who seals himself away from the world’s suffering and mocks Death. When the final bell tolls, the Red Death awaits.
Haunted Lawrence: A Digital Tour (G)
Journey with Paul Thomas, author of “Haunted Lawrence,” into the past to learn about the stories of the ghosts roaming the streets of Lawrence. Participants can share ghost stories to be featured on the interactive digital map.
To view the full list of attractions and activities, visit the Hall Center's Haunting Humanities website.