One hundred and sixty years of history will come to life during Historic Columbia Foundation’s annual Cemetery Tours, offered on the second Thursday of the month now through September. At Elmwood Cemetery, one of Columbia’s oldest cemeteries, there are centuries of stories etched in stone on the markers and headstones found within its carefully planned grounds.
Historic Columbia Foundation’s annual Cemetery Tours include two options — guests can take a Secrets from the Grave Iconography Tour at 7:30 pm or a Moonlight Cemetery Tour at 8 or 8:30 pm.
The Secrets from the Grave tour starts before dark to allow attendees to study the iconography symbols found on so many of the markers and headstones in the cemetery. The Moonlight Cemetery Tours are led by a costumed guide and include narratives about the lives, burials, cemetery plots and tombstones of families and prominent citizens from Columbia’s 19th and 20th centuries.
“Hundreds of people drive past Elmwood Cemetery every day without realizing what a historic treasure it is,” says Sarah Blackwell, Historic Columbia Foundation’s director of programs. “We hope you will join us for a tour of this beautiful cemetery and discover the incredible stories of life, love and valor Elmwood offers.”
Tickets are $10 for general admission adults, $5 for general admission youth (17 and under), $5 for Historic Columbia Foundation member adults and $3 for Historic Columbia Foundation member youth and can be purchased at www.HCFCemeteryTour.eventbrite.com.
