Cortland Curiosities

09/07/2026

Have you heard the spooktacular news?! 📣

The Cortland Curiosities Market is back Saturday, October 17, with macabre art, peculiar antiques, bones, books, mysterious wares, handcrafted oddities and plenty of things you absolutely do not need but will probably bring home anyway.

And, this year, the strange finally comes out on a Saturday!

📍 The Vault, Downtown Cortland NY
📅 Saturday, October 17 | 11 AM–5 PM
📌For all the spooktacular details visit CortlandCuriosities.com

09/05/2026

What’s a ghost’s favorite ride at the fair? 👻⁠
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A Scarris-Wheel, of course! 🎡⁠
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For more strange, spooky and forgotten Cortland County history, visit CortlandCuriosities.com. Link in bio.⁠
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09/03/2026

Are you brave enough to explore the The 1890 House Museum after dark?

The 1890 House Museum Paranormal Investigation | Cortland
September 11 & 12, 6:30–11 p.m.
October 30, 6:30–11 p.m.

When the lights go out at the 1890 House Museum, the investigation begins.

Join Lost Souls Paranormal Investigations for an after-hours ghost hunt inside this grand Victorian mansion, where visitors and investigators have reported unexplained footsteps, mysterious voices, moving shadows and other unusual experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned investigator or trying your first ghost hunt, you’ll explore the mansion room by room alongside experienced investigators and learn to use equipment like EMF meters, spirit boxes and digital recorders.

Ticket pricing will be announced closer to the event date. Advance registration is recommended, as investigations typically fill quickly. Learn more and purchase tickets at https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/events/1890-house-paranormal-investigation-79206158

09/03/2026

This party will be killer! 🔪 Grab your tickets from the The 1890 House Museum before they sell out!

Join the 1890 House Museum and Cornell Cooperative Extension for an exciting Murder Mystery – “Death at the Wickwire Speakeasy” from 7:00pm to 10:00pm on Friday evening, November 13th.

Buffet includes Flapper Fare and Libations. Passphrase required: “Chester sent me!”

Guests are limited to 65 people. Cost is $80 per person. Visit the 1890 House Events page for tickets - hurry before they sell out (like they did the last time)!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Tickets not purchased online from the 1890 House Museum site will NOT be valid for admission.

09/02/2026

It’s only fair that during NY State fair, we revisit one of Cortland’s most unique fairgrounds: Foster’s Tower. (Say that three times fast! 😜)

Long before the midway lights and grandstand crowds of today, this unusual Cortland landmark was part of a fairground with a story all its own.

Discover the strange and forgotten history hiding in plain sight at CortlandCuriosities.com.

📸: photos curtesy of Cortland County Historical Society

08/31/2026

Four killers. 🩸 Four cocktails. 🍸 One killer night out. ☠️

The Serial Killer Speakeasy descends upon Parkside Villa September 17–19, bringing the twisted tales of Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy and Gein to life through immersive theater and dangerously delicious drinks.

For the morbidly curious, 21+.

📍 Parkside Villa, 95 Owego St., Cortland, NY
📌 For more info check the events section at CortlandCuriosities.com

08/29/2026

What do ghosts read before bed? 📚
Boo-ographies.⁠ 👻
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Make one worthy of the afterlife at CCHS’s Bookbinding Workshop with Robert LoMascolo on September 19.⁠
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📍 CCHS at Grace Street, Cortland⁠
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For more info visit: cortlandhistory.org⁠
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08/26/2026

A burglar alarm. A midnight posse. A secret meeting. And one fatal shot. 🥃

In November 1930, what began as a suspected break in at a Marathon feed mill ended with Clayton Seeber dead, a local widow wounded, and a town full of questions. The official verdict? Excusable homicide. But the evidence left plenty of room for doubt.

Was it a tragic accident… or was there more happening in that darkened mill?

Follow the Seeber Murder Mystery on the Cortland Curiosities Trail and decide for yourself.

Explore the full story and more strange, forgotten history at CortlandCuriosities.com. Link in the bio.

08/24/2026

September 19, step back in time and learn the nearly lost art of hand bookbinding with Book Arts professional Robert LoMascolo. Create a beautiful book of your own using traditional techniques, with materials, instruction, and lunch included.

📍 CCHS at Grace Street, 9 Grace Street, Cortland, NY
Space is limited to just 10 participants.

For more information, visit www.cortlandhistory.org.