HHLT and New York Times

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation welcomed 250 people to its annual Haunted History Lantern Tour. "Tourists" were visited by the "spirits" of Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, Colt gun manufacturers Samuel and Elizabeth Colt, women's suffragist and spiritualist Isabella Beecher Hooker, the Mark Howard "Bad" Angel, and dentist Dr. Horace Wells. Each of these notables shared a piece of their lives and accomplishments with the audience. The event has received rave reviews, and we are already looking forward to next year's Haunted History Lantern Tour.

In addition, Cedar Hill Cemetery was recognized in the Sunday, October 26th edition of the New York Times: "Among the state's most beautiful cemeteries is Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, 270 acres of scenic walkways, a lake, specimen trees, jogging trails, a chapel and hillocks stippled with mausoleums, Egyptian obelisks and tombs of notables of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On its hills and byways are Charles Dudley Warner, who co-wrote with Mark Twain The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, the artist William Glackens and the poet Wallace Stevens." If you have still not visited Cedar Hill Cemetery, come and see why people love Cedar Hill Cemetery for yourself.

Even though Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's 2008 tours and events season has come to a conclusion, we welcome visitors and offer self-guided tour maps for people interested in discovering some of Cedar Hill's extensive history. We look forward to seeing you soon!

An Evening of Jazz and Upcoming Events

An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill was an overwhelming success attracting 100 people from the Greater Hartford community to listen to live jazz music by The Steve Lord Quintet and The Tony Allen Quintet. To view photos from the event, visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org and click on the link at the bottom of the Home page.

Also, mark your calendars to join us for an upcoming tour or event. Below you will find the next two events in our calendar. For the full tours and events listing, please view the toolbar to the right. We look forward to seeing you soon!

3rd Tuesday Notables Tour
Tuesday, September 16, 10 am
Members free, $5 nonmembers
Take a guided stroll through Cedar Hill Cemetery's historic sections and learn about many Hartford notables who helped to shape the world in which we live. Please RSVP by noon on previous Monday by calling 860-956-3311, ext. 13. Tour Length: 1.5 hours

CT Ghosts and Mediumship 101
Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 am
$5 members, $8 nonmembers
Elaine Kuzmeskus, director of the New England School of Metaphysics and author of Connecticut Ghosts and Séance 101, is a nationally renowned spiritualist medium and has been certified by the National Association of Spiritualist Churches as a medium. Ms. Kuzmeskus will discuss her experiences of supernatural activity while doing research for her book Connecticut Ghosts. She will also demonstrate Mediumship and answer questions from the audience. Follow signs at the Cemetery to designated the location. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 860-956-3311or emailing info@cedarhillcemetery.org. Event Length: 1.5 hours

Upcoming Tours and Events

Due to Thursday's severe weather, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation had to unfortunately cancel the Cedar Hill Sunset Tour. The good news is that due to the popularity of this tour, we have rescheduled it for Thursday, October 2 at 6:00 pm. In addition to watching the sunset over Cedar Mountain and learning about some of Cedar Hill's notables, attendees will also have the opportunity to traverse the historic sections on this guided tour as the colors of fall set in. Let's all hope for nice weather and mark this on your calendars now!

In the meantime, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation still has several tours and events coming up. Next Saturday, August 16, join us for our family-friendly scavenger hunt. Teams will be given clues to solve the mystery of who stole Anne Tracy Morgan's adored necklace. Although it's a race to the finish, this event is sure to be fun for everyone. Admission for this event is $10.00 for a team of 2-4 people.

Also, on Saturday, August 23, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation will be hosting An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill featuring The Steve Lord Quintet and The Tony Allen Quintet. Bring your chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and join us for an entertaining evening of jazz under the August evening sky surrounded by Cedar Hill's exquisite beauty. This event is $10 for CHCF members and $15 for nonmembers.

For the complete listing of tours and events, check out the calendar listing to the right or visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org. We hope to see you soon!

Come Visit Cedar Hill

If you haven't taken time to visit Cedar Hill Cemetery recently, now is the perfect time. The flowering trees are in bloom, the birds have returned from their winter excursions, and the peaceful serenity of the surroundings is unmatched.

There are several more reasons to visit Cedar Hill now. The 120 year old entryway gates have been restored and are again adorning the historic entrance to Cedar Hill; Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation has launched its 2008 Tours and Events Season sponsored by Aetna which includes a variety of educational opportunities to learn more about the art, history and culture of Cedar Hill; the Oswin Welles bronze memorial on Section 1 was restored in the fall and looks better than ever against the backdrop of the warm, bold spring colors of the trees; and restoration work on the Colt memorial will begin tomorrow which offers a perfect opportunity to see our conservators at work on one of the most recognized and historically significant monuments at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Saturday, May 17, you can join Roaring Brook Nature Center's Jay Kaplan on a bird walk and talk through the woods of Cedar Hill. The tour will begin at 6:30am and will leave from the entranceway bridge. On Saturday, May 31, you can also join tree expert Ed Richardson for a Notable Tree Tour through Cedar Hill's historic sections. The tour will depart at 10:00am from the flagpole at the end of the entranceway drive. We look forward to seeing you at Cedar Hill soon - whether at one of our educational tours or simply taking a self-guided tour with one of our many tour guide maps.

CHCF's 2008 Tours and Events

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation is pleased to announce its tours and events for the 2008 season. From touring the landscape, to learning about Cedar Hill's notable residents to watching a performance about the life of Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and confidante, you are sure to find an event just perfect for you. You can find a full listing of tours and events in the column to right.

If you are interested in scheduling a private tour or event at Cedar Hill Cemetery during our 2008 season, contact the Foundation at 860-956-3311.

Mark Your Calendars Now!

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation is in the midst of planning its 2008 Tours & Events Season. We are excited to announce that we will be launching the season with our 2nd Annual Run for the Roses fundraiser which will be held on Saturday, May 3rd at The Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford starting at 4:30 pm. Proceeds from this event support the mission and vision of Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation.

From the Run for the Roses through October there will be a plethora of tours and events to partake in at Cedar Hill. On Saturday, May 10, for instance, join author Rudy Favretti as he explains the components of the American rural cemetery movement and Jacob Weidenmann’s interpretation of it at Cedar Hill. During this hour-long tour, attendees will learn about Cedar Hill's exquisite landscape. Other events in May include a bird walk with Jay Kaplan on Saturday, May 17 at 6:30 am, Cedar Hill's Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony on Monday, May 24 beginning at 10:00 am, and a Notable Tree Tour with Ed Richardson on Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am.

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's complete 2008 Tours and Events calendar will be available in March. For tour and event information including fees, visit Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's blog often and visit Cedar Hill Cemetery & Foundation's website at http://www.cedarhillcemetery.org/ We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.