Tours and Events
Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation’s 2012 Tours & Events Calendar
Arbor Day Celebration
Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Free for All
Celebrate Arbor Day at Cedar Hill by helping us plant trees as part of Knox Parks’ Trees for Hartford Neighborhoods program. Artist Justin Trigila will be finalizing his temporary art installation utilizing natural materials inspired by the Cemetery. Nature crafts and I Spy activities will be available for children and families. To volunteer to plant trees contact Beverly Lucas at (860) 956-3311 or blucas@cedarhillcemetery.org. Lunch will be provided for volunteers.
Cedar Hill’s Feathered Friends Walk
Saturday, May 12, 6:30 am
Free for All
Join Jay Kaplan from Roaring Brook Nature Center for his annual bird walk at Cedar Hill. Jay will lead visitors through Cedar Hill’s ornamental foreground in search of resident birds. For those who want to make a full morning of the feathered friends search, Jay will take guests for a walk through the woods of Cedar Mountain. Appropriate hiking shoes, water and binoculars are strongly recommended.
Tree Buffs Tour – Connecticut Trails Day 2012
Saturday, June 2, 10:00 am – 2:45 pm
Free for All
Tree experts Ed Richardson and John Kehoe will lead this 3-mile walk featuring Cedar Hill’s rural landscape design, rare and notable trees, and a smattering of notable memorials. Visitors will walk through the ornamental foreground, historic memorial sections, and selected newer sections. This slow-paced walk includes several stops. Wear appropriate walking shoes, bring water and pack a bag lunch for a Hillside picnic
A Few of Her Favorite Things Tour
Thursday, June 14, 6:00 pm
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join former Foundation Director Wendi Fralick for a tour featuring a few of her favorite things. From fascinating people to magnificent memorial artworks, Wendi will share stories and sights that make Cedar Hill’s 270 acres remarkable and memorable. Wendi will divulge her favorite story featuring Katharine Hepburn, introduce you to one of Hartford’s forgotten authors, and share an anecdote related to hiding alcohol during prohibition.
Cedar Hill’s Exceptional Women
Saturday, June 16, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Women’s historian Grace Parks Mitchell will lead this tour that highlights the extraordinary accomplishments of some of Cedar Hill’s most notable women including Virginia Thrall Smith, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, Anne Tracy Morgan and Katharine Houghton Hepburn. Hartford’s Victorian era serves as a backdrop to demonstrate the enormity of their contributions to Connecticut and worldwide advancement.
Cedar Hill Butterfly Hunt
Saturday, June 23, 10:00 am
Free for All
Hunt for butterflies with Roy Zartarian and the Connecticut Butterfly Association. Cedar Hill supports a significant butterfly population, with nearly 20 species spotted here. And with a half dozen Hackberry trees on the property, the tour may provide sightings of the illusive Hackberry Emperor. Appropriate hiking shoes are recommended.
Civil War POW Walk & Talk
June 30, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Cedar Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 175 Civil War soldiers some of whom endured horrific conditions as prisoners of war. Evelyn Bollert will lead visitors on a tour of the final resting places of prisoners of the Civil War and tell their stories of bravery, resiliency and heartbreak.
Cedar Hill’s Nook Farm Neighbors
Saturday, July 14, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF, Mark Twain House & Museum and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join Steve Courtney and Allison Norrie as they discuss Nook Farm residents who chose Cedar Hill as their final resting place. One of Hartford’s most prestigious residential neighborhoods, Nook Farm was home to Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Although Twain and Stowe are laid to rest elsewhere, history and “gossip” will bring the lives of their neighbors to life. Steve will also sign copies of his new book “The Loveliest Home That Ever Was”: The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford.
Captured in Stone Sculpture Tour
Saturday, July 21, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Artist Deb Sigmon will lead you on this new tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery that focuses on the backgrounds of the sculptors and the monuments they designed for Cedar Hill families. Highlights will include the works of James Batterson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Richard Upjohn, Louis Potter and a visit to the final resting place of noted sculptor Albert Entress.
Music Among the Memorials: World Beat
Friday, July 27, 6:00 pm; Rain Date: Saturday, July 28, 6:00 pm
Free for All
Enjoy an evening of music at Cedar Hill’s Music Among the Memorials featuring The Latin Quarter Jazz Collective and CT Salsa Project. Surrounded by Cedar Hill’s stunning memorial grounds, the evening air will fill with jazz and salsa melodies. Bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners for an evening to remember. This free concert is possible through the generous support of the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund, Bank of America, Trustee.
Hartford Landmarks and Legacy Tour
Tuesday, August 7, 9:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
From the Goodwins to Colts, Keneys and Popes, Cedar Hill is the final resting place for many of the namesakes of Hartford’s landmarks. Explore the connections between these prominent residents and Cedar Hill with Community Outreach Coordinator Mellissa Craig.
Cedar Hill Sunset Notables Tour
Thursday, August 16, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join Foundation Director Beverly Lucas for a tour through Cedar Hill’s historic memorial grounds highlighting the lives and accomplishments of some of Cedar Hill’s most notable residents. Participants will enjoy watching the sunset over Cedar Mountain during the walk.
Cedar Hill and the Battle of Antietam
Saturday, August 25, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
On the bloodiest day in United States history, 36 of Cedar Hill’s Civil War veterans fought at the Battle of Antietam. Join Mary Falvey on a tour that commemorates the 150th anniversary of this pivotal battle. Learn about the bravery and valor that occurred on that day, the anguish and suffering survivors would later endure and the contributions the returning veterans made to Hartford history.
Cedar Hill’s 5th Annual Mystery Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, September 8, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00 per person
Another Cedar Hill mystery has developed and we need your help. Teams of up to four people each will compete to find and follow clues throughout the memorial grounds. Once teams have collected all their clues, it’s time to solve the mystery. It’s a race to the finish, as prizes will be awarded to teams who solve the mystery the fastest. Reservations are required. Please call 860-956-3311 to reserve a spot for your team today.
Cedar Hill Movie Night: Featuring Katharine Hepburn in Adam’s Rib
Friday, September 14, 8:00 pm Rain Date: Saturday, September 15, 8:00 pm
Admission: $8.00; CHCF Members and Let’s Go Arts Members: $5.00
Bring a picnic dinner, blanket and your favorite candy for a movie under the stars at Cedar Hill! Enjoy Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Judy Holliday in Adam’s Rib (1949). Tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband in this romantic comedy.
College Ties Tour: Trinity College and Cedar Hill Cemetery
Saturday, September 22, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join the Foundation’s Community Outreach Coordinator and Trinity Alum, Mellissa Craig, as she explores the connections between Trinity College and Cedar Hill Cemetery. Starting at the final resting place of Bishop Thomas Church Brownell, this talk and tour provides an in-depth look at the lives of past students, professors, presidents and benefactors to the college on Gallows Hill.
Connecticut Politics Tour
Saturday, October 6, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join researcher Patrick Haggerty on a tour that focuses on politicians interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery. As the country gears up for Election Day in November, you will be introduced to individuals who have held political office in Connecticut and beyond and to stories about their lives, times and accomplishments.
Cedar Hill: A Tour Behind the Scenes
Saturday, October 20, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join long-time Foundation Board member Russell Jones for this behind-the-scenes tour, which will include a visit inside the historic Northam Memorial Chapel and Waiting Room, a walk through the ornamental foreground concluding at Katharine Hepburn’s grave.
Cedar Hill’s Haunted History Lantern Tour
Friday, October 26
Admission: $12.00
Reservations Required – Call 860-956-3311
The Friday before Halloween brings Cedar Hill’s Haunted History Lantern Tour! Join us for the only night the Cemetery is open to the public after dark. Led by lantern light, attendees will visit the final resting places of some of Cedar Hill’s notable and not-so-notable residents. Character actors will share their true-yet-darker-tales. To ensure your participation in this tour, reservations are required for specific time slots! Book your reservations early by calling 860-956-3311. Please note: This tour may NOT be suitable for children under 13. Wear appropriate walking shoes and bring a flashlight.
Cedar Hill Walk of Light
Saturday, November 3, 5:00pm
Free for All
Join us for a sunset candlelight vigil to commemorate all lost loved ones. We will celebrate life through poetry and music, as well as a short walk through Cedar Hill’s beautiful memorial grounds. An evening of love and celebration, the light of our collective candles represent the history, memory, and legacy of our ancestors at Cedar Hill and everywhere.
