Do The Right Thing(s)

Dark Tourism and the Ethics of Visiting Communes

Cults in the Wild | I was reading tweets about how staying in an Airbnb used to be exciting, but now it’s just navigating real estate capitalist hellscapes. People tweeted their experiences of being threatened with additional fees for not putting the silverware in the exact order it was upon arrival or for not leaving hosts a 5-star review. One of the tweets that really stood out to me read, “Omg I stayed on a cult compound too!! It was a really nice Airbnb though lmao.” Obviously, I requested details about their experience immediately. At the time of this post, they have not replied to my request for more details. However, my nosiness will not let me rest, so I will definitely be following up about their “Cultbnb” experience.

**You may have noticed that the tweet says “I stayed on a cult compound too.” There was another person in the thread who claimed to have stayed on a cult compound, but they have not responded to any requests for details. 

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The Big Post | The “cults in the wild” post led me to wonder if there is a market for cult site tours and/or Airbnbs? The short answer to this question is that there is absolutely a market for cult site tours. I suppose there is a market for nearly everything. A quick Google search revealed one of the most popular cult site tours is the former Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. We have discussed the events surrounding Waco before, but never quite like this. 

The Branch Davidian Memorial Park has a Tripadvisor page with thousands of reviews. The memorial site houses the burned remains of the compound's original buildings and several plaques dedicated to the adults and children who died during the raid. A Roadside America review describes the park as,

“There are no signs of the compound anymore; the only remnant is a hole, formerly a swimming pool that was used as a bunker during the siege. A little chapel has been built out by the road by the Koreshians and their supporters, incorporating a museum of Davidian history that censures everyone for the bloodshed.”

While the details about who manages tourists, owns the property, and where the suggested $5 donations actually go are unclear, many people still visit each year. I am especially curious about the ethicality of touring cult sites, especially sites of mass death. In short, I want to know if it's right to visit these places?