Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation’s 2013 Tours & Events Calendar

Tree Planting
Saturday, April 13, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Free for All
Celebrate spring at Cedar Hill by helping to plant trees as part of Knox’s Trees for Hartford Neighborhoods program. Instruction will be provided by Knox and Cedar Hill Cemetery staff prior to planting trees throughout the cemetery. To volunteer, 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 4, 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.

Cedar Hill Notables Tour
Tuesday, May 14, 9:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF & Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Explore the lives and accomplishments of people who made significant contributions to Hartford and beyond in this introductory tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery. Learn about the discoverer of anesthesia and his tragic life, the woman behind the management of Colt’s Manufacturing, and the man who twice saved the country from bankruptcy during the tour.

Tree Buffs Tour – Connecticut Trails Day 2013
Saturday, June 1, 10:00 am – 2:45 pm
Free for all
Tree experts Ed Richardson and John Kehoe 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.

Lest We Forget: Infectious Diseases from 1850-1918
Saturday, June 15, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Cholera infantum, the bloody flux, ague, putrid fever, filth disease, consumption – and the treatments sometimes sounded just as scary. Evelyn Bollert leads a walking tour that explores the fearsome infectious diseases that afflicted Cedar Hill families as germ theory slowly supplanted the miasmas theory of disease.

Cedar Hill Butterfly Hunt
Saturday, June 22, 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, long pants and bug repellent are recommended.

Photography Workshop
Saturday, June 29, 10:00 am – noon
Admission: $25.00; CHCF and Let’s GO Arts Members: $20.00
Reservations Required – Call 860-956-3311
Join professional photographer Craig Norton for this inspiring workshop for all ages, cameras and skill levels. The workshop will begin with a short lesson on useful camera settings and how they affect your photos. Then the class will wander Cedar Hill to practice new found skills and learn about composition and how to take interesting photos. Workshop size is limited. Please call (860) 956-3311 to reserve your spot.

More Tales from the Civil War
Saturday, July 13, 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 soldiers who fought in the War Between the States. Hartford Civil War researcher Mary Falvey returns to share more stories about the lives and war experiences of some of Cedar Hill Civil War veterans and their families and loved ones.

The Art of Mediumship
Thursday, July 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Admission: $15.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: $10.00
Reservations Required – Call 860-956-3311
Elaine Kuzmeskus, nationally recognized Spiritualist medium and Director of the New England School of Metaphysics, will discuss the art of mediumship and the nuances of communicating with spirits. Her presentation will be followed by a gallery reading, providing personal messages for randomly selected members of the audience. Seating is limited. Please call (860) 956-3311 for reservations.

Barnstormers & Aviators at Cedar Hill 
Saturday, July 20 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF, Let’s Go Arts and New England Air Museum Members: Free
Learn about Connecticut’s role in aviation history through the stories of noted stunt flyers, aviation innovators and early supporters of winged flight. Tales of daring pioneers, from Charles K. Hamilton to Edson Gallaudet and Mary Jenson, will delight and amaze.

Music Among the Memorials
Friday, July 26, 6:00 pm; Rain Date: Saturday, July 27, 6:00 pm
Free for All
Enjoy an evening of music at Cedar Hill’s Music Among the Memorials featuring Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem. Surrounded by Cedar Hill’s stunning memorial grounds, the evening air will fill with a delightful mix of bluegrass, funk gospel, blues, swing and folk-pop. Bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners for an evening to remember.

The American Civil War as Seen by Mark Twain
Saturday, July 27, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF, Let’s Go Arts and Mark Twain House & Museum Members: Free
While Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, is laid to rest in Elmira, New York, his legacy remains alive and well through his historical life and relationships in Hartford. Join author and historian Steve Courtney as we explore the Civil War through the eyes of Twain and tour the resting places of his Hartford friends and counterparts who played significant roles in the American Civil War.

Abraham & Mary Lincoln: The Long and the Short of It
Wednesday, August 7, 6:00 pm; Rain Date: Thursday, August 8, 6:00 pm
Admission: $8.00; CHCF & Let’s Go Arts Members and Lincoln Financial employees: $5.00
Steve & Sharon Wood portray the Lincolns in this theatrical presentation, which begins with Mary in mourning. President Lincoln appears, heard by Mary as if in a memory recalled, and they begin a dialogue about their lives. Bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners for this special event which will take place on the sprawling lawn near the community mausoleums.

Symbols in Stone
Saturday, August 10, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Need help decoding symbols such as scales, broken columns or lambs found on gravestones? Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, Director of the Connecticut Gravestone Network, will discuss the origins, social trends, meanings and customs that influenced mortuary iconography during this informative tour of Cedar Hill.

Cedar Hill Sunset Tour
Thursday, August 15, 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 the cemetery’s historic memorial grounds highlighting some of Cedar Hill’s most notable residents and monuments. Participants will enjoy watching the sun set over Cedar Mountain during the walk.

Cedar Hill Movie Night: Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year
Friday, August 23, 7:30 pm Rain Date: Saturday, August 24, 7:30 pm
Admission: $5.00; CHCF Members and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Bring a blanket and your favorite candy for a movie under the stars at Cedar Hill! Enjoy Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in Woman of the Year (1942). Rival reporters Sam and Tess fall in love and get married, only to find their relationship strained when Sam comes to resent Tess’ hectic lifestyle in this romantic comedy.

Mushroom Walk
Saturday, August 31, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Join Joe Lenoce of Connecticut Valley Mycological Society in search of mushrooms at Cedar Hill. During this educational hunt, Joe will discuss the basic types of fungi, where to find them and proper methods of collecting. After the walk, he will review identification resources while identifying any fungi collected.

Cedar Hill’s 6th Annual Mystery Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, September 7, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00 per person
Reservations Required – Call 860-956-3311
Help us solve the latest Cedar Hill mystery! Teams of up to four people each 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.

The Streets of Hartford
Saturday, September 21, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF and Let’s Go Arts Members: Free
Ever wondered how Hartford streets got their names? Patrick Haggerty will lead this fascinating tour highlighting Cedar Hill residents for whom the capitol city streets were named. From Brainard Road to Jewell Street and Fairfield Avenue, learn about the people who have been immortalized on the streets of Hartford.

Wethersfield Notables at Cedar Hill 
Saturday, September 28, 10:00 am
Admission: $5.00; CHCF, Let’s Go Arts and Wethersfield Historical Society Members: Free
Melissa Josefiak, former Assistant Director at Wethersfield Historical Society, will lead this tour highlighting some of Wethersfield’s notable personages who now reside at Cedar Hill. Featured residents include Silas Robbins, John Morris and William Willard.

Autumn Bird Walk  
Saturday, October 5, 7:00 am
Free for All
Join Joan Morrison, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Trinity College, for an autumn bird walk at Cedar Hill. Professor Morrison will discuss her work studying urban birds and their habitats during this search for Cedar Hill’s feathered population. Appropriate hiking shoes, water and binoculars are strongly recommended.

Cedar Hill’s Haunted History Lantern Tour
Friday, October 25, 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm  
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. Refreshments will be available for purchase.