4 Things to Love About Oakland Cemetery
Oakland Cemetery is a unique downtown spot where families can appreciate art, architecture, history and nature. From its famous residents to annual kid-friendly events, this unusual destination offers a lot to love.
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Historical Tours
When the Cemetery is open, families can take self-guided tours using a map, which you can buy at the visitor’s center, or download from the website. Oakland also offers a downloadable app for touring, and dial-in phone audio tours. For a guided experience, there are Overview Tours offered every weekend, and Special Topic Tours (such as Pioneers of Atlanta or African American Grounds at Oakland) take place every weekend mid-March through mid-October.
Art, Architecture and Nature
Many styles of art and architecture can be found everywhere you look, from simple tombstones to towering mausoleums. Along with Victorian symbols such as angels, doves and lions, you’ll also find markers of Civil War era events, including one that describes the Great Locomotive Chase. Oakland’s 48 acres are home to plenty of flower species: the heirloom daffodils, and more than 1,400 trees including nearly 200-year-old oaks! Yes, you can picnic here and bring leashed pets to enjoy the green spaces.
Famous Residents
You’ll find well-known Atlantans buried here, including author Margaret Mitchell Marsh and golf legend Bobby Jones, along with former Atlanta mayors and governors. This is the resting place of many other notable people who helped build Atlanta, making a walk through Oakland’s gardens an exciting history lesson.
Special Events
Oakland hosts several popular events throughout the year, including favorites like Sunday in the Park, a Victorian-inspired festival with live music and dance performances, living history demonstrations, and a kids area. Families can find plenty of events to attend during the year, like scavenger hunts, nighttime Halloween tours, concerts and special ticketed tours.
– Dalia Faupel
The Details
Oakland Cemetery
248 Oakland Ave., Atlanta
Cost: Free. Guided tours: adults, $12; children, $6. Downloadable self-guided walking tour maps are $5.
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk