Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d go to a cemetery for fun. Nope – didn’t think it would ever happen. In my mind, the only reason to visit a cemetery would be to attend a funeral or place flowers on a loved one’s grave. That’s why it came as a surprise to get an invitation to visit the historic Oakland Cemetery.

When my friend first approached me with the idea, I asked her, “Why do you want to go to an old cemetery? This is Atlanta – there are plenty other attractions to go to.” She went on to tell me about some facts about the cemetery and how beautiful the grounds were. Alas, I relented and boy, was I glad I did.

Y’all! This place is beautiful!

The first thing I noticed even before I entered was the grand gate marking the entrance. This gate is right off Oakland street and as you drive up, you can’t help but know you have reached your destination. Once you walk through the gate, you notice the sheer size of the place. This cemetery is a whopping 48 acres. Yep – that’s a lot of acreage full of a lot of dead people.

Maybe visiting a cemetery is a “thing” here, because there were quite a few people around. I noticed a parked school bus and witnessed kids walking around having a good ol’ time. As they passed me, I overheard them talking about a Scavenger Hunt – Oh, how fun!

The next thing I noticed were the manicured grounds and the majestic trees. As we walked around, I kept asking my friend, “What kind of tree is that? What kind of plant is that? Who does the landscaping?” Although I was skeptical about the visit, I was fascinated by its history and handsomeness. During this visit, I discovered a few things:

In 1849, the cemetery started with 6 acres and was named the Atlanta Cemetery
The cemetery was renamed Oakland Cemetery in 1872
In 1976, the Oakland Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1986, the Historic Oakland Foundation begins offering weekend tours of Oakland Cemetery.
In 2011, the African American Cell phone tour debuted.
There are approximately 40,000 markers, records indicate that more than 70,000 souls rest at Oakland.
In 2017, the Historic Oakland Foundation began phased restoration of the cemetery’s three-and-a-half acre African American Grounds which had previously not undergone a large-scale restoration in more than 100 years.

Another interesting fact about this cemetery is all the famous people buried here. Yeah, it may be bizarre, but I thought it fascinating to see the grave sites of Margaret Mitchell, Maynard Jackson, Bobby Jones, Julia Collier Harris, Carrie Steele Logan and many others.

Oh yeah, they have tours too! For the Halloween season, they’re offering the Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween. According to their website, this event is designed to enlighten rather than frighten. Capturing the Spirit of Oakland tours bring to life the stories of some of the cemetery’s notable residents and allow visitors to experience Oakland Cemetery after dark. Doesn’t that sound like fun?????

If that’s not your thing, but you’re up for a nice outside activity, visit during daylight hours. You’ll be delightfully surprised. Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes.

Have you ever visited a cemetery just for fun?