What were Spiritualist camps, and what activities took place there?

Spiritualist associations sponsored camps as locations where believers could congregate in a leisurely atmosphere to engage with their faith. These camps served as dedicated spaces for the community to gather outside of traditional church settings.1

Activities at these camps typically included:

• Spirit Communication: Believers attended daily séances to facilitate contact with the spiritual world.1
• Private Consultations: Attendees could arrange private sessions with a medium to receive messages or guidance.1
• Community Fellowship: The camps provided a social environment where followers could share their beliefs and experiences in a communal, relaxed setting.1

While distinct from the outdoor Protestant revival meetings known as camp meetings—which focused on preaching, conversion, and hymn singing—Spiritualist camps were central to the movement's practice of demonstrating and investigating psychic phenomena, such as clairvoyance and telepathy, as part of their broader effort to understand the afterlife and the survival of the human soul.12