2012 WINTER TOURS
1:00 p.m. on Three Saturdays
January 21 • February 18 • March 17
Meet at the south cemetery entrance, 1133 Mount Hope Avenue (opposite The Distillery restaurant).
Admission: $5.
Free to members of the Friends of Mount Hope and children under age 16.
Tour Guide: Don Hall
Enjoy a 60-to-90-minute (depending on weather) guided walking tour on flat, well-plowed roads. In addition to general information about the cemetery, the tour will include stops at the 1912 chapel and the graves of George Washington's drummer boy; the man who inspired "Billy Pilgrim" in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five; James Vick, who developed Vick Park A and B off East Avenue; and the cemetery's second tallest monument, erected in memory of Hartwell Carver by the Union Pacific Railroad.
The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery's annual season of general and special-themed guided walking tours closes at the end of October. Click here to download a copy of the 2011 Tour Season Schedule.
GENERAL TOURSApril 30 through October 30, 2011Saturdays at 1:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pmAdmission: FreeMeet: North Gatehouse (opposite Robinson Drive). Parking inside cemetery.Each guided tour is a two-hour leisurely walk of approximately one mile on paved roads and uneven terrain. Subjects covered include local history, famous people (including Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass), horticulture, geology, physical geography, architecture, symbolism, and more.Refreshments following the tours.
TWILIGHT TOURSMay 12 through August 11, 2011Thursdays at 6:30 pmAdmission: $5. Free for members of the Friends of Mount Hope CemeteryMeet: North Gatehouse (opposite Robinson Drive). Parking inside cemetery.These 90-minute guided walking tours include topics covered on the general tour as well as new material.Refreshments following the tours.
THEME TOURS Two-Hour Guided Walking ToursAdmission: $5. Free for members of the Friends of Mount Hope CemeteryRefreshments following the tours. Parking inside the cemetery EXCEPT for the Torch Light Tours.Mischief, Murder & Mayhem
Friday, June 17 at 7:00 pm
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Dennis Carr
Meet some of Mount Hope Cemetery's permanent residents who bent, broke, or enforced the law.Rochester & The Legendary Erie Canal
Saturday, June 18 at 11:30 am
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Nancy Uffindell
The Erie Canal fueled westward expansion, made Rochester a boom town and New York State the Empire State. Meet some of Mount Hope Cemetery's famous and less famous people with important connections to this legendary waterway.
The Civil War Tour
Saturday, June 25 at 1:30 pm
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Marilyn Nolte
The Civil War told against the backdrop of Mount Hope Cemetery with a focus on local involvement. This tour covers new themes each year.
Jewish Roots
Sunday, June 26 at 10:00 am
Meet: Cemetery Office—south entrance opposite The Distillery restaurant
Tour Guide: Joel Elliot
Explore the enormous contribution of Rochester's Jewish community.Stories of the Famous & Forgotten
Saturday, July 16 at 10:00 am
Meet: Cemetery Office—south entrance opposite The Distillery restaurant
Tour Guide: Patricia Corcoran
Stroll paved, flat-surfaced Grove Avenue. Learn about the many notable families buried in beautiful mausoleums and artistic family plots.Mischief, Murder & Mayhem
Friday, August 12 at 6:30 pm
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Dennis Carr
Meet some of Mount Hope Cemetery's permanent residents who bent, broke, or enforced the law.The Revolutionary War
Saturday, August 13 at 12:00 noon
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guides: R. Dreeson, S. Clarke, D. Carr
The American Revolution told through the lives of veterans buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. Covers action that took place in New York State.
The Ice Cream Tour
Saturday, August 20 at 1:00 pm
Meet: Cemetery Office—south entrance opposite The Distillery restaurant
Tour Guide: Don Hall
Learn about one of Rochester's earliest businesses: the making and selling of ice cream.
Lost Secrets
Saturday, September 10 at 12:30 pm
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Prof. Emil Homerin
An examination of symbols, inscriptions and funerary art that expressed views of life, death and immortality in the 19th century.
Geology at Mount Hope Cemetery
Saturday, September 17 at 12:30 pm
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Bill Chaisson
Want to know about the Rochester terrain as it existed hundreds of years ago? Geologist Bill Chaisson will share this early history in one of the only local places where it can be seen first hand.
Fall Foliage Tour
Saturday, October 22 at 12:00 noon
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tour Guide: Ed Olinger
Enjoy the variety and beauty of Mount Hope Cemetery's trees in autumn.
Grand Torch Light Tours
The finale to the tour season, with a special tour path lighted by torches. NEW tour route this year!
Saturday, October 22 & Tuesday, October 25
Tours begin at 5:45 pm and leave about every 10 minutes through 8:30 pm.
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
Tickets: $7 in advance. $10 day of event (if available).
Children and young people age 15 years and under admitted free with paying adult.
Members: Bring your membership card to the "Members Entrance" when you arrive for free admission.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to tour Mount Hope Cemetery in the evening by torch light, enjoying unusual stories about Rochester's early residents.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
FAMILY FUN & LEARNING AT MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY
Saturday, June 25 at 11:00 am
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive. Parking inside cemetery.
Admission: $6/family; $5/individual; Free for members of the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery.
Explore a small section of Mount Hope as a family group. Construct a timeline. Participate in a hunt to find and learn about monuments, religious symbols, and other interesting facets of Victorian cemeteries. Bring dictionary, clipboard, paper and pencil.
Refreshments following the event.
ROCHESTER MUSEUM & SCIENCE CENTER ACTORS' TOURS
Contact the Rochester Museum & Science Center for ticket information. (585) 271-4320
A Circle of Friends
Saturday, September 3 at 10:30 am
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
A Saturday Stroll with Georgiana Farr Sibley
Saturday, October 1 at 10:30 am
Meet: North Gatehouse opposite Robinson Drive
