Lilydale, New York - Town of Spiritualists

Lilydale is the largest spiritualist community in the world. Spirtualism is a religion in which people believe they can communicate with spririts. Lilydale is full of "mediums", although some call themselves "psychics". You can receive a reading almost any time of the week.

If the medium is on the Lilydale Assembly (there's a board in the town listing its members) and you are dissatisfied with the service, you can apply to the Assembly for your money back. The members on this Assembly apparently have to "prove" they have special skills. In the summer, you can take part in workshops and visit the library full of all types of metaphysical books. Although in the summer there is a charge to get into the town. There is an eerie atmosphere to the community -- day and night. It is world-famous. Even the band Ten Thousand Maniacs, who are from the area, wrote a song about it called "Lilydale".

The last time I visited was around 1993, but trust me, it is still there. It is located about 60 miles south of Buffalo off of Route 60. It is south of the Dunkirk/Fredonia area and north of Jamestown. [Dean Amadio, 03/08/1999]

[RA: We've visited the southern spiritualist counterpart in Cassadaga, Florida]