October Spotlight: Historic Cemetery Tours

Historic cemeteries are more than just a setting for zombies and jump scares. They're also repositories of lesser-known history and fascinating personal stories about their inhabitants. Explore our list of over a dozen historic cemetery tours (some of them interactive!) happening this month across Texas.

Pictured: Grave of A.H. Fortenberry in Pollard cemetery, NW of Bolivar, taken ca. 1920.
Credit: Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum via The Portal to Texas History.

Note: These event links will expire after every October, however, many of these events are annual, so come back next year! In addition, some historic cemeteries offer year round tours.

upcoming events

Oct 9 - Oct 31All Hallows' Eve TourAustin
Oct 1313th Annual Mesquite MeanderMesquite
Oct 14

Voices from the Past: Living History at Three Historic Cemeteries in Montgomery

Montgomery
Oct 14Last Mile Cemetery TourGranbury
Oct 19Historic Magnolia Cemetery TourBeaumont
Oct 21

Llano Historic Cemetery Tour

Amarillo
Oct 21Oakwood Cemetery's Walking TalesWaco
Oct 21Sundown Cemetery CrawlEl Paso
Oct 21

Historic Run Crew: Eastside Cemteries

San Antonio

Oct 28

History at Night: San Felipe's Historic Cemetery TourSan Felipe
Oct 28Willow Wild Cemetery Walking TourBonham
Oct 28

Ghosts Along the Brazos: Tour of the Patton Family Cemetery

West Columbia
Oct 28Murder, Mayhem, & Misadventure Walking ToursAustin
Oct 29Hops and History: A Tour of Old Settler's CemeteryPearland
Nov 4Still Making History Cemetery TourGeorgetown


Did you know?

Today, more than 2,300 historic cemeteries have been designated as Historic Texas Cemeteries through the efforts of local volunteers, preservationists, and avocational and professional historians and archeologists. Each of Texas’ 254 counties has at least one cemetery designated as an Historic Texas Cemetery.

Learn more about Cemetery Preservation at the Texas Historical Commission.