Photo by Lexi Forman, Cartoonist.
Besides uranium radioactive dishware locked away in the kitchen cupboards being scary on its own, The Vogel Victorian, a preserved and haunted Victorian house, also included perhaps the biggest fright of all: a television screen in the parlor room with an AI-generated home screen showing autumn leaves falling.
And in the dining room? A bronze deer head with nerdy glasses overlooking an elaborate “Practical Magic”-inspired spread.
While Orange has many festive Halloween activities, The Vogel Victorian is a restored 128-year-old home residing in the historic French park district of Santa Ana, a haunt like no other.
It is a family-owned business, with its owners both living and hosting events in the house for guests to travel back in time or settle into the Halloween spirit. They frequently offer tea parties, psychic readings and rentals for private events.
However, the use of AI and modern elements in the house raises the question of exactly how a Victorian house is being preserved, or whether historical preservation is lost in inaccurate aesthetics. With TJ Maxx-esque dishware in the kitchen resembling Mackenzie’s Child, and AI family portraits along the staircase, something doesn’t feel quite right.
“How do you spell ‘duplicitous?’” said Jessica Morton McCurdy in a Google review, rating the property one star out of five.
The attendee had gathered friends for the Psychic Medium Tea Event, paying $225 per person, and left with mixed feelings that the advertisement didn’t uphold the reality of the event.
In another Google review, Alicia Nash has rated her experience at a “Practical Magic” Tea Party event two stars out of five.
“Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations and we felt very deceived,” said Nash.
Most of the frustration came from health and safety concerns with the food and room occupancy.
In another Google review, the true Victorian environment felt stifled.
“Giving three stars because it's more Goth than Victorian, but that was not mentioned in the $20 tour, which is more expensive than the (Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum) down the block that is a true Victorian style,” said reviewer Angella Raisian.
According to Raisian, the owners of The Victorian Vogel repaint the rooms for different holidays and events, stripping away originality rather than restoring it.
The Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum is a Victorian home built in 1889 located in Santa Ana. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unlike The Vogel Victorian, this home strives to honor, restore and celebrate antique Victorian preservation.
With paranormal investigations and markets, the house offers visits while also protecting its original appearance.
In other words, no AI and no millennial deer heads wearing glasses.
With the rise of AI use infiltrating our institutions, maybe it's no surprise it has made its way to haunted houses.