Be welcomed in by members of the Baker family — or at least the volunteers portraying them — during the Spirited Ladies and Gents Tour of the Historic Wildwood Baker House on Halloween.
The tour, which also ran on Oct. 24 and 25, will run for the last times at 4 and 6 p.m. Thursday at the Baker House.
“The stories are based off of the lives of the actual Bakers and the script is approved by the family,” said Jillian Boyar, recreation specialist for the city of Wildwood. “Guests get to learn about the people who lived here from the people who lived here.”
The Baker family moved to Wildwood in 1886, led by Sen. David H. Baker and took four years to build their grand Victorian-era styled home, which still stands today.
During the tour Mary, Lorena and Gladys Baker, played by reenactors and volunteers, welcome guests into their historic home and share details of the Baker legacy. Former friends of the family, including “Sweets” the Maid and Mrs. Belle Enos, also stop by for a visit.
The program was based on a chapter of “Haunted Sumter County Florida,” written by Deborah Hollingsworth, a volunteer at the Baker House and a medium who was hired to do a reading on the house several years ago.
“I went back to the docents after the reading and they confirmed everything I saw or experienced,” said Hollingsworth, who plays Gladys Baker during the program. “It really puts the fun in being a medium.”
Guests will get the unique chance to spot the spaces in the home referenced in the book and in ghost stories about the house shared amongst the city during the tour.
Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes in advance for check-in and to get a sneak peek at the Victorian medical history pre-show. The show includes an informative display of old medical devices led by volunteer Jack Ciotti.
“It makes me feel good (to see people laughing during the program) because that means they’re enjoying it,” said Ciotti, of the Village of Country Club Hills.
Tickets for the last day of the Spirited Ladies tour cost $20 per person and advance registration is required.
The tour includes some haunting details about the Baker Hose that may pique your curiosity or briefly send a chill down your spine, so be prepared.
For those who want a little less spooky in their tour, sign up for the Historical House Tours of the Baker House on Nov. 11 and Nov 14.
During these tours, which take place 10:30 a.m. and noon, guests can explore the home and learn about the legacy of the Baker family.
Reservations are required and tickets for the historical tour are $10 per person. Visit wildwood-fl.gov for more information about the Baker House and to register for the events there.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com
