Introducing the Spirits of Cassadaga

One of Florida’s most unusual and misunderstood places, Cassadaga, isn’t a city or a town but a 57‑acre Spiritualist camp. Many of the 55 homes in the camp remain occupied by mediums who offer readings from their living rooms. In Cassadaga, mediums are the norm, and communicating with your loved ones who have passed on is an everyday event.

Discoveries in Cassadaga

As you enter the community, the 1927 Cassadaga Hotel comes into view. Although it is not part of the camp, the Cassadaga Hotel provides a historic place to stay. It’s also a psychic center with reputed resident spirits and the Sinatra Restaurant. Note: On Sundays, they host a lively Jazz Brunch.

Across the street, the Andrew Jackson Davis Building serves as the community’s visitor center, gift shop, and bookstore. A sunflower mural, the symbol of Spiritualism, covers one wall, delivering this positive energy:  “As the sunflower turns its face to the light of the Sun, so Spiritualism turns the face of humanity to the light of Truth.”

Tour Experiences in Cassadaga

For my visit, I decided to join the Historical Tour and the Encounter the Spirits Night Tour, led by the wonderfully knowledgeable Jamie Osman.

“Spiritualism is a science, philosophy, and a religion based on the continuity of life. We live by natural law,” explained Osman as we experienced the Historical Tour. “The most commonly known natural law is the law of attraction. The energy you give out is the energy that returns back to you.”

She traced the movement’s roots to Andrew Jackson Davis and the Fox sisters in the 1840s. Another notable person was George Colby, the medium who founded Cassadaga in 1875 after being guided to the area by his spirit guide, Seneca.

Parks, Gardens and Vortexes

Even without a spiritual reading, Cassadaga offers plenty to explore. The camp includes seven parks, meditation gardens, and several vortexes. Vortexes are points of concentrated psychic energy. Cassadaga itself sits on a natural vortex, with smaller ones forming over time through Spiritualist activity. You’ll find one at Seneca Park and another along the Fairy Trail in Horseshoe Park.

As we continued our tour, Osman pointed out several historic homes. The Richard Russell House, with a carved tree depicting an angel handing pennies to a little girl, gained my favor. The carving was done about 12 years ago because the owner kept receiving messages from the girl during his meditations. The girl was Evelyn Phelps, a sickly child who lived there in the 1920s. She loved playing with pennies: stacking them and rolling them down the stairs. She died in 1927 at age seven and a half. She’s buried just outside the camp. Her message to Mr. Russell was simple: “I want to be remembered.”

Discovering Cassadaga’s Parks

Between tours, I wandered through Seneca Park on Spirit Pond behind Colby Temple. This peaceful spot boasts benches, a pavilion, and a vortex between two trees facing the water. In contrast, Horseshoe Park’s Fairy Trail displays a whimsical mix of gnomes, tiny houses, bright trinkets, and art, including Fairy –one of Erica Group’s Wings of the West murals. There’s also a labyrinth for quiet reflection and a small shelter stocked with food bowls for the camp’s well‑cared‑for community cats.

Encountering the Spirits

When our Encounter the Spirits Night Tour began, we were joined by Piper, a small tabby cat with dainty white paws. One of the aforementioned community cats, Piper, often accompanies guests on tours. She stayed with us the entire time.

Our first stop was Brigham Hall, a three‑story white frame home built in 1897 by Drs. Sarah and Hubbard Brigham, who once held séances on the third floor. “We have in this building what we call residual haunting,” shared Osman. “This residual haunting is a Victorian lady dressed in a red dress. I’ve actually seen her walk the second‑floor veranda during a thunderstorm.” Naturally, we all started taking photos. In one of mine, three lights appeared on the second‑floor porch. They were gone when I zoomed in minutes later.

Osman shared some of her other experiences, including a photo she once took of a window that revealed three spirit faces. When she showed it to the 90‑year‑old medium who lived there then, the woman immediately identified them: “Oh, that’s my mother, my husband, and my daughter.”

Colby Monument is another active spot. As we walked through Seneca Park toward the vortex by Spirit Pond, I snapped a photo filled with orbs I hadn’t seen with my eyes. We each stood in the vortex and asked a loved one to come close. I called to my maternal grandmother but didn’t sense anything unusual.

Healing in the Colby Memorial Temple

Our final stop was Colby Memorial Temple, an octagonal Mediterranean Revival building from 1923. The front stage features a large sunflower image, and some benches date back to the temple’s earliest days. The séance room in back is known for its activity.

Osman described their Sunday services: “At 9:30 in the morning, we have what we call Lyceum. We have a guest speaker and serve tea and coffee, little Danishes and cupcakes. We have spiritual healers in the back.”  Those interested in having an individual healing sit along the side wall and wait for the next available healer. People of any faith, or no faith, are welcome here. Next time you visit central Florida, consider adding Cassadaga to your adventures. You never know what you’ll discover.

 

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