Old Sacramento’s costume mansion rises from the ashes

After a year of renovations, Evangeline’s Costume Mansion in Old Sacramento is back and will be officially open to the public tomorrow morning. 

The historic Gold Rush-era storefront was forced to close after a fire broke out in the basement in June of last year, causing significant smoke and water damage to the gift shop. The second and third floors were largely spared.

To celebrate, the costume mansion is having a grand reopening starting on Saturday at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the first 200 guests will receive swag bags with exclusive items. The public can also enjoy 10% off everything in the store.

City leaders and the owners of Evangeline’s met for a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning to mark the return of the beloved costume mansion, which has enchanted Sacramentans for more than 50 years.

“We've been closed for a year after our fire, and we have renovated,” Deborah Chaussé, owner of Evangeline’s, said. “Everything was moved out, moved back in, and it's all an amazing journey, and we're so glad to be reopened.”

Chaussé said she’s tremendously grateful for the support she’s had from the community and she expects many people to show up for the grand reopening.

“We do have some entertainment,” she said. “A hearse will be here making an appearance, the 1962 Cadillac that my husband restored. It's beautiful.”

Although the second and third floors will be open to the public, the first floor of the costume shop is still closed and going through renovations.

District 4 Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents parts of downtown and midtown, said not having the store open last year was a “bummer.”

“People, like myself included, were scrambling, trying to figure out where to get Halloween costumes,” he said. “I think it's a reminder to all of us that, don't take these places for granted, but you have to continue to support and patronize these businesses that we really love and cherish.”

The new city historian, Ty Smith, also attended the ribbon-cutting and highlighted the building's historical significance. Evangeline’s occupies two buildings dating back to the 19th century, the Howard House and Lady Adams Building, which is the oldest building in Sacramento.

“The building itself is iconic to Sacramento,” Smith said. “[Lady Adams] survived the Great Conflagration of 1852 – the whole city burnt down around it, and yet it stood.”

Smith said what he loves most about the costume mansion is that it’s a place where people can go and have fun.

“I think with Evangelines, it's the kind of place where you go and see a bit of yourself inside of it,” he said. “The owner, Deborah, had a setback that necessitated closing for nearly a year because of a fire, but made it work again, and that says something about the Sacramento spirit, too.”