Historic Rosedale

Tickets are still available for our Shadows of September:  A Rosedale Paranormal Festival event this Saturday, September 26th!  Join us on National Ghost Hunting Day for this family-friendly event including panel discussions, an Easter-egg style "ghost hunt" for the kids, and the chance to meet and talk with local paranormal teams and authors.  Admission to the day festival is $15.00, and includes guided tours of the 1815 home at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30 (space permitting)

Then that evening, join members of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society and Great State Paranormal as they lead an investigation of Rosedale's 200-plus years old grounds and the cellar of the historic home, followed by a more intimate investigation of the house itself.  Separate tickets are required for these events, and space is limited!  Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/shadows-of-september-a-rosedale-paranormal-tickets-287508 to purchase tickets, and join us for a day of hauntingly good fun!

Our Collections Committee works year‑round to preserve, study, and share the objects that tell Rosedale’s story — from everyday heirlooms to once‑in‑a‑lifetime treasures.

One of those treasures is the wedding dress of Martha Adeline Caldwell, the youngest daughter of Dr. David Thomas Caldwell and his second wife Adeline, worn at her marriage to Walter Joel Rawlinson in 1876. This beautiful gown offers a glimpse into 19th‑century craftsmanship and the personal histories woven into our site. Although the gown is too fragile to be openly displayed, it is safely stored away for future research and conservation.

Caring for pieces like this ensures that the stories of the families who lived, worked, and shaped Rosedale continue to inspire future generations. Come visit Rosedale and see many of the other artifacts and treasures connected to the family history!  Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/guided-house-tours-2026-tickets-253555 to purchase tickets for a guided house tour, and see the work our Collections Committee has put in to preserving the items that help tell Rosedale's story.

The spirited season is fast approaching, and Historic Rosedale is excited to once again offer one of our favorite annual Halloween-themed events!  Join us on Friday, October 9th at 7 pm for our Haunted History:  A Look at the Victorian Funeral tour,and learn the tales and traditions--some melancholic and some macabre--practiced by relatives of those who passed during Victorian times. Spaces for this tour are limited for a cozy story-telling experience and to prevent, as the Victorians believed, the spirits of the dead from taking the spirits of the living with them! Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/haunted-history-a-look-at-the-victorian-fu-tickets-293042 to reserve your spot, and plan to join us for a hauntingly fun evening!

As part of our ongoing Staff/Volunteer Spotlight series, we would today like to recognize one of our amazing volunteers, Sean Sullivan!

"My interest in architecture, history, and the human stories of the built environment came from growing up in a 400-year-old town in Connecticut, which led to a two-decade career in real estate in San Francisco. We relocated to Charlotte a decade ago, and Historic Rosedale is one of the few places here that retain their historic buildings and settings. Sharing this place and the stories of the people who lived and worked here offers a brief window into the past from the present and, hopefully, informs a better future for everyone. "

Come visit Rosedale and perhaps catch Sean as he leads a guided house tour! Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/guided-house-tours-2026-tickets-253555 to purchase tickets.

Thank you, Sean, for all you do for Historic Rosedale!

Come join us this Thursday, September 10th, for a thought‑provoking panel inspired by our Love of Liberty: The Revolutionary Spirit of Rosedale exhibit! Historians and scholars will explore the many sides of the American Revolution and how its ideals shaped, and were shaped by, the people connected to Rosedale. This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is recommended. Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/love-of-liberty-the-revolutionary-spirit-o-tickets-287501 to reserve your spot— don’t miss this afternoon of insight and discovery!

Looking for something to do this holiday weekend? Historic Rosedale is open Saturday! Our grounds are open for self-guided tours from 10:00 to 3:00, with guided house tours available at 11:30 and 1:30. Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/guided-house-tours-2026-tickets-253555 to purchase tickets, and come spend part of your holiday weekend with us!

Historic Rosedale is open Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend from 10am-3pm with guided house tours (in air conditioning) at 11:30 and 1:30. Bring your friends!

It's the start of September, and Historic Rosedale is excited to offer two engaging events coming up this month! On Thursday, September 10th, join us for a panel discussion on our current exhibit "Love of Liberty: The Revolutionary Spirit of Rosedale," featuring a close-up look at the exhibit at 6:00 pm, followed by speakers and light refreshments starting at 6:30. This event is FREE, but spaces are limited, and registration is recommended. Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/love-of-liberty-the-revolutionary-spirit-o-tickets-287501 reserve your spot, and join us for an afternoon of insight, dialogue, and discovery at one of Charlotte’s most treasured historic sites.

Then on Saturday, September 26th, Rosedale is excited to host our first ever “Shadows of September:  A Rosedale Paranormal Festival” just in time for National Ghost Hunting Day! Co-hosted by the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society (CAPS) and Great State Paranormal the event features a full day of family-friendly activities celebrating the Carolinas’ spirited side — all while supporting the preservation of Rosedale’s 200-year-old house and grounds. Visit our website at https://www.simpletix.com/e/shadows-of-september-a-rosedale-paranormal-tickets-287508 to purchase tickets, and come support history (while maybe meeting a ghost or two along the way)!

 

For today’s Staff/Volunteer Spotlight, we would like to recognize our resident beekeeper, Amanda Mullen! Amanda became a beekeeper in 2020 and earned her NC Beekeeper’s Certification in 2024. She moved her hives to Rosedale in 2023, where she visits regularly to tend to the hives and extract honey that’s sold in Rosedale’s gift shop.  As Amanda tells us, “The bees absolutely LOVE the gardens here at Rosedale and produce an average of about 20 gallons of honey every year!”

Thank you, Amanda—AND the bees—for all you do for Rosedale!

 

# volunteerspotlight

Join us for a very special dedication event of the African American Legacy Memorial Garden. With significant new features, including new exhibits, interpretive signage, plantings, and more, the Memorial Garden is an essential aspect of Rosedale. The event will feature guest speakers and mini-tours that highlight the important work taking place at Rosedale and explain the various connections throughout the garden. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended.  Visit our website at  https://www.simpletix.com/e/african-american-legacy-memorial-dedicatio-tickets-290416  to reserve your spot for this notable  event, and join us as we celebrate the memory of the African-American community who lived and worked at Historic Rosedale.