While the memorable storylines of the Gothic hit TV series, Dark Shadows, helped it become one of the most popular soap operas of the 1960s, it was the mysterious, vast, and shadowy mansions — with their endless number of secret rooms, hidden tunnels, and cobwebbed halls — that arguably made the show and its future spinoffs into one of the greatest cult classics of all time. While the show was heavily fictionalized and shot mostly on a studio set, the mansion exteriors they featured were very much real. Through vintage photos and rare archival floor plans, it's time to explore six of the real-life mansions as seen in this landmark TV series, along with their shocking stories of murder, suicide, and scandals, worthy of their own Dark Shadows storyline.

Join New York Adventure Club as we dive into the real-world history, families, and stories behind the beautiful and eerie mansions featured in the original television series Dark Shadows, along with its TV reboot and film adaptations House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows.

Led by architect, historian, and Dark Shadows fan, Gary Lawrance, our virtual showcase of these incredible properties — many of which can still be visited today — will include:

• A look at the 60-room Seaview Terrace in Newport, Rhode Island — known as Collinwood in the original show, this mansion was used in the haunting memorable opening sequence and early exterior scenes
• Historic photos of the Veruselle mansion in Tarrytown, New York — known as the home of Barnabas Collins in the original program, this white-columned mansion once overlooked the Hudson River
• A deep dive into the Lyndhurst Mansion and its preserved structures and artifacts in Tarrytown, New York — known as Collinwood in both of the film adaptations, this Gothic Revival castle was once home to Gilded Age millionaire Jay Gould and his family.
• The chilling history of Beechwood in Scarborough, New York, known as The Old House in one of the film adaptations, this grand estate and sprawling white-columned mansion is located a few miles up the Hudson River from Lyndhurst
• The ornate interiors and floor plans of the 1860s Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk, Connecticut — known as The Ruined Monastery in the film House of Dark Shadows, this early Gilded Age mansion was featured in the fog-filled scenes where Maggie was abducted by Barnabas to be prepared for her wedding to him
• Real-life spooky tales of Greystone in Beverly Hills, California — known as Collinwood in the 1991 revival of Dark Shadows, this 55-room Tudor home built in 1928 was the scene of a murder suicide shortly after it was first built (and is still a legendary site of rumored hauntings and mysterious happenings)
• A discussion of how the mansions are being used today

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Gary — any and all questions about the houses of Dark Shadows are welcomed and encouraged!

Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Gary

Architect, Author, and Historian Gary Lawrance is an architect from Stony Brook, New York. His firm, Lawrance Architectural Presentations, provides design presentations, architectural models, digital renderings, and design development services to architects, landscape architects and interior designers.

Mr. Lawrance has an extensive background in the history of Gilded Age architecture, landscapes, and society, and co-authored the bestselling book, “Houses of the Hamptons 1880-1930” with Anne Surchin (Acanthus Press 2007, Revised 3rd Printing 2013).

Mr. Lawrance’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, Newsday, New York Social Diary, Southampton Press, and more. Mr. Lawrance has written for Architectural Digest, Dan’s Papers, Quest magazine, and his two blogs, Mansions of the Gilded Age and Houses of the Hamptons in addition to founding and contributing to the two very successful Facebook groups, Mansions of the Gilded Age & The Gilded Age Society with over 160,000 members combined. Mr. Lawrance also manages two equally popular Instagram accounts, Mansions of the Gilded Age & The Gilded Age Society.

Testimonials

"The host expertly detailed the history of the houses that have become icons in the "Dark Shadows" mythos. It was very interesting and fascinating subject matter." -Joey

"Detailed history of all the properties including those I didn't know were identified with DS." -Raul

"It was a very specific, niche subject that I don't think anyone else would do. Thank you for not limiting the houses to just New York State and allowing the presenter to talk about all the houses. Context is important." -Don

"The information on the houses used on Dark Shadows." -Bernadette

"Very detailed and informative. Also liked the many photos." -Fanny

"Loved the research he put into the presentation." -Leonard

"The Presenter was very knowledgeable about the subject matter." -George

"Discussion of the houses from the series." -Celeste

"Found it very interesting. Love the convenience of being able to watch it from home." -Clare

"All of it." -Kim

"Dark Shadows!!!" -Jean

"Informative and entertaining, very well presented by an engaging and knowledgeable host." -Kathryn

"I liked the historic photos of the mansion." -Mary

"Information about the history of the houses." -Anne

"The interaction with the other participants in the chat." -Jeanette

"I love the stories, houses, photos, history, all of it. I discovered this site only a few months ago and LOVE IT. Well done!" -Linda

"Very interesting topic." -Katie

"Very interesting and got lots of information I didn't know before." -Rosemarie

"Host knew the subject very well and presented it fluidly." -Ryan

"Very interesting to learn about the houses and the history of them." -Terry

"I recognized the tarrytown settings and it was good to see new images of them. Also I liked the back stories." -Steve

"Learning the backstory of the different houses and mansions used in the various Dark Shadows series and movies." -Juanita

"Wonderful pictures and a rich history of the real locations." -Tracy

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Categories: Virtual, Gilded Age