Among the notable visitors to Lily Dale Assembly were Mae West, Harry Houdini, Mahatma Gandhi, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Susan B. Anthony, Russian Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, and many others.
"The Dale" [nestled right next to the lake near Cassadaga located in the heart of Chautauqua County] first opened in 1879 and has become world famous.
The lakeside town was a haunt (so to speak) of the famous Mae West, who was rumored to have had a medium-boyfriend in the lakeside hamlet.
Lily Dale Assembly, Lily Dale, NY 14752
Lily Dale is a community dedicated to the religion of Spiritualism.
Definition of A Spiritualist
One who believes, as the basis of his or her religion, in the continuity of life and in individual responsibility. Some, but not all, Spiritualists are Mediums and/or Healers. Spiritualists endeavor to find the truth in all things and to live their lives in accordance therewith.
- excerpt from the May issue, Budget Travel magazine -
"At a strange little village an hour south of Buffalo, talking to the dead is a way of life. Founded by the Laona Free Thinkers Association in 1879, when spiritualism was an obsession of America’s elite, Lily Dale attracted legends such as Susan B. Anthony, Mae West, and Harry Houdini. Today, “the Dale,” pop. 500, unlocks its picket fences each summer to admit soul-searchers. . . .
(This year: June 25 to September 5;visitors pay $7 for every 24 hours they visit; 716/595-8721, www.lilydaleassembly.com.)
Free Psychic Service: Take the gravel path at the edge of the village into the Leolyn Woods, past the tilted, moss-covered gravestones of the pet cemetery, and into the towering old-growth forest where “message services” have been held since 1898. At 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day, mediums “serve spirit” to believers sitting expectantly on benches. Also try the free 4 p.m. service at the tiny Forest Temple nearby. The pamphlet at the Healing Temple on East Street admonishes, “Spiritual healing is not a substitute for medical treatment.” But daily at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., men and women in white stroke the invisible energy fields of ailing visitors.
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The Mediums: More than 30 residents of this tree-shaded town are clairvoyants who purport to help people connect with departed family, friends, and spirit guides. On their gingerbread-trimmed homes, look for signs soliciting private sessions ($50 to $75 for 30 to 60 minutes). . . .
- excerpt from the May issue, Budget Travel magazine -
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