Perth Museum Invites Guests to Experience Victorian Mourning Rituals in A Death in the Family

This fall, the Perth Museum invites the community to step back in time with A Death in the Family: A Victorian Mourning Experience. Running October 4, October 18, and November 1, this immersive experience offers guests a rare opportunity to uncover mystery, tradition, and intrigue inside the historic Matheson House.

The year is 1873. Senator Roderick Matheson has passed away, and his stately home on Gore Street is draped in mourning. But amid the black crepe and solemn rituals, one unsettling question lingers—his will has gone missing. Guests will step into the story, donning period costume as family, friends, or household staff, and take part in authentic 19th-century mourning practices.

“Last year’s immersive experience was a sell-out, and we’re thrilled to be expanding on that concept with a new storyline,” says Kathryn Jamieson, Manager of Tourism and Culture. “This program blends history with hands-on activities, giving guests the chance to truly feel what life—and loss—looked like in Victorian Perth.”

With limited group sizes, A Death in the Family offers an intimate and atmospheric encounter with Perth’s past. Guests aged 19 and older are invited to experience an afternoon of heritage, mystery, and intrigue inside the walls of the Museum’s National Historic Site.

For more information or to reserve tickets, visit Perth.ca/Experiences.