-By Judy Shuler-
If every person has a story to tell, over 45,000 interred in Jamestown’s Lake View Cemetery are waiting for their turn. For the past 17 years, staff members at Fenton History Center have selected a few to bring back to life with costumed actors in their Saints and Sinners tours.
Though touted as an excellent way to get into the spirit for All Hallows Eve, they are nevertheless not frightening, says Victoria Parker, curator at Fenton. “Tours like these are a great way to learn about our community. I always say this is a fun fall event. Our tours are historical, not scary, so they are a great family-friendly way to get into the fall and Halloween spirit.”
Saturday, October 1, 6pm to 9 pm and Saturday, October
8, 3pm to 6pm, with departures every 45 minutes. Pre-
Sale tickets are $15 for non-members, $2 for youth, and
$10 for Fenton History Center members. Tickets at the
gate are $17 for non-members and $15 for members.
During the second weekend of the tours, Parker will portray Mary Stone, whose body was found under mysterious circumstances. The featured people are generally not revealed in advance to keep it a surprise for participants, she says. “We try to pick people with interesting stories; sometimes the story is of their life, and sometimes it’s of their death.
“Our tours are different; every year we feature different people. We encourage everyone to come back year to year. We do get quite a few repeat visitors.”
Walking tours, about an hour long, are scheduled Saturday, October 1, 6pm to 9 pm and Saturday, October 8, 3pm to 6pm, with departures every 45 minutes. Pre-Sale tickets are $15 for non-members, $2 for youth, and $10 for Fenton History Center members. Tickets at the gate are $17 for non-members and $15 for members.
The Mausoleum and More tour begins at 8pm on Sunday, October 9, and lasts about two hours, followed by light refreshments. Tickets are $20. It includes a guided behind-the-scenes tour of several of the elegant mausoleums and gravesites as costumed actors tell spirited tails of the individuals and their families who are laid to rest there.
Horse-drawn carriage tours are already sold out. Tickets, which often sell quickly, may be reserved by calling the Fenton History Center at (716) 664-6256 or online at fentonhistorycenter.org.
Lake View Cemetery, at 907 Lakeview Ave., was dedicated on October 5, 1859, on about 37.5 acres, since expanded to over 150 acres. One month earlier, Corrisande Barrett Lowry was first to be buried there, on Lot 2 of Wildwood Section. Later, many of the burials from Jamestown’s earlier burial ground, site of the current Prendergast Library, were transferred there.
For further information see fentonhistorycenter.org and lakeviewcemeteryny.com.
Walking tours, about an hour long, are scheduled Saturday, October 1, 6pm to 9 pm and Saturday, October 8, 3pm to 6pm, with departures every 45 minutes. Pre-Sale tickets are $15 for non-members, $2 for youth, and $10 for Fenton History Center members. Tickets at the gate are $17 for non-members and $15 for members.