Tours
Tours to entertain, educate, and enlighten the community throughout the year.
Historic Oakland Foundation offers two main types of tours: our guided overview tour and special topic tours. We also offer both guided tours for groups and schools. If you want to tour the cemetery at your own pace, we have several options for self-guided tours.
Oakland Tour
Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
This is THE definitive Oakland tour. Discover the history, the period 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 stories to tell; stories filled with both stunning victories and heart-wrenching tragedies. Join one of our knowledgeable and entertaining guides for a 90-minute walking tour of the grounds.
Tours begin at the Visitor Center, located at 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. The Visitor Center has restrooms, snacks, and unique Oakland gifts. Be sure to stop by before or after your tour!
Group tours are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information on how to book an Oakland Tour for your group, visit our Group Tour page and request form. Looking for School Tours? Head here.
Special Topic Tours
Want to learn more about a specific topic? Historic Oakland Foundation offers more than twenty special topic tours that explore a range of subjects, from Atlanta’s African American history to Victorian symbolism and beyond.
Special Topic Tours are offered on most Saturdays and Sundays.
Special Topic Tour Examples
Fifty Ways to Die
From disease outbreaks to battlefield wounds to murders in broad daylight, 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 humid climate and swampy land. While advances in medicine were made, like the discovery of germ theory and anesthesia, doctors also used quack cures. All this led to illness, injury, death, and a rise in the number of Oakland residents.
History, Mystery, and Mayhem
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.
The Jewish Grounds of Oakland
Oakland Cemetery is home to three Jewish burial sections, including the second old Jewish burial ground in Georgia. This tour examines notable residents, Jewish burial customs, and symbolism found throughout these grounds. Hear stories of adversity and triumph as waves of Jewish immigrants and families arrived in Atlanta, adapted to the culture of Victorian America, and created a vibrant and active community.
Victorian Symbolism
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 death culture. From sleeping lambs to weeping angels, every symbol has a different meaning. Discover the many botanical, secular, and religious symbols at Oakland, and interpret their meanings on this wandering walk through the cemetery.
We Shall Overcome: African American Stories From Civil War to Civil Rights
“We Shall Overcome” became the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but the origin of the song dates back to antebellum days and a spiritual sung by enslaved people, “No More Auction Block for Me.” This tour explores the lives and accomplishments of outstanding and ordinary African Americans who fought to overcome the effects of slavery and discrimination to help shape the history of Atlanta.
Questions about tours?
Find out what to bring on your tour here and see more frequently asked questions about visiting Oakland here. For other questions, contact Sandy White at swhite@oaklandcemetery.com.
