School Tours and Educator Resources

Historic Oakland Foundation offers interactive tours for students of all ages.

An experienced docent will lead students through the cemetery’s Original Six Acres, the African American Grounds, Jewish sections, Confederate Burial Grounds, and other burial areas. As the students progress through the garden cemetery, they will discover the stories of citizens who shaped the development of Atlanta.

School tours of Oakland Cemetery reflect the diverse development of Atlanta, the state, and the American South. A visit to this Victorian garden cemetery provides opportunities to start a dialogue about the historic past and create a space for learning outside the classroom.

Book Your School Tour

Make Oakland Cemetery your next field trip! Our grounds are the perfect classroom space for all ages with history, nature, art, architecture, civil rights and more at your fingertips. Already booked your tour? Make sure you check out our “things to know” before you come!

Field Trip Options

Sights, Symbols, and Stories of Oakland

90-minute tour experience
120 students, 12 chaperones max

This interactive guided tour engages students on a trip through Atlanta’s history, from the founding of the city by early pioneers to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Students will visit different character areas of Oakland, including the African American Grounds and Jewish burial sections, and learn about different burial and cultural traditions.

Georgia Standards of Excellence: SS4H5, SS4H6, SS5H1, SS5H6, SS5G2, SS8H5, SS8H6, SS8H7, SS8H10, SS8H12, SSUSH8, SSUSH9, SSUSH10, SSUSH11, SSUSH13, SSSocC1, SSSocC2, and SSSocC3.

We Shall Overcome: African American Stories from Civil War to Civil Rights

75-minute tour experience
25-30 students, 3 chaperones max

Explore the lives and accomplishments of outstanding, and ordinary, African Americans who fought to overcome the effects of slavery and racism to help shape the history of Atlanta.

Georgia Standards of Excellence: SS4H5, SS4H6, SS8H5, SS8H6, SS8H7, SS8H10, SS8H11, SS8H12, SSUSH10, SSUSH11, SSUSH13, and SSUSH22.

Art and Architecture of Death

75-minute tour experience
25-30 students, 3 chaperones max

Discover the magnificent mausoleums and Victorian sculptures that make Oakland an outdoor art gallery within a city of the dead. Students will learn about the variety of grave markers at Oakland and how to analyze monuments.

Georgia Standards of Excellence: VA4-8.RE.1, VA4-8.CN.1, VA6-8.RE.2, VA6-8.CN.3, VAHSAH.RE.1, VAHSAH.RE.2, VAHSAH.RE.3, VAHSAH.CN.1 VAHSAH.CN.3, VAHSSC.RE.1, VAHSSC.RE.2, VAHSSC.CN.1, VAHSSC.CN.3, VAHSVA.RE.1, VAHSVA.RE.2, VAHSVA.CN.1, and VAHSVA.CN3.

Things To Know Before You Come

  • Student – $6
    Chaperone – Guided tours require one chaperone (admitted free) per 10 students. Each additional chaperone ticket is $12.

    A $60 deposit is required to reserve the field trip. The balance is due at the start of the tour.

    Proceeds benefit the restoration of Oakland Cemetery.

  • Guided tours require one chaperone (admitted free) per 10 students. Admission for each additional chaperone is $12.

    Funding for chaperone tickets is made possible by the Zeist Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta.

  • Lunch is not provided. Students can bring food to eat picnic style in the cemetery. There are no tables on the grounds.

  • School buses are not permitted inside the cemetery gates. Unload students outside the gates on Oakland Avenue or in the parking lot. School buses can park along MLK Jr. Drive. Smaller buses can park in the gravel parking lot near the Front Gate (Oakland Avenue and MLK Jr. Drive).

    The King Memorial MARTA station is a 7-10 minute walk from the cemetery. Click here for directions from MARTA.

  • All tours will start at the Front Gate or at the Visitor Center. Check your tour confirmation to confirm the starting location.

    Students should be split into groups prior to arriving at Oakland Cemetery. The Education Manager will communicate the number of tour guides for each visit.

  • Please arrive at least ten minutes early to unload from the bus and organize into tour groups.

    Stay on the walkways and roads.

    Stone rubbings are prohibited.

    This is an outdoor walking tour. Please plan accordingly for weather conditions and wear comfortable shoes. Students are encouraged to bring water.

    Damage to any aspect of the historic site becomes the liability of the individual (s) responsible. If the individual is a minor, the liability rests with the parent or guardian.

Post-Tour Learning Activities

On-site post-tour activities are available to visiting school groups at no additional cost. Activity instructions and materials will be sent in advance of the tour visit. Optional activities include:

  • Victorian Symbolism Bingo

    Students will search for symbols and grave marker designs in a character area of Oakland.

  • Epitaphs – A Dialogue with the Dead

    Students will reflect on epitaphs found throughout Oakland and compose their own epitaph.

  • Cultural Treasure Hunt

    Students will answer questions about grave markers, symbolism, and cultural traditions in the African American Grounds.

  • Unveiling Victorian Sculpture

    Students will analyze a sculpture or mausoleum and write a one-page reflection.