Death’s Garden Revisited went live on Kickstarter at 9 this morning. An hour later, it’s almost halfway funded already. I’m really excited about how this is developing.
If your pockets are deep, there are some exclusive rewards:
For $200, you could own both Death’s Garden Revisited, the new volume, and the original Death’s Garden: Relationships with Cemeteries, which has been out of print for 25 years.
For $500, you and four friends could come meet me in Colma, California for an afternoon of cemetery exploration. (This tier includes hardcovers of Death’s Garden Revisited for each of you.)
For a mere $10,000, I will fly to anywhere in the continental US to tour your local cemetery and give a lecture on cemetery travel. (This tier includes 10 hardcovers of Death’s Garden Revisited for you to keep or raffle off.)
Death’s Garden Revisited is an anthology of cemetery essays from genealogists and geocachers, tour guides and travelers, horror authors, ghost hunters, and pagan priestesses about why they visit cemeteries.
Spanning the globe from Iceland to Argentina and from Portland to Prague, Death’s Garden Revisited explores the complex web of relationships between the living and those who have passed before.
Editor Loren Rhoads is the author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die and the death-positive memoir This Morbid Life. She was the editor of the award-winning Morbid Curiosity magazine.
Contributors include:
Cemetery writers/Genealogists/Historians: Anne Born, Barbara Baird, Carrie Sessarego, Carole Tyrrell, Erika Mailman, J’aime Rubio, Jo Nell Huff, Joanne M. Austin, Rachelle Meilleur, Sharon Pajka, Trilby Plants
Morbid Curiosity contributors: Benjamin Scuglia, Brian Thomas, Chris LaMay-West, George Neville-Neil, M. Parfitt, Paul Stansfield, Rain Graves
Horror authors: A. M. Muffaz, Angela Yuriko Smith, Christine Sutton, Denise N. Tapscott, E. M. Markoff, Emerian Rich, Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito, Francesca Maria, Greg Roensch, Mary Rajotte, Melodie Bolt, Priscilla Bettis, Rena Mason, Robert Holt, R. L. Merrill, Saraliza Anzaldua, Stephen Mark Rainey, Trish Wilson
Saturday, September 21, 2019 from 9 am-noon San Lorenzo Cemetery Clean Up and Open Day
Usher Street and College Street, San Lorenzo, CA 94580
Drop by to help preserve our local historic cemetery! Bring gloves, rakes, and water. A hat, sunscreen, eye protection, and study shoes are recommended. The cemetery will also be open during this time for the public to visit the grounds and ask questions.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.haywardareahistory.org/calendar/2019/9/21/cemetery-clean-up-amp-open-day
Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 1-4 pm Spirits of St. Helena Cemetery Discovery Walk
St. Helena Public Cemetery, 2461 Spring Street, St. Helena, CA 94574
Tours depart from the cemetery’s front gate at 1 and 2 pm. The stories of French and Swiss winemakers, portrayed by St. Helena High School Drama Club students, will be featured during the St. Helena Historical Society’s 17th annual “Spirits of St. Helena” Cemetery Discovery Walk. Each tour will visit selected gravesites on the St. Helena Cemetery grounds. Tours take place rain or shine. Please wear comfortable walking shoes. More info: 707-967-5502 or email shstory@shstory.org; visit shstory.org; or find the St. Helena Historical Society on Facebook.
Admission: $10
More info: https://shstory.org/events/#spirits-cemetery-walk
Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 4:30-7 pm Evening Hike to Rose Hill Cemetery
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve: Upper Parking Lot, 37.958359, -121.86326, Antioch, CA
Long ago, miners left their mark on these hills. Take a hike to historic Rose Hill Cemetery to learn their tales of spirit, heroism, tragedy, and endurance.
Parking fee: $5. Tour: Free
More Info: http://apm.activecommunities.com/ebparks/Activity_Search/26333
Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 10 am Food Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Ave, Oakland CA 94611
Docent-led tour of Oakland’s beautiful Mountain View Cemetery by Barbara Gibson & Jane Leroe, who will focus on the cemetery’s connection to food.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Friday, October 4, 2019 at 5:30 pm, 6:15 pm, 7 pm, 7:45 pm
Saturday, October 05, 2019 at 5:30 pm, 6:15 pm, 7 pm, 7:45 pm 17th Annual Sebastopol Cemetery Walk
Meet at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Road (off Bodega Ave.), Sebastopol, CA
The evening begins with a soup, salad, antipasto, and bread supper held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Sebastopol. Plenty of parking is available at the church. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your showtime. After supper, your group will be led to Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery by a tour guide, accompanied by the very popular Hubbub Club, who describe themselves as “a cross between a New Orleans marching band and a Fellini movie.” At the cemetery, your tour guide will lead you through the luminary-lit route.
Admission: $45.00 ($48.24 w/service fee)
Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4290773
Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 9 am-noon Volunteer at the Presidio Pet Cemetery
667 McDowell Avene, San Francisco, CA 94129
The Presidio Pet Cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of the faithful companions of the military families who lived at the Presidio when it was an Army post. The pet cemetery has been closed off for almost 10 years in order to protect it during the Doyle Drive replacement project, but it will reopen to the public very soon. Help us get the pet cemetery in tip-top condition by joining us to paint its brand-new fence!
Admission: This volunteer event is free and open to all ages. Space is very limited, so registration is required. For questions, please email volunteer@presidiotrust.gov.
More info: https://www.presidio.gov/events/volunteer-at-presidio-pet-cemetery
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 10 am Exploring Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
Docent-led tour Oakland’s lovely Mountain View Cemetery by Barbara Gibson.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 10 am-2 pm Alhambra Cemetery Potter’s Field Clean Up
211 Foster Street, Martinez, CA 94553
The Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1851, has a rich history. Pay your respects to the many people buried in the cemetery’s potter’s field by helping to clean up debris and remove weeds from the graves of those who built our communities: laborers, restaurant staff, railroad workers, farmers, and veterans. We will also prepare the Chinese Funerary Burner site for future excavation and restoration. Wear comfortable clothes, gloves, and protective eyewear. Lunch for volunteers is generously provided by E Clampus Vitus.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.martinezcemetery.org/2019-fall-cemetery-cleanup.html
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 11 am Trolley Tour of the Eastside, Westside, and Hillside of Cypress Lawn
1370 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014
Docent Terry Hamburg guides a tour of beautiful Cypress Lawn that will last about two hours and includes refreshments. The state-of-the-art trolley is heated and air-conditioned. Each tour will have a $50 raffle prize.
Admission: Free. Trolley capacity is 24 riders, so RSVPs are required. Call 650.667.7404 for reservations.
More info: https://www.cypresslawn.com/events/2019/10/trolley-tours-general-excursion-eastside-westside-hillside-2/
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 6-7 pm Halloween Costume Parade 2019
Meet at Sterling Park Recreation Center, 427 F Street, Colma, CA 94014
Join us on this Halloween Adventure as we parade and trick or treat from the Sterling Park Recreation Center to the Italian Cemetery. The parade will begin promptly at 6:15 pm at Sterling Park. Don’t forget to wear your best Halloween costume.
Please register by October 9th, 2019 to ensure we have enough goodies for everyone! For more information: (650) 985-5678.
Admission: Colma resident: $1 per youth
Non-resident: $5 per youth
More info: https://www.colma.ca.gov/event/halloween-costume-parade-2019/
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 7-9 pm Cinema at the Italian Cemetery
Italian Cemetery, 540 F Street, Colma, CA 94014
Join us for an evening under the stars. Bring your blankets and pack a picnic for the family. Movie screening will be held outdoors on the Italian Cemetery Mausoleum lawn. We will host fun pre-movie activities, including music and a kids’ craft station. We will have a small snack bar on site, serving popcorn, candy, and hot chocolate.
Admission: free. Please call (650) 985-5678 to sign up and find out what the movie is.
More info: https://www.colma.ca.gov/event/cinema-at-the-cemetery-2019/
Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9 am-noon San Lorenzo Cemetery Clean Up and Open Day
Usher Street and College Street, San Lorenzo, CA 94580
Drop by to help preserve our local historic cemetery. Bring gloves, rakes, and water. A hat, sunscreen, eye protection, and study shoes are recommended. The cemetery will also be open during this time for the public to visit the grounds and ask questions.
More info: https://www.haywardareahistory.org/calendar/2019/10/19/cemetery-clean-up-amp-open-day
Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 9 am-noon Volunteer at the Presidio Pet Cemetery
667 McDowell Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129
The Presidio Pet Cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of the faithful companions of the military families who lived at the Presidio when it was an Army post. The pet cemetery has been closed off for almost 10 years in order to protect it during the Doyle Drive replacement project, but it will reopen to the public very soon. Help us get the pet cemetery in tip-top condition.
Admission: This volunteer event is free and open to all ages. Space is very limited, so registration is required. For questions, please email volunteer@presidiotrust.gov.
More info: https://www.presidio.gov/events/volunteer-at-presidio-pet-cemetery-2019-10-19
Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 10 am History Hike from Bothe-Napa Valley State Park to Bale Grist Mill State Historical Park
3801 St. Helena Highway, Calistoga, CA 94515
In the past, millers, preachers, teachers, and survivors shared a common thread in the history of the Bale Grist Mill and Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Discover their connection on this hike and learn a bit about natural history, too. You will be led by a park naturalist to the pioneer cemetery and the site of Napa’s first church. After a 1.2-mile hike, you will arrive at the Bale Grist Mill during Old Mill Days, where you can see how pioneers milled grain in the 1800s and join in the harvest-inspired festivities.
Admission: free
More info: https://napaoutdoors.org/parks/bothe-napa-valley-state-park/3rd-saturday-hikes/
Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 10 am Symbolism Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
Docent Sandy Rauch leads a tour focusing on the memorial symbolism in Oakland’s lovely Mountain View Cemetery.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 10:30 am-noon Petalumans of Yesteryear present their annual Cypress Hill Cemetery Walk
430 Magnolia Ave, Petaluma, CA 94952
The annual “The Lives of the Petaluma Pioneers” fundraising tour begins at the Cypress Hill Cemetery office parking lot. After a greeting by Isaac Wickersham (buried here), groups will be escorted to the gravesites of Captain Tom Baylis, Isaac Garrett Wickersham, Mr. And Mrs. Edward Spalding Lippitt , Mrs. Henry (Addie) Atwater, the McNear family, & William Howard Pepper. The tour concludes inside the Cypress Hill columbarium designed by Brainerd Jones, as narrated by Lyman C. Byce (also buried here).
Admission: $15 + service fee
Tickets: https://cemeterytour2019.brownpapertickets.com/
Friday, October 25, 2019 from 7–10:30 pm Ghosts of Dublin Pioneer Cemetery tour
Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, 6600 Donlon Way, Dublin, CA 94568
Event is recommended for ages 8 and up. Cemetery tours departing at 10 pm are reserved for 14+. Take a flashlight tour through Dublin’s historic Pioneer Cemetery, where Dublin’s buried past comes alive. Hear haunting stories of ghosts thought to be lurking in Dublin, including reports of recent findings by local paranormal researchers. See ghostly images of long-dead pioneers in Old St. Raymond Church. The tour includes a walk through the Kolb House, where you may have to look twice at the eerie shadows in the corners. Make your way through the dark and creaky 162-year-old Murray School House with only your flashlight to guide you. Fortify yourself with hot cider and cookies in the Sunday School Barn. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress warmly. Rain or shine.
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 10 am Historic Irvington Cemetery Tour
41001 Chapel Way, Fremont, CA 94538
Join us for a tour of Irvington Memorial Cemetery, founded in 1845 — before the Gold Rush! Hear and discuss the stories of local pioneers. The tour starts promptly at 10 am.
Admission: free, with donations to support the Washington Township Museum of Local History gladly accepted.
More info: https://museumoflocalhistory.org/
Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 10 am–5 pm Ghost Tour: Shipwrecks of Point Reyes
Bear Valley Picnic Area, 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA
Do the ghosts of doomed sailors haunt Point Reyes’ treacherous shores? We’ll pay our respects at a historic cemetery and travel out to the sites of myriad maritime tragedies, seeking personal connection to long lost ships and those who wait to tell their stories from the bottom of the sea. This class will be instructed by Frank Binney. Youth ages 12 and up are welcome with adult supervision.
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at noon-3pm 14th Annual Pumpkin Festival at Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
Celebrate Halloween at our fun-filled pumpkin patch meadow, with free pumpkins, activities, onsite food trucks, and treats for the kids!
Admission: free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Friday, November 1, 2019 at 10 am until Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 5 pm Bouquets to the Dead 2019
90 First Street W, Sonoma, California 95476
Local artists and folk honor their dead and our ancestors at Sonoma Mountain Cemetery for Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day, and Samhain with a processional from the square. Come one and come all!
Admission: Free
More info: https://allevents.in/sonoma/bouquets-to-the-dead-2019/200017964259018
Friday, November 1 to Saturday, November 30, 2019 Fall Foliage Display at Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Ave, Oakland CA 94611
Stop by and admire the colorful leaves of our redwood and oak trees.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 10 am-noon Walking Tour of Old St. Mary’s Cemetery
Meet at the St. Joseph Family Center, 7950 Church Street, Gilroy, CA 95020
The walking tour of Gilroy’s historic Old Saint Mary Cemetery lasts approximately two hours. Reservations are recommended but not required. To make reservations or for more information call the Gilroy Museum at (408) 846-0446.
Admission: free
More info: https://www.gilroyhistoricalsociety.org/calendar/2019/11/2/walking-tour-old-saint-mary-cemetery
Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 10 am-1:30 pm Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead Mountain Cemetery Tour
Meet at the Overlook Trail Kiosk, 90 First Street West, Sonoma, CA
Please join us for a lively, informative walk through our historic Mountain Cemetery with amateur historian Fred Allebach. Meet cowboys and Indians, ranchers and real estate tycoons, farmers and farriers, carpenters and stone masons, quarrymen, grocers, butchers, bakers, maybe even a candlestick maker.
Admission: $35
Tickets: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07egi5n2nme0c94270&oseq=&c=&ch=
Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 12:30 pm-1:30pm Día de los Muertos
Celebrate the dead with an all-ages festival throughout Downtown Santa Cruz, created in partnership with Senderos. Experience vibrant dance performances. Get your face painted. Indulge in delicious food. Join in on a procession to enjoy more dance, music, and outdoor altars at Evergreen Cemetery. The event will be MC’d by Adriana Frederick-Sutton from Univision. More details are coming.
Admission: free
More info: https://santacruzmah.org/events/d%C3%ADa-2019/2019/11/02
Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 11-3 pm Haunting Bike Tour of Colma Cemeteries
Bring your bike and meet at the Colma BART Station at 11 am, then take a spirited tour of several massive cemeteries where famous San Franciscans are buried. We’ll visit Woodlawn, Home of Peace and Hills of Eternity, Cypress Lawn, and Holy Cross. We return to Colma or South SF BART together at end of tour. RSVP at shaping@foundsf.org
Admission: We request a $20-50 sliding scale donation for our bike tours (but are flexible and you can pay less–or more!–as you see fit), benefiting Shaping San Francisco.
More info: http://www.shapingsf.org/tours.html#colma
Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 11 am Kings All – Railroaders Miners & Men of the Forest
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, 1370 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014
Professor Michael Svanevik guides a trolley tour of historic Cypress Lawn that will last about two hours and includes refreshments. The state-of-the-art trolley is heated and air-conditioned. Each tour will have a $50 raffle prize.
Admission: Free. Trolley capacity is 24 riders. RSVPs are required. Call 650.667.7404 for reservations.
More info: https://www.cypresslawn.com/events/2019/11/trolley-tours-kings-railroaders-miners-men-forest/
Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 10 am Exploring Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
Docent-led tour Oakland’s lovely Mountain View Cemetery by Jane Leroe.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 10 am Olmsted & Oakland Notables Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
Tour of Mountain View Cemetery led by docent Chris Pattillo, focusing on its design by Frederick Law Olmstead and the Oakland notables buried here.
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/events/upcoming-events
Canceled due to restoration work:
Saturday, October 12, 2019 from noon-2 pm Historic Mare Island Navy Cemetery Tour
Saturday, November 9, 2019 at noon-2 pm Historic Mare Island Navy Cemetery Tour
This Saturday night, I’ll be using my collection of cemetery postcards to illustrate the changes to the oldest European-style cemetery in Northern California.
My talk will be part of the fabled Litcrawl in San Francisco’s Mission District. I’ll be joined by Odd Salon Fellows Laura Rubin and Casey Selden for tales from the surprising history of cities of the dead.
Loren Rhoads is the author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die and Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel. She blogs about graveyards as travel destinations at CemeteryTravel.com. She’ll be talking about San Francisco’s Mission Dolores.
Casey Selden is a Fellow of Odd Salon and a fermentation dabbler. She’s made beer, cider and wine for kicks in her kitchen. She’ll be talking about a grave in Chicago and the woman who goes along with it.
Expert talks on odd topics; odd talks on everything else.
Sunday, September 23 at 1-3 pm Spirits of St. Helena Cemetery Walk
St. Helena Public Cemetery
2461 Spring St, St Helena, CA 94574
This is the St. Helena Historical Society’s 16th Annual Cemetery Tour, featuring stories of German decedents, including Charles Krug and Jacob Schram. St. Helena High School drama students, under the direction of Patti Coyle, will be acting out scenarios from the lives of the deceased and their families. 1 to 3 pm at the St. Helena Cemetery. 967-5502 or shstory.org.
Saturday, September 29 from 9-1 pm San Lorenzo Cemetery Clean Up and Open Day
Usher Street and College Street, San Lorenzo, CA 94580
Drop by to help preserve our local historic cemetery! Bring gloves, rakes, and water. The cemetery will also be open during this time for the public to visit the grounds and ask questions. http://www.haywardareahistory.org/calendar/2018/9/29/san-lorenzo-cemetery-clean-up-and-open-day
Saturday, October 6 from 8:30-10 am Yountville Veterans Home & Cemetery Photo Walk
100 California Drive, Yountville, CA 94599
Imagine you and your camera being guided on a historical photowalk tour in the heart of Napa Valley by our nation’s veterans. They will be your “imagery guide” to the oldest and largest of eight California homes. The home was established in 1884 by veterans of the Civil and Mexican American Wars. The walking tour will include: The 1918 Armistice Chapel that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, The home’s cemetery where nearly 6ooo men and women have been laid to rest, including four Medal of Honors, and the Arboretum that includes trees from all over the world. After your tour, you will have the opportunity to re-group in the Tug McGraw Foundation’s Brain Food Garden, enjoy delights provided by the foundation and chat about your images! Bring comfortable shoes and water. The entire campus is wheelchair accessible. https://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/the-historical-yountville-veterans-home/
Friday & Saturday, October 19-20, beginning at 7 pm Lantern Tours of Old City Cemetery
1000 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818
Tickets are $40 and should be purchased in advance. This will sell out.
Tour the tombstones in “They Had It Coming,” the theme of the 2018 Lantern Tours. There will be five tours per night, beginning at 7 p.m. and every half hour thereafter. The evening will begin with period music, games of chance, and encounters with some characters out of the city’s past. On the tour, meet other eternal residents who will tell their tales of crimes of passion, rash judgment, and just rewards. The experience ends with a stage show of merry cemetery murderesses dancing, singing and telling their own stories. The price includes all this and refreshments. Proceeds support cemetery preservation. http://events.sacbee.com/performer.aspx?perf_id=2528342
Friday, October 19 from 7–10:30 pm Ghosts of Dublin Pioneer Cemetery tour
Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, 6600 Donlon Way, Dublin, CA 94568
Tickets are $14 and should be purchased in advance. This will sell out.
Take a flashlight tour through Dublin’s historic Pioneer Cemetery, where Dublin’s buried past comes alive. Hear haunting stories of ghosts thought to be lurking in Dublin, including reports of recent findings by local paranormal researchers. See ghostly images of long dead pioneers in Old St. Raymond Church. https://patch.com/california/dublin/calendar/event/20181019/394748/ghosts-of-dublin-flashlight-tour-2018-pioneer-cemetery-dublin
Sunday, October 21 at 1:30 pm Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Ave, Oakland CA 94611
Tickets are $18.
Every visit to Mountain View Cemetery is like a trip back in time. It is like shaking hands with railroad builder Charles Crocker, admiring the brushwork of Yosemite landscape painter Thomas Hill, and hearing architect Julia Morgan rhapsodize about her designs for Hearst Castle. https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/events/details?event_id=27734
Wednesday, October 24 at 6:30-7:45 pm Hunters Tour of Alhambra Cemetery
211 Foster St, Martinez, CA 94553
The Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1851, has stunning views of the Carquinez Strait and a rich history. A tour guide will introduce you to families with names you know and some you don’t. You’ll learn more about local war heroes, personalities, politicians and a most creative caretaker. Tours are designed to enlighten, not frighten. Wear sturdy comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Sorry, no children please! Bring a flashlight. https://patch.com/california/martinez/calendar/event/20181024/398582/alhambra-cemetery-halloween-full-moon-tour-martinez
Friday, October 26 from 7–10:30 pm Ghosts of Dublin Pioneer Cemetery tour
Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, 6600 Donlon Way, Dublin, CA 94568
Tickets are $14 and should be purchased in advance. This will sell out.
Take a flashlight tour through Dublin’s historic Pioneer Cemetery, where Dublin’s buried past comes alive. Hear haunting stories of ghosts thought to be lurking in Dublin, including reports of recent findings by local paranormal researchers. See ghostly images of long dead pioneers in Old St. Raymond Church. https://patch.com/california/dublin/calendar/event/20181019/394748/ghosts-of-dublin-flashlight-tour-2018-pioneer-cemetery-dublin
Saturday, October 27 at 10 am Tour of Mt. Olivet Cemetery
270 Los Ranchitos Rd, San Rafael, CA 94903
Join us to visit the burial sites of many of the founding pioneer families of Marin County. Some who found their final place here led scandalous lives but now rest peacefully. From James Miller, founding father, to Barbara Graham, criminal, all have a story to tell. https://marinhistory.org/event-2960661
Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 pm Nighttime Walking Tour of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park
1363 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014
Meet docent Terry Hamburg at the Nobel Chapel for the annual nighttime walking tour. http://www.cypresslawnheritagefoundation.org/events/walking-tours/
Sunday, October 28 from 10 am–5 pm Ghost Tour: Shipwrecks of Point Reyes
Starts at the Historic Life-Saving Service Cemetery
18618-19084 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
For youth, ages 12 and up, with adult supervision.
Tickets are $40.
Do the ghosts of doomed sailors haunt Point Reyes’ treacherous shores? We’ll pay our respects at a historic cemetery and travel out to the sites of myriad maritime tragedies, seeking personal connection to long lost ships and those who wait to tell their stories from the bottom of the sea. http://www.ptreyes.org/camps-classes-programs/field-institute/classes/ghost-tour-shipwrecks-point-reyes-1
Sunday, October 28 from noon-3 pm Cycles of History: Haunted Colma
$15-50 sliding scale donation (but we are flexible and you can pay less–or more!–as you see fit), benefiting Shaping San Francisco. Please RSVP to shaping@foundsf.org or 415.881.7579.
Meet at the Colma BART Station at 12 noon and then take a spirited tour of several massive cemeteries where famous San Franciscans are buried. Visit Woodlawn, Home of Peace and Hills of Eternity, Cypress Lawn, and Holy Cross. Return to Colma or South SF BART together at the end of the tour. Bring water and a snack. https://sfbike.org/event/cycles-of-history-haunting-tour-of-colma-cemeteries/
Wednesday, October 31 at 6:30-7:45pm Halloween Tour of Alhambra Cemetery
211 Foster St, Martinez, CA 94553
The Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1851, has stunning views of the Carquinez Strait and a rich history. A tour guide will introduce you to families with names you know and some you don’t. You’ll learn more about local war heroes, personalities, politicians and a most creative caretaker. Tours are designed to enlighten, not frighten. Wear sturdy comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Sorry, no children please! Bring a flashlight. https://patch.com/california/martinez/calendar/event/20181024/398582/alhambra-cemetery-halloween-full-moon-tour-martinez
This Sunday, September 16, I will show some of my favorite photographs from 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die at one of my favorite cemeteries in the book, Colma’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.
Cypress Lawn was founded in the 1890s as a garden cemetery. To this day, it is full of lovely statuary, an exotic arboretum, carpet flowerbeds, and monuments to the founding fathers of San Francisco. It also has acres of stained glass in its public catacombs. It’s one of the loveliest cemeteries in Northern California.
My talk starts at 2 pm in Cypress Lawn’s Reception Center at 1370 El Camino Real in Colma, California. It’s free and there will be refreshments. You can get more information here: http://www.cypresslawnheritagefoundation.org/events/lectures/ or call 650-550-8812.
I’ll have copies of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Dieand Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemeteries Travel available for sale. You’re also welcome to bring your own copy for a signature.
This is the only 199 Cemeteries event I’ve got scheduled so far this far, so don’t miss it. In fact, come early and have a lovely ramble in Cypress Lawn.
Click here to sign up for my monthly mailing list, which will keep you up to date on my speaking schedule and upcoming projects. As a thank you, you'll receive "4Elements," a short ebook that showcases one of my favorite cemetery essays, a travel essay, and two short stories, spanning from urban fantasy to science fiction.
For $200, you could own both Death’s Garden Revisited, the new volume, and the original Death’s Garden: Relationships with Cemeteries, which has been out of print for 25 years.
Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 1-4 pm
This Saturday night, I’ll be using my collection of cemetery postcards to illustrate the changes to the oldest European-style cemetery in Northern California.
This Sunday, September 16, I will show some of my favorite photographs from 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die at one of my favorite cemeteries in the book, Colma’s