Halloween may be over but that doesn’t mean the mystique of many spooky towns near NYC dies out afterwards. In fact, the town of Lily Dale doesn’t believe in death at all!
The area has been a hub for spiritual healers and mediums since 1879. The entire international member organization and residential community practices spiritualism—it’s actually a requirement in order to be a part of the Lily Dale Assembly, the largest spiritualist community in the world.
One of the main principles of spiritualism is that even in death, spirits survive their bodies by entering into spirit existence, therefore they have technically not died.
Lily Dale is also known for its mediumship. To be a Lily Dale medium you must be registered with the Assembly and the Medium’s League. There’s over 50 certified mediums with a total population under 300.
And not just anyone can join the community. In order to own a house, you must first be a good standing member of Lily Dale Assembly, receive an application from the Lily Dale Assembly office to buy a leasehold, complete the leasehold and application fee, pay an annual assessment to Lily Dale Assembly, and more.
According to the town’s website, “what is different about Lily Dale is not visible.” Interested in visiting? There are numerous accommodations from hotels to guesthouses. But beware, you’ll need to pay a gate fee for each day you are there.
While you’re in town, be sure to make an appointment for a reading, attend a spiritual healing service at the Healing Temple, and visit the Lily Dale Auditorium.
Find out more about the town of Lily Dale on their website.