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…

Stand at the site where General Hood watched the Battle of Atlanta. Hear the story of the Great Locomotive Chase and Andrew’s Raiders. See the Lion of Atlanta as it lies wounded and dying over unknown soldiers from nearby battlefields and hospitals,…

From ancient times, people have sought to honor and perpetuate the memory of departed loved ones. In the 19th century, the development of rural, non-sectarian cemeteries like Oakland provided a setting that allowed for a diverse array of funerary tributes.…

Atlanta is a major transportation hub, but the city owes its beginning to the railroad. As far back as the early 1800s, when this area was nothing but forest, Georgia’s leaders recognized its ideal location as a connecting point for…

This tour examines the Jewish Grounds of Oakland Cemetery and identifies patterns of assimilation and persistence that began to surface as waves of Jewish immigrants entered and adapted to the culture of Victorian America. In 1860, Atlanta was home to…

“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…

Go team! Atlanta is home to five major sports teams, several powerhouse universities, and diehard fans who celebrate buzzer beaters and rage over bad calls with equal passion and tenacity. Each of these teams, their fans, and their traditions are…

Victorians were fascinated by the past and borrowed symbols they learned from the archaeological digs taking place in Egypt, Greece, Israel, and Turkey. In many cases, the symbols were originally secular but were changed to religious, and could have a…

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 the…

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 and eerie events that have passed into local legend, from mysterious burials…

From the log cabin the Cherokee Indians called “medicine house” to the establishment of Atlanta Medical College to the medical advances resulting from the Civil War, this tour traces the history of death and disease in Atlanta in the 19th…