Local haunts celebrate the witching month with events from sunrise to sundown.

‘Headstones, Hearses and Heartache’
Learn more about the rituals and customs behind modern day funeral practices at Oaklands Historic House Museum’s

monthlong exhibit, “Headstones, Hearses and Heartache:  200 Years of Mourning Customs.”  

This exhibit will be open during regular museum hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. through October.

Learn more about 19th century mourning customs during several special exhibits and events presented by Oaklands Historic House Museum.

“Widows, Weepers, and Wakes:  Victorian Mourning Customs” may also be viewed by the public this month.

The exhibit will focus on how the mansion was placed in mourning during the Victorian Era.

Customs such as draping the mirrors, how long a widow would mourn for her husband or children, social expectations and dress will be explored.

Special evening tours will be offered from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday and Oct. 14, including mansion tours and entrance to the exhibit “Headstones, Hearses, and Heartaches: 200 Years of Mourning Customs.”

Oaklands will also explore Evergreen Cemetery with the “Memories of Murfreesboro Daytime Tour,” which includes a morning tour of the cemetery and a catered lunch. This event takes place Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $25 and reservations are required.

“Memories of Murfreesboro Tours of Evergreen Cemetery” will be held Oct. 21 and 22. Tours of Evergreen Cemetery will offer visitors insight of early residents of Murfreesboro.

With a paid admission, visitors will be able to receive tours of Evergreen Cemetery and Oaklands Mansion.  Tickets are $10 per person.

Oaklands Historic House Museum is located at 900 N. Maney Ave. For more information or to make reservations, contact Oaklands Historic House Museum at 615-893-0022 or e-mail info@oaklandsmuseum.org.

‘Cult of Mourning’
The Sam Davis Home in Smyrna will also explore the “Cult of Mourning” with a monthlong exhibit.

The “Cult of Mourning” was at its peak from 1850 until 1890.

The house will be prepared for a funeral, with mirrors draped in black cloth and clocks stopped at the time of death. Visitors will be able to view mourning artifacts and learn how residents paid their respects and mourned for the deceased during the 19th century.

The historic house also promises “A Frightful Night” on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.

As darkness falls, visitors will sink their teeth into a delicious meal in the historic Creek House before encountering frightful things in the Henry King Theater for the scheduled viewing of a classic frightful film.

Once the film has ceased, visitors will embark on a haunted hayride for an evening of true haunting tales told from staff experiences at the Sam Davis Home.

Reservations are required. Admission is $25 per person.

For the truly brave, the home is also offering haunted hayrides Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.

The haunts of the Sam Davis Home surround the hayride as tour guides and volunteers share their encounters in the home and on the plantation.

Admission is $5 per person.

Ghost tours are not recommended for children under the age of 10. The event is weather dependent.