‘Toast with a Ghost’ New Year’s Eve at Historic Brinton Lodge
One of Berks County’s oldest and most haunted buildings, Brinton Lodge will open on New Year’s Eve for a candlelight tour by a costumed storyteller who will share the ghost stories and haunted history of the 28-room mansion, from the days of William Penn to its time as an exclusive gentleman’s club during Prohibition. The onehour tour ends with a beer or wine “Toast with a Ghost” to ring in the NewYear. Pro- ceeds benefit the preservation of Historic Brinton Lodge.
TheNewYear’s Eve “Toast with a Ghost” takes its inspiration from the old-time holiday tradition of ghostly storytelling (such as Charles Dickens’ ghosts of Christmas) and the long-ago New Year’s Eve custom of “ringing in” the NewYear to scare away ghosts and evil spirits. Today, the New Year’s Eve “Toast with a Ghost” offers a unique and entertaining evening for people looking for an alternative to the typical
New Year’s Eve activities.
Tour Times and Tickets
Tours begin at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Dec. 31. Tickets are $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.brintonlodge.com. For more information, call 610572-7121.
Historic Brinton Lodge
Brinton Lodge’s storied history began in the 1700s when it was a small farmhouse built on land deeded by William Penn. In the 1800s, a wealthy family transformed it into a Gilded Age mansion, which gave its interior the unexpected grandeur and beauty still seen today. In the 1920s, it was used as an exclusive Jazz Age gentleman’s club, and, until 2009, it housed a number of well-known restaurants. Today, it is being preserved as a unique local landmark, hosting entertaining events throughout the year to raise funds for restoration. It is also home to Hidden River Brewing Company, a small-batch craft brewery and brew pub. Brinton Lodge is located at 1808 W. Schuylkill Road, (Rt. 724) Douglassville, PA 19518.