Ghosts descend on Fairfax House for Ghost Week

Fairfax House has partnered with York Ghost Merchants to celebrate Ghost Week IV with two exciting events.

From Saturday 28th October - Sunday 5th November, ghosts made by York Ghost Merchants will be hidden amongst the house’s historic rooms, in the "Fairfax House Ghost Count”.

Visitors can wander through the house spotting ghosts of both sizes - some will be devilishly difficult to spot whilst others will be more obvious. There are three prize Fairfax Ghosts for those who are able to correctly guess how many are hiding.

Rachel Wallis, Collections Manager at Fairfax House, said, “It’s been very exciting to work the the York Ghost Merchants to plan where all the ghosts are going to go. We don’t want it to be too easy for visitors, so we have a few tricks up our sleeve which should make the ghost counting good fun!”

The Fairfax House Ghost Count isn’t the only event the house is running during ghost week. In the evenings of Monday 30th October - Friday 3rd November, Fairfax House will come to life as atmospheric sights, sounds, and smells recall what life would have been like on a winter’s eve in Georgian York in Echoes of the Past. For this event, the entire house will be lit by candlelight, as it would have been in the eighteenth century.

Sarah Burnage, Curator at Fairfax House, said, “It’s been very exciting to research what the house would have felt like in the 1700s. For Echoes of the Past, we’ll immerse visitors with the smells that would have been common in Georgian townhouses. The entire house will be lit by candlelight which will make it very atmospheric - and our little ghost visitors will only add to the experience!”

Livvy Golby-Kirk, Marketing and Communications Officer at Fairfax House, said, “We’re very thankful to the York Ghost Merchant team for reaching out to us to join in with Ghost Weak IV. We hope our events will excite ghost lovers travelling to the city, as well as offering excellent value for money - tickets for Echoes of the Past are also valid for the Fairfax House Ghost Count.”

These aren’t the only two events that are happening throughout Ghost Week, which is run by York Ghost Merchants every year. From the Little York Ghost Hunt to the Four Treasures Trail, there’s plenty for people to get involved with.

Ghost Week starts on Saturday 28th October and runs until Sunday 5th November. The Fairfax House Ghost Count runs between 11am-4pm throughout Ghost Week - tickets are £7.50 for adults and children 16 and under are free. Echoes of the Past runs from Monday 30th October until Friday 3rd November from 5pm to 7pm. Tickets can be purchased here: https://fairfax-house.arttickets.org.uk/