About us
The Center for Inquiry Western New York (CFI WNY) strives to foster a secular society based on reason, science, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. We envision a world where people value evidence and critical thinking, where superstition and prejudice subside, and where science and compassion guide public policy.
A branch of the international Center for Inquiry, CFI WNY works to progress the above values in our local area through community building, educational efforts, and activism.
Our members are typically atheists, secular humanists, skeptics, agnostics, and other freethinkers. We host community lectures, coffee shop and bar discussion groups, potlucks, book club meetings, secular family events, social gatherings, and more—and we're always open to new ideas to grow our community!
You can learn more about CFI WNY, see a calendar of events, and sign up for our email list at https://cfiwny.org/sign-up/
Join the CFI WNY Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/cfiwny
Email: wny@centerforinquiry.org
Phone: (716) 636-4869 ext. 402
Address: 1310 Sweet Home Road, Amherst, NY 14228
Upcoming events
157
Center for Inquiry presents Houdini’s Centennial Seance
Center For Inquiry, 1310 Sweet Home Rd, Amherst, NY 14228, USA, Getzville, NY, USYOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT AT THE LINK BELOW: https://cfiwny.org/houdiniseance2026/
Celebrate Halloween with a full day of magic, mystery, and skepticism at the Center for Inquiry! On the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death, we’ll explore the world of the legendary escape artist and his lifelong campaign against fraudulent mediums and paranormal claims.
This family-friendly event runs from 10 AM–3 PM, so you can enjoy the festivities and still get home in time for trick-or-treating. The day will feature a performance by award-winning mentalist Dustin Dean, a fascinating look at Houdini’s history of exposing fraudulent psychics with Kenny Biddle, a skeptical scavenger hunt through CFI headquarters and libraries, DIY ghost photography, a costume contest, and lunch for attendees.
And then, as the afternoon draws to a close, we’ll dim the lights and transform the lecture room into a séance parlor for a historic performance of a Houdini séance. Drawing on the original séance held after Houdini’s death, we’ll use recordings from that event, period séance practices, and a suitably eerie atmosphere to recreate the experience of attempting to contact the legendary escape artist from beyond the grave. As the séance unfolds, you’ll encounter some of the mysterious phenomena that captivated audiences a century ago and get a glimpse into the strange and fascinating world of Spiritualism that Houdini spent so much of his life investigating.
Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime Halloween event!
5 attendees
Past events
1999
