From disease outbreaks to battlefield wounds to murders, 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.

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

Visit Oakland’s three Jewish burial sections and learn about Atlanta Jewish history during this 75-minute guided tour! 

Oakland Cemetery is home to three Jewish burial sections, including the second oldest 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. 

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.  

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

This 75-minute tour challenges the myth of Southern womanhood by uncovering the true social and personal histories of Atlanta’s women.  

Early Atlanta might have been a man’s world, but this city was built with the labor of women. From writers and domestic servants to reformers and mothers, Oakland Cemetery is home to thousands of women. Some defied social expectations or worked against racial discrimination to become trailblazers. Others created support systems that made change possible. All dealt with the issues, challenges, and social standards of being a woman in their day. Hear their stories of pioneering, producing, and patriarchy-smashing during this guided walking tour of Oakland Cemetery! 

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

Discover stories that defy explanation during this 75-minute guided tour of Oakland Cemetery! 

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. 

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

From angels to anchors, learn all about grave symbols and death culture during this 75-minute guided tour of Oakland Cemetery!

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.

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

Come hear the stories of military veterans who reside at Oakland or those with connections to Oakland.

You'll be introduced to veterans from the Mexican American War to the Korean War, both men and women. These individuals and their service help tell the history of the U.S.A. and our nation's relationship to the world.

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.

Learn about past and ongoing preservation and restoration efforts at Oakland with a behind-the-stones walking tour!

Join the Behind the Stones tour for an exclusive look at past and ongoing preservation and restoration efforts. This 75-minute walking tour discusses and visits several of types of physical preservation efforts – from the repair of small, badly broken headstones to the stabilization of dangerously leaning obelisks weighing several thousand pounds. Guests will also see examples of restoration, which involves intervening to return a monument, headstone, or structure to its original appearance or condition.

This tour starts at 11:00 AM. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in at the Oakland Store, located inside the Visitor Center (374 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, SE). Restrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Visitor Center.

Spaces are limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.  

Historic Oakland Foundation Members

Historic Oakland Foundation memberships include free tickets for Oakland Tour. Check your membership level before you purchase. Individual members receive one (1) ticket, dual members two (2) tickets, and family memberships four (4) tickets. Members should enter the email address associated with their membership to receive access to free tickets.

Accessibility

Not all areas of Historic Oakland Cemetery are wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need an accessible route when purchasing your ticket by emailing info@oaklandcemetery.com. There is designated parking for vehicles with a disability permit by the Visitors Center. Please be aware that the main entrance of the Cemetery is paved with cobblestones and the East Gate entrance has a step.

ASL interpreter available if given three days (72 hours) notice before the start of the tour.