Sunday, 1/17

2:00 PM

$15

An Old Cemetery in A New Year: An Introduction to Laurel Hill Start the New Year off with a nod to years past. Join Laurel Hill Cemetery in this first program of the 2010 season! An informative overview of Laurel Hill's long and colorful history, this tour will include all of the highlights, hot spots and notable stories that afford the cemetery its WOW factor. This is the ultimate tour for first-time visitors to Laurel Hill, and anyone else who likes beautiful art, stimulating history, and just enjoying life...even amongst the dead.

Saturday, 1/30

5:00 PM

$20

Finding Edgar Allan Poe: By the Light of the Full Wolf Moon *TWILIGHT TOUR* Some have speculated that Poe’s tales may have been inspired amidst the graves and gardens of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Newly opened when Poe took up residence within the city, the famed necropolis could draw more than 40,000 visitors in one season alone…surely, Poe could well have been among those curious souls. This twilight tour of Laurel Hill will focus on what history has revealed to us of Poe’s time spent in Philadelphia – on the literature he produced, and of the friends, associates, (and enemies) who traveled within his circles, many of whom now reside permanently at Laurel Hill, including Henry Beck Hirst, Joseph Clay Neal, and George Rex Graham. The program will conclude with a vinous toast to Poe in the wintry month of his 201st birthday.

Saturday, 2/27

2:00 PM

$15

A Rich Heritage: Celebrating Black History Month Why are there no Black Civil War troops buried at Laurel Hill? Long after the declarations of emancipation in the late 1800s, segregation persisted—even in death. However, it was ultimately the collaboration of White and Black troops in the Civil War effort that ensured the Union’s victory. Many of the famous generals, commanders and decorated heroes buried here achieved their success with the assistance of former slaves and freedmen who fought and died for their own freedom. Learn about the history of the Civil War that has often been overlooked and forgotten. Hear the stories of men—both Black and White—whose shared commitment to the struggle against oppression and racial inequality revealed their true heroism and courage.

Sunday, 2/28

2:00 PM

$15

The Victorian Celebration of Death During the Victorian period, the burial customs and places used by western society changed greatly and for a variety of reasons. Join us for a discussion inside Laurel Hill’s historic Gatehouse concerning the rituals surrounding the death of a loved one, including clothing, burial processions, monuments and symbolism. Following this, a tour of the cemetery will highlight monuments and gravestones illustrating the mourning symbolism discussed earlier. The program will focus on individuals who lived (and died) in this period, such as famed painter Thomas Sully and publisher of Godey's Lady's Book, Louis Antoine Godey.

Sunday, 3/21

2:00 PM

$15

Where is Julia? Pretty Places & Victorian Era Superstitions The Victorian Era: a time period named for a woman, but a patriarchal society to its core. Meander through Laurel Hill's scenic grounds and funeral monuments - pretty in any setting - that reflect the Victorian people and their beliefs about themselves. Hear about being buried alive and what rain drops and a clap of thunder during a funeral meant in this superstitious time. Oh....and where is Julia?

Saturday, 3/27

2:00 PM

$15

Unearthing Laurel Hill: A History Written in Stone An informative overview of Laurel Hill's long and colorful history, this tour will include all of the highlights, hot spots and notable stories that afford the cemetery its WOW factor. This is the ultimate tour for first-time visitors to Laurel Hill, and anyone else who likes beautiful art, stimulating history, and just enjoying life...even amongst the dead.

Saturday, 4/17

2:00 PM

$15

The Moving Finger Writes: Laurel Hill in Words So Written As all students of history have experienced, the facts and events of the past can be very elusive. Even more mysterious, however, are the inner thoughts and experiences of the people who have passed before us. Original manuscripts found within Philadelphia’s most notable libraries and archives which will serve as the tantalizing point of entry into this tour of the lives of famous and not-so-famous Philadelphians resting in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Sunday, 4/25

2:00 PM

$15

A Note Suspended in Time: The Musical Masters of Laurel Hill Music serves many roles in our society; it entertains us, educates us, and can even become the focal point for entire lives. These roles do not end with life, however, as music is also an important part of the mourning process. Be it a somber dirge or lively jazz tribute, music is used to comfort the grieving and to commemorate or celebrate the lives of the deceased. Join us to learn more about funerary music as wide-ranging and varied as the musical lives of many who now rest at Laurel Hill.

Saturday, 5/22

2:00 PM

$15

Designing for the Dead: Art & Architecture of Laurel Hill Noted architects such as John Notman and Frank Furness competed fiercely for the chance to design for the dead. Join us on a walking tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery, where we will see monuments created by early architects, examine the work of sculptors such as Calder and Frishmuth, and visit the gravesites of portraitist Thomas Sully and watercolorist William Trost Richards.

Thursday, 5/27

7:00 PM

$20

Unearthing Laurel Hill: By the Rise of the Full Flower Moon *TWILIGHT TOUR* Laurel Hill seems to acquire an unexplained aura of magic and mystery after the sun goes down. Gain a new perspective on this historic site in the dark of night.

Sunday, 6/27

2:00 PM

$15

The Language of the Dead: Victorian Funerary Symbolism Victorian Philadelphians loved visual symbolism, and even their simplest grave markers are likely to be ornamented by ivy (for eternal life), lilies (for resurrection) or hour glasses (for brevity of life). Laurel Hill Cemetery is truly an outdoor sculpture garden, where the dead have always left symbolic messages to be read by the living.

Sunday, 7/11

2:00 PM

$15

By Arms and Courage: The Military Legacy of Laurel Hill In addition to the many Civil War military figures who rest at Laurel Hill, there are numerous individuals who served in our Nation's other conflicts: the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Indian Wars, Spanish/American War, and the great global conflicts of the 20th Century. Join us as we pay tribute to those who served bravely and now rest in honored glory.

Sunday, 8/8

2:00 PM

$15

Gettysburg and Beyond: Laurel Hill's Ultimate Civil War Tour The most bloody and pivotal moment in the history of the American Civil War was the decisive Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1st through the 3rd of 1863, only 120 miles away from the home front of Philadelphia. Many prominent Philadelphians were engaged at Gettysburg, some losing their lives for the nation. Join us in a journey through time to the Civil War battle that changed American history!

Wednesday, 8/18

6:00 PM

$20

Classy Broads and Daring Dames: Marking the 90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment *TWILIGHT TOUR* What do a ballerina, a sculptor, a maker of pyrotechnic devices, and a kindergarten leader have in common? First, they’re all buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Second, they all happen to be women whose accomplishments in life have been largely neglected, devalued and forgotten throughout history… But, we are now working to right this wrong, unearthing their stories, and ensuring that they are told for all to hear!

Sunday, 8/22

2:00 PM

$15

The Age of Discovery: Explorers, Inventors and Scientists The Nation’s Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century was accompanied by advances in many fields of scientific study. Following an illustrated lecture focused on this age of discovery, the gravesites of some of Philadelphia’s notable (as well as some obscure) explorers, inventors and scientists will be visited.

Sunday, 9/19

2:00 PM

$15

Deep Roots: The Specimen Trees of Laurel Hill Cemetery As a child, John Jay Smith, Laurel Hill’s primary founder, had frequented the Schuylkill River estates of Philadelphia’s wealthy. It was in these settings, he later recalled, that he had “imbibed the love of trees and flowers” which had afforded him so much pleasure - and Smith’s childhood stomping grounds would be the future site of Laurel Hill. His founding vision was realized in a cemetery that would not only serve as a place of rest and retreat, but also as a first-class Arboretum, whereat “one specimen…of every valuable tree and shrub which will bear the climate” could be found. Today, nestled within the bustling urban neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Laurel Hill continues to be a horticultural gem. Come explore the specimen trees, a green refuge for birds and the various types of wildlife that make their home here.

Saturday, 9/25

2:00 PM

$15

Unearthing Laurel Hill: A History Written in Stone An informative overview of Laurel Hill's long and colorful history, this tour will include all of the highlights, hot spots and notable stories that afford the cemetery its WOW factor. This is the ultimate tour for first-time visitors to Laurel Hill, and anyone else who likes beautiful art, stimulating history, and just enjoying life...even amongst the dead.

Sunday, 10/3

2:00 PM

$15

Knocks, Taps & Raps: Spirits & Spirtualists of Laurel Hill In the 19th century, thousands of Philadelphians believed that they could communicate with the dead. All that it took was a darkened room, a circle of believers, and a sensitive medium. Other Philadelphians mocked the table-rappers and tried to expose their tricks. Both believers and skeptics are well represented in historic Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Sunday, 10/10

2:00 PM

$15

Sinners, Scandals and Suicides Laurel Hill has its brave military heroes like George Gordon Meade, its uplifting reformers like Sarah Josepha Hale, and selfless philanthropists like Robert Carson. But what about the less than pure spirits?...The final resting places of troubled souls will be among the many stops on our tour of Laurel Hill's scandalous, sinful and sordid side.

Sunday, 11/7

2:00 PM

$15

Heroes Killed in Action: Observing Veterans Day This tour will visit the final resting places of the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Learn about the people who died in battle in the Revolutionary War, the Indian Wars, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, in Korea, and in Vietnam. Their heroic exploits will be relived, explored and honored.

Saturday, 11/20

2:00 PM

$15

Philanthrophic Philadelphians: In the Spirit of Thanks and Giving Greatness can be—and indeed should be—measured in more ways than one. While Laurel Hill's early Philadelphians may most often be remembered for their keen business sense, unrivaled success and accumulated wealth, it is ultimately how they chose to utilize their influence and share their fortunes that measured their true greatness.