Are you a fan of historical stuff with a side of spookiness? Good news – October is the time of year when it is perfectly acceptable to wander aimlessly through random cemeteries. Am I right? Well, Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville has the perfect tour for you this weekend as they host their annual Illuminated Walking Tour.
Date: Saturday, October 11th, 2014
Tour Times: 4:30PM, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00, 7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8:00, 8:15, 8:30PM — Want to be on the 4:30pm tour? Get there at 4:15pm.
Price: $10 Adults, $5 Children
What to expect: There will be re-enactors dressed in period attire (1800s), posing next to the grave of the individual they will be representing. These individuals include generals, soldiers, and “Southern belles” of the Civil War and will be happy to tell you a little about themselves as you arrive to their plots.
Age range: From in the womb to tomb (Ha! I’m hilarious). This is an event for anyone who can walk (or dragged, pushed, etc.) and has a love for the Civil War era and its impact on Nashville and the South.
Who should avoid this event: Pets. I haven’t seen anything that says you can’t bring them, but for good measure, leave Fido at home. He may not take a liking to the guy dressed as General William B. Bate and that wouldn’t be nice, would it?
Notable Burials: George A. Dickel (that George Dickel, yes), David Lipscomb (yes, the multitude of schools were named after a real guy), John Overton (founder of Memphis), Samuel Watkins (founder of Watkins College of Art & Design), and just about every guy who considered running for Mayor of Nashville.
Now, you can click here for the link to Mt. Olivet’s website, but I could not find any information about it on their site. Knowing me, it’s right there in front of my face, but I found all the info I was looking for here. Will I be there? Yes, yes I do intend to be there, weather permitting. Otherwise, you will find me hollering about a missed slashing penalty at the Nashville Predators game.
Image Source: Pinterest
UPDATE: Click on the photos below to see some of the terrible photos I took during the tour. It was cold and wet, but it was still a great tour. Next time, I’ll bring a legitimate camera and not just my phone.
The Y'all Historian 