Many New York cemetery tours to be offered in October – Update

All month

*Cayuga Museum of History and Art in Auburn will be offering walking tours of Fort Hill Cemetery every Saturday in October from 3-5 p.m.  Some of America’s most influential thinkers and innovators are buried in Fort Hill Cemetery including Harriet Tubman, William Seward, Theodore Case, Thomas Mott Osborne,  and others. Join guides from the Cayuga Museum of History and Art and become an expert in identifying the common symbols on graves and their hidden meanings while you explore the history of Fort Hill Cemetery, learning more about the people buried here. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. To register, go to: https://cayugamuseum.org/walking-tours/

*Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (Westchester County) will offer a “Washington Irving Walking Tour” on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Meet the father of the American short story on this one-hour tour. Learn all about Washington Irving, his impact on American Literature and the enduring appeal of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”  The cost is $20. To register, go to: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-original-knickerbocker-2024

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery will also offer a Lantern Tour every night in October. Step back in time and explore the cemetery by kerosene lantern light. You’ll visit titans of industry like Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller, meet Washington Irving whose famous short story gave Sleepy Hollow its name,  and see the resting place of two-term Chicago Mayor Walter Gurnee.  The cost is $50. To register, go to: https://www.showclix.com/event/classic-evening-lantern-tour-2024

*Green-Wood Cemetery (Kings County) will offer many tours during the month of October. One of interest is the “Spirited Stroll” on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. Join the Cemetery’s historian, Jeff Richman, as he guides you on a walking tour filled with intriguing stories of murder, mystery, unearthly spirits, and captivating oddities. Visit the final resting places of notable figures like Frank Morgan, the wizard of The Wizard of Oz, and George Washington’s favorite dentist. Learn about the origins of Spiritualism through tales of its somewhat dubious founder. Cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. To register, go to: https://www.green-wood.com/event/spirited-stroll-8/2024-10-26/

October 1-5, 2024

*Meet the Spirits Cemetery Tour (Wayne County) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7 and 8:30 p.m.at the Lakeview Cemetery in Pultneyville.  Join members of the Williamson-Pultneyville Historical Society and meet friendly spirits from the area’s historic past. Learn about this cast of characters, who were instrumental in carving out the town’s early history.  To purchase tickets, go to the society’s website at: https://w-phs.org/event/meet-the-spirits-of-pultneyville-cemetery-tour/

*The 8th Annual South Farmington Friends Cemetery Foundation Cemetery Tour  (Ontario County) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 5-7 p.m. Historical figures will be roaming the grounds to talk about their lives and roles in the history of the town of Farmington. New residents are added to the tour for this year.  Tickets are $15 an can be purchased at Town Hall or the Farmington LNB Bank. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the historic chapel. For more information, go to: https://www.sffca.org/

October 6-12, 2024

*The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council and the North Fork Community Theatre will host its 2nd annual tour of the Old Cutchogue Burying Ground on Sunday, Oct. 6. Tours will start at 2 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. Six “widow guides” dressed in Victorian mourning costumes will guide you through the burial ground where the costumed actors will recount the lives of notable figures in Cutchogue’s history while standing atop their graves. Participants will be given a talk on the history of the burial site and a brief history of the theater and how it was once a church.

Tour groups of a maximum of 20 people will be scheduled in 10-minute intervals. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no one will be admitted without an advance ticket. Tickets are $25 and are available at North Fork Community Theater , at 631-298-NFCT (6328) or you can purchase them directly at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6386590

*The Phelps Mansion Museum will host a walking tour of  Spring Forest Cemetery (Broome County) in Binghamton on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 both at 9:30 a.m. The Saturday tour will cover symbolism found on monuments in the cemetery. The Sunday tour will focus on those with a connection to Phelps Mansion.  Space is limited. Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for non-members. To purchase tickets, go to: https://phelpsmansion.org/event/cemetery-tours-path-through-history-weekend/

*Historic Palmyra (Wayne County) will be hosting a two tours of Palmyra Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 12. Learn about the lives of inventors and innovators from Palmyra’s past. There will be a tour at 5:30pm for those who enjoy daylight and a second tour at 7:30pm for those who enjoy the dark. Tickets are on sale via the webpage, at the museums or at the door. Adults $15, Children (6-13) $10. This is rain or shine.  To register, go to: https://www.historicpalmyrany.com/events/famous-cemetery-walk

*The Jefferson County Historical Society will offer a driving tour and walking tour of the Brookside Cemetery in Watertown on Saturday, Oct. 12. The driving tour will begin at 10 a.m. and the walking tour at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $12 for members and $15 for non-members. To purchase tickets, go to the Paddock Mansion or pay by cash or check the day of the tour.

*Haunting in the Hamlet will take place at the Marion Cemetery (Wayne County) on Saturday, Oct. 12  from 6:30-9 p.m. The tour is focused on local history as interpreted by costumed interpreters. Tour groups of 12 people or less leave every 10-minutes from 6:30 to 8 pm. Reservations are required. Cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children.  To register, go to: https://www.mhany.org/event-details/haunting-in-the-hamlet

October 13-19, 2024

*Historic Geneva (Ontario County) will offer a tour of Glenwood Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 2-3 p.m. Join Historic Geneva archivist Becky Chapin for a tour centered around the Jewish burials in Glenwood Cemetery. Participants should meet at section 21 near the Pulteney-in-Glenwood area of the cemetery. The tour takes place rain or shine. Tickets are $5 per person. Payment can be made at the tour with exact change or a check. For more information, call 315-789-5151.

*Johnstown Historical Society (Fulton County) will host tours of the Johnstown Colonial Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 5 pm and Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Learn some history and enjoy some spook tales! The Oct. 17th tour is not suitable for very young children and infants. No advance registration is needed. Stop in the Drumm House Gift Shop to check in no later then 5 minutes prior to the tour start time. Tickets are $5 per person payable in cash or by paypal at check in. All proceeds benefit the Johnstown Historical Society.

*The Center for Continuing Education in New Rochelle (Westchester County) will offer a 90-minute walking tour through Beechwoods Cemetery. War heroes, Irish Rebellion martyrs, one of the first African American women to sing at international concert halls, and the mother of President Grover Cleveland’s child, are just a few of the individuals we will get to know in this fascinating tour. The tour is led by Barbara Davis, the City Historian of New Rochelle. The cost is $30. To register, go to: https://registration.xendirect.com/lmcce/coursedisplay.cfm?schID=4617

*Fredonia Harvest Moon Festival (Chautauqua County) will offer tours of the Fredonia Cemetery on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19. Ride in a horse drawn trolley along the winding paths of Forest Hill Cemetery and listen to the historic stories of actors reenacting their lives. Some stories were tragic, some ironic, and some very spooky and mysterious! Cost is $25. To register, go to: https://festivalsfredoniany.org/harvest-moon-festival-tours/

*Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx will offer an Illuminated Sculpture Walking Tour on Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19. Three tours will be offered each night. During the tour you will admire illuminated mausoleum, sculptures, bronze doors, and monuments. You will discover notable residents and notable architectural features. The walk is a slow pace. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for weather. Cost is $25 for adults and $20 for seniors and students. To register, go to: https://www.woodlawn.org/conservancy/tours-events/

*The Spirits of Sodus Walk and Talk Cemetery Tour (Wayne County) will take place at the Baptist Rural Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 19  from 6-8 p.m. Walk through the cemetery and learn/meet important people in the history of Sodus. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 6-17. For more information, call 315-573-2972.

October 20-26, 2024

*The 7th Annual Cedar Park Cemetery tour will take place in Hudson (Columbia County) on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 12-1:30 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, Nov. 3. The cemetery includes over 10,000 gravesites for a wide range of interesting and notable individuals, including war heroes, famous artists, disaster survivors and much more. Donations are appreciated but not required. Registration is required on a first come, first serve basis and is limited to 45 participants. Register by emailing brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org

*The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will offer a special Twilight Cemetery Tour of Greenridge Cemetery on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. The tour, “Madness, Murder, Untimely Deaths and Strange Coincidences” will get participants in the Halloween spirit. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. To purchase tickets, go to: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/vmFHcUH9gvYjLn50ZwKL6g

*The 9th Annual Oswego Town Rural Cemetery Ghost and History Storytelling Tour will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 2 – 5:30 p.m. Stories of local legends and spirits will return with a live performance by SUNY Oswego’s storytelling class. There will be a storytelling section and a one hour tour of the cemetery. Transportation will be provided from SUNY Oswego to the cemetery. It is free but you need to register. To register, go to: https://oswego.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=9608&p=1

*The Virgil Town Historian,  Marsha Powell, will lead Virgil’s (Cortland County) 5th annual Cemetery Walk. Meet at the Virgil Town Hall, 1176 Church Street on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Tour the Virgil Rural Cemetery and the Pioneer Cemetery to learn about the history of cemeteries and burials. There will be discussion about the  symbolism used on some of the headstones and stories about past Virgil residents. A donation of $5 will help support the Virgil Historical Society.

*Christ Church Manhasset (Nassau County) will be offering its annual Historic Cemetery Tour on Saturday October 26, 2024 from 12:30p.m. – 4:00pm.  ​The tour brings to life the people who once lived and worked in Manhasset and the surrounding communities. These people were important to the community and have wonderful stories to be told. Their last names are still mentioned in our everyday life; Sands (Sands Point), Onderdonk (Onderdonk Avenue), Hewlett (Hewlett Harbor) and many more. The tour lasts between 45-50 minutes. Tickets are available at the gate.