Standing at the center of Historic Oakland Cemetery, you’re briefly surrounded by monuments blocking out the city skyline. Should a train clatter by, you’re swept into a swirl of stories and scintillating scandals. Dried magnolia leaves skittering across the cobblestone pathways evoke an array of images — a child’s toy on hardwood floors, a last rasping breath. With 70,000 histories and mysteries interred in this multi-acre refuge, it’s hard not to be enthralled.
Founded in 1850 on a scant six acres, the 162-year-old green space — a modern-day oasis — now encompasses 48 acres. Packed with history, local lore and art that chronicles the growth of Atlanta, the vast iron gates of Oakland promise a sense of calm and exploration within the bustling city. Curated in the tradition of Victorian-style garden cemeteries, the tombstones, statuary and ancient trees create a scenic backdrop for afternoon strolls, dog walking and even picnics. Yes, Historic Oakland Cemetery is a public green space, which means you can drop in and hang out. Just think of it as an elaborately decorated park.
Each weekend, the Historic Oakland Foundation offers guided walking tours of the grounds. The Sights, Symbols & Stories of Oakland is a 1.5 hour overview that winds throughout the grounds and features intriguing tidbits about burial customs, symbolism and life stories. These tours, brimming with tales of love and loss, betrayal and bravery, take place at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
Through Oct. 21, you also can check out Oakland at sunset on a Twilight Tour. While the topics vary weekly, a few upcoming favorites include “Epitaphs — The Immortality of Words” (Sept. 16), “Fear and Accusation: The Leo Frank Story” (Sept. 23), “Dying in 19th-Century Atlanta” (Oct. 6), and “Art and Architecture of Death” (Oct. 14). The hourlong tours begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. They are $10 for adults; $5 for children; and $26 for families (two adults and two children). Reservations are not necessary. All tours convene at the Bell Tower.
The Visitors’ Center, open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, offers maps for self-guided tours. The maps come with firsthand accounts of the city’s past from Oakland’s eternal “residents.” You can wander at your own pace and discover the graves of key players from Atlanta’s storied past: Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell; Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African-American mayor; Bobby Jones, the first golfer ever to win a Grand Slam; and more than 3,000 unnamed Civil War soldiers. Admission is free; the map is $4.
Each year, the cemetery offers special events. On Oct. 25-28, the gates open after dark for Capturing the Spirit of Oakland — Halloween Tours. Designed to “enlighten, not frighten,” this after-hours walk features a cast of old Atlantans, plus a few surprise suspects, clad in period attire. $20; $10 children.
Details at www.oaklandcemetery.com or 404.688.2107.
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Alyson Kate Long is an Atlanta girl and an old soul. A freelance writer, she loves to tell the stories of intriguing locals and small businesses.
