Outside the shoulder-high red brick walls of Atlanta’s Historic Oakland Cemetery with its 125-year-old monuments and tombstones peeking out, one’s imagination about the other side can get the best of them. Inside, however, visitors will find some of the city’s most lush and varied gardens, prime picnic spots and great jogging trails. On any given day, guests may see a wedding taking place on Bell Tower Ridge next to a mausoleum, a birthday party near the stoic giant lion or a neighborhood couple strolling with their dog.
“People have all kinds of functions in the cemetery,” Mary Woodlan of the Historic Oakland Foundation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’ve even had baby showers. They got so popular that we hired a full-time special events director.”
Woodlan said that people come all over the world to visit the hallowed grounds, especially to see the tomb of Margaret Mitchell Marsh, author of “Gone with the Wind.” And, yes, people are still buried there, about 10 – 15 people a year. Visitors are welcome to use the park from dawn until dusk, but the only way that you can spend eternity at Oakland is by purchasing a plot from a family member.
“I must get at least one call a week asking me about burial. There’s a long waiting list and needless to say, people are really dying to get in,” laughed Woodlan.
She and her husband got lucky and purchased a plot a few years back that they will share with their two dogs Molly and Sebastian and cat Teddy. “There’s room for our son, but we don’t talk about that because he is only 28.”
This summer all are invited to join the living and walk amongst some Atlanta’s most famous and notorious dead. Themed twilight tours, the Tunes from the Tombs concert and weekend tours are just a few of the events planned for the enjoyment of us mortals.
TUNES
Last year’s Tunes from the Tombs concert was so popular that another one was scheduled. This Saturday and Sunday, more than 100 bands with artists coming as far as Australia will play a two-day fest on five “natural” stages, meaning they’re integrated with the existing structures of the cemetery. The fest boasts an eclectic mix of music genres including Americana, jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, classical, and country. Buskers, including a bronze Beatle and street performers will be on hand to entertain visitors throughout the cemetery grounds. Sweet Auburn BBQ, Pallookaville gourmet corn dogs, the Varsity, Six Feet Under and Taz Wieners are slated to supply nutrition for the hungry. And, of course, there will be plenty of spirits to wash it all down with.
Bring a blanket and the family dog and stay all day. Outside coolers are prohibited. Organizers recommend taking MARTA to the King Memorial stop or $5 parking is available on Grant Street just a block from the cemetery.
TOURS
Though strolling, biking and jogging are encouraged year-round, Woodlan recommends that first-timers take the Sights, Symbols and Stories tour as it offers a good overview and history of Oakland. It is offered throughout the spring and summer on Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The themed Twilight Tours take place every Saturday and Sunday and begin at 6:30 p.m. and the schedule and themes vary. We recommend taking the Love Stories of Oakland tour on June 3 and explore some of the symbols of love and devotion as well as poignant epitaphs that echo everlasting love. This tour visits parts of Oakland often not highlighted during other tours.
“There’s a lot of insider information from our tour guides, things that I didn’t even know,” said Woodlan. “I’ve been a part of the cemetery for over nine years and almost every time I walk through I see something different whether it is a unique epitaph or a banana tree.”
R.I.P.
Apparently not all of Oakland’s permanent residents are resting in peace. New this year and also taking place on June 3, is the Murder and Mayhem at Oakland tour. This tour explores the fiery and tragic lives of those who left us under less than serene circumstances.
Scheduled for June 9 is the Oakland and the Civil War tour where visitors can stand in the same place where General Hood stood to watch the Battle of Atlanta. Guides also tell the story of the Great Locomotive Chase and Andrew’s Raiders. Franklin Garrett, the official Atlanta historian, once said: "History has several components: the participants, the chroniclers, and the historians. All of these components reside at Oakland."
TUNES
Tunes from the Tombs 2012
May 19. 1 p.m. -- 8 p.m., May 20. 1 p.m. -- 7 p.m. Adults $10 a day or $15 for a two day pass. Children 12 – 4 $5 or $10 for a two day pass. Children 3 and under free. Historic Oakland Cemetery, 248 Oakland Avenue, Atlanta. 404-688-2107, www.oaklandcemetery.com/tunes.
TOURS
Adults (18 -- 64) $10. Students (with ID) $5. Seniors (65 & older) $5. Children (6 -- 17) $5. Families (2 adults & 2 children) -- $26. Members free. 404-688-2107, www.oaklandcemetery.com/guidedTours.html.
