Calendar of Events
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5 events,
Spring Scramble Scavenger Hunt
Gather a group of friends or family for a day of cemetery sleuthing on this self-guided scavenger hunt throughout historic Oakland Cemetery! Through May 31, purchase your printable Spring Scramble packet online (one per team), download, print, and follow all-new cryptic clues to solve riddles. No reservations are required to participate. Choose from three different…
Illumine 2024
About the Event As the sun sets, the Cemetery is transformed. Through innovative lighting and art installations by local artists, interactive experiences, and live music, Illumine 2024 will light up the shadows of the night. Experience Oakland after dark against the inspiring backdrop of Atlanta’s glittering skyline. In addition to exploring parts of the Cemetery…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland home. Join one of our knowledgeable and entertaining guides for a 90-minute walking tour through Atlanta’s…
Oakland’s All-Stars: Sports Legends of Atlanta
Oakland’s All-Stars: Sports Legends of Atlanta
Discover stories of hometown heroes and sports legends during this 75-minute guided tour of Oakland Cemetery! Go team! Atlanta is home to five major sports teams, several powerhouse universities, and diehard fans who celebrate buzzer beaters, photo finishes, home runs, and hole-in-ones. Discover the origins of some of Atlanta’s most beloved sports teams and hear…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland home. Join one of our knowledgeable and entertaining guides for a 90-minute walking tour through Atlanta’s…
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
6 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland home. Join one of our knowledgeable and entertaining guides for a 90-minute walking tour through Atlanta’s…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland home. Join one of our knowledgeable and entertaining guides for a 90-minute walking tour through Atlanta’s…
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Indulge yourself in historic lore and great beer at Oakland Cemetery's only tour-turned-happy-hour event! Join us for an exclusive event, "Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History," at Oakland Cemetery. This engaging, hour-long guided walking tour offers an in-depth taste of Atlanta’s brewing history. Please gather at the main gate at least 10 minutes before…
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Indulge yourself in historic lore and great beer at Oakland Cemetery's only tour-turned-happy-hour event! Join us for an exclusive event, "Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History," at Oakland Cemetery. This engaging, hour-long guided walking tour offers an in-depth taste of Atlanta’s brewing history. Please gather at the main gate at least 10 minutes before…
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History
Indulge yourself in historic lore and great beer at Oakland Cemetery's only tour-turned-happy-hour event! Join us for an exclusive event, "Malts & Vaults: Where Beer Meets History," at Oakland Cemetery. This engaging, hour-long guided walking tour offers an in-depth taste of Atlanta’s brewing history. Please gather at the main gate at least 10 minutes before…
4 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Behind-the-Stones Preservation Tour
Behind-the-Stones Preservation Tour
Learn about past and ongoing preservation and restoration efforts at Oakland with a behind-the-stones walking tour! Join the Behind the Stones tour for an exclusive look at past and ongoing preservation and restoration efforts. This 75-minute walking tour discusses and visits several of types of physical preservation efforts - from the repair of small, badly…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
1 event,
2 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
1 event,
6 events,
Cemetery Preservation Workshop
Cemetery Preservation Workshop
This workshop will teach participants basic cemetery preservation theory and skills. This workshop will teach participants basic cemetery preservation theory and skills. Activities will include a brief indoor portion geared towards understanding the historic context of cemeteries in Atlanta as well as theoretical concepts such as “do no harm,” “reversibility,” etc. The majority of the…
Service Learning Day in the Gardens
Service Learning Day in the Gardens
Support Oakland Cemetery on our first service learning day of the year, Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to noon. Learn valuable gardening skills while you help keep Oakland's gardens beautiful. We'll start with an informal presentation about the volunteer project for the day including lessons and tips that you can apply to your own…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
History, Mystery, and Mayhem
History, Mystery, and Mayhem
Discover stories that defy explanation during this 75-minute guided tour of Oakland Cemetery! With more than 70,000 souls interred in its hallowed grounds, it’s no mystery that Oakland Cemetery has its share of the surreal. Hear the stories that defy explanation, from mysterious murders to tragic events that have passed into local legend. Tour Info…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
4 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Epitaphs: The Immortality of Words
Epitaphs: The Immortality of Words
Join us as we explore some of the fascinating epitaphs that grace the monuments of Oakland. How would you like to be remembered? Victorians gave considerable thought to this concept. An epitaph is described as “a statement commemorating or epitomizing a deceased person.” Join us as we explore some of the fascinating epitaphs that grace…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
2 events,
Book Signing and Discussion with Advolly Richmond
Book Signing and Discussion with Advolly Richmond
Please join Atlanta History Center, The Garden Conservancy, Historic Oakland Foundation, and Cherokee Garden Library for an unforgettable evening on May 14 at Atlanta History Center. Renowned garden historian Advolly Richmond will discuss her new book, A Short History of Flowers, which unravels the surprising histories of 60 flowers that shape our gardens. The book…
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
4 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Black Magnolias
Black Magnolias
This guided walking tour explores the history, lives, and labors of Atlanta’s African American women. Historically, many African American women worked as maids, child nurses, cooks, and laundresses—all while managing their own households. As educational opportunities became available following the Civil War and emancipation, African American women aspired to occupations beyond domestic service. Many sought…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
4 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Fear and Accusation: The Leo Frank Story
Fear and Accusation: The Leo Frank Story
Learn how several Oakland residents were involved in this Atlanta tragedy during this 75-minute guided tour. This tour begins and ends with a murder. In the early hours of April 27, 1913, the body of 13-year-old Mary Phagan was discovered in the basement of Atlanta’s National Pencil Factory. Leo Frank, the factory superintendent and a…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
1 event,
2 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
1 event,
3 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Victorian Symbolism
Victorian Symbolism
From angels to anchors, learn all about grave symbols and death culture during this 75-minute guided tour of Oakland Cemetery! The Victorians were obsessed with death. From rules on mourning outfits to post-mortem photography, the Victorians had elaborate rituals and traditions to grieve and process death. The ornamentation and symbols found in cemeteries reflect this…
4 events,
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Memorial Day Tour: Oakland and World War I
Memorial Day Tour: Oakland and World War I
Discover the stories of soldiers, civilians, and home front civilians in the Great War during this Memorial Day tour. On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany and the United States officially entered World War I. Over four years, the total number of military and civilian casualties in the Great War climbed to over…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
4 events,
Join in June! Membership Month
It's Membership Month at Historic Oakland Foundation! Join or renew in June and you'll be entered to win some amazing prizes! Your membership helps Historic Oakland Foundation preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery, a treasured Atlanta landmark and important neighborhood greenspace. HOF members receive some great benefits in addition to supporting Oakland: Advance ticket…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…
Fifty Ways to Die
Fifty Ways to Die
From disease outbreaks to battlefield wounds to murders, this tour traces the myriad ways Oakland residents died in the 19th century.Early Atlanta was not a sleepy southern community – it had more in common with the Wild West. Life in this railroad town often ended in violence or tragedy. Diseases spread rapidly thanks to Atlanta’s…
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Sights, Symbols, and Stories General Tour
Explore the history, gardens, and funerary art of Oakland Cemetery with a 90-minute guided walking tour! Discover the history, the Victorian gardens, and the art and architecture that give Oakland its distinctive character. Oakland is an outdoor museum of Atlanta’s history with over 70,000 residents. Meet the trailblazers, builders, creators, and characters who call Oakland…