I facilitated a cemetery tour program for schools for two years for
Sacramento's Old City Cemetery.  It was geared toward the California 4th
and 5th grade history curriculum and had quite a bit of a following.  We
used a living history approach, using re-enactors to tell the stories of
some of the folks buried in the cemetery.  (And, yes, I was well attuned
to the irony of doing LIVING history in a cemetery!)

By showing kids the everyday lives of everyday folks, we enabled them to
see some of the diverse voices that make up our past.  Kids met a school
teacher from the 1870s and a Civil War nurse, for instance.  They also
got to look at how Victorians viewed themselves.

Since the kids were always struck by the large number of children's
graves, one of the things I always did was talk about children's lives
and the dangers of being a child in the past.  We also talked about
symbols used in cemeteries.  

I always sent feedback forms to teachers and the programs enjoyed a good
response from participants.  We offset any "spooky" issues by not
holding school tours in October.  (Our docents do Halloween and lantern
tours for the public.  

While I can't speak on whether every museum should do these they worked
out well for us.

Teri Pope
Guide 1
State Capitol Museum
Sacramento California
  

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Laura Wheaton
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:30 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] cemetery walks

I'm curious about what you all think about this type of program. What
purpose 
does it serve? Are they worthwhile, and why? What challenges do you face
in 
implementation? Do all museums want to put one on? why or why not?

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