Trick-or-treating, costumes, scary movies and creepy tales capture the essence of Halloween. But just like people have the tendency to forget the “real meaning of Christmas,” it seems most of us have forgotten exactly why Halloween is so special. Everyone knows that Halloween originated as a celebration of the dead, although it’s not very often that we discuss this part of the holiday – except for, of course, using ghosts as decorations and costume ideas. The folks at Laurel Hill Cemetery in East Falls want to remind us to ask the real Halloween to please stand up.
This year a cemetery perfect for any Hollywood director (think mausoleums covered in vines, tall spires on cliffs and miles of gargoyles) will take part in several ghostly events that will definitely put you in the holiday spirit and maybe even reunite you with people who walked the streets of Philadelphia more than 15 decades ago!
Dining with the Dead
If dancing in a ballroom isn’t your cup of cider, enjoy a candle-lit meal at the cemetery’s Gatehouse. Then join your fellow diners–and maybe some unexpected ones–for a group tour of the grounds, inspired by the biggest holiday in October. Bring your own drinks and make your reservation fast, otherwise your seats will surely be taken by the living, and if not, by the dead. $50 tickets are available by phone at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Oct. 17; 5pm, 6:30pm or 8pm
Halloween Flashlight Tours
Most places are spookier at night, but a cemetery definitely wins the prize for freakiest establishment in the evening. Don’t worry: you’re required to bring your most trusted flashlight, but make sure it has an on/off switch since some of your findings might be too scary to see. After you walk around a dead man zone, you’ll surely be hungry for festive treats and delicious apple cider. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 for members and $10 for students with ID. Oct. 24, 25, 7 – 9:30pm
Fall Family Day
If touring around a cemetery at night seems to frightening for your feet and flashlight to guide you, enjoy daytime tours through out the afternoon on the cemetery grounds. These tours aren’t your regular cemetery educational walk-throughs: scavenger hunts over dead bodies, arts and crafts near gravestones and bobbing for apples with invisible friends are part of the day’s Halloween fun. Don’t think you’re the only one who wants to enjoy this fun fest–make a reservation today and stand out in your best costume. Tickets are $15 for adults, free for kids. Oct. 26, 9:30am – 5pm
AroundPhilly Staff
