Upcoming Events

Still We Rise: African American History of Elmwood Cemetery Tour

10 Jun

10:30 AM - 12 PM

Black history will be explored during this Juneteenth-month tour of Elmwood Cemetery! Doctors, dentists, businessmen, attorneys, saints, musicians, and the south's first black millionaire are all a part of this informative tour of Elmwood Cemetery.

Led by volunteer tour guide Criston Kopka, this is an all-walking tour that will last approximately 90 minutes. Please wear comfortable walking shoes! Inclement weather will cancel this tour. Cost is $20 per person. For additional information, email Kim Bearden at kim@elmwoodcemetery.org.

 

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The Plot Thickens: The Writers and Raconteurs of Elmwood Cemetery

17 Jun

10:30 AM - 12 PM

Their life's work. Their final thoughts.

Meet the novelists, journalists, broadcasters, and poets of Elmwood Cemetery!

Learn about the judge whose poetry still inspires more than 100 years after his passing, and get to know the educator and historian whose work is integral to understanding Memphis history. Meet the "godmother of Afro-Hispanic literature and culture," as well as the woman who broadcast a radio show live from a jet fighter. Visit the final resting place of the man who wrote thousands of pages about the Civil War and the reverend who wrote about ghosts.

Join tour guide Sheena Barnett for this 90-minute walk through Elmwood Cemetery on Saturday, June 17th at 10:30 am. The cost is $20 per person.

 

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From the Beyond: Ghosts, Spiritualism, and Cemeteries

9 Jul

6:30 PM - 8 PM

Anyone who works at a cemetery (technically, a cemetarian) knows that the number one question posed to them by the public will always be: have you ever seen a ghost? The question is often in jest, but inquiring minds seem to want to hear yes. Why are so many people intrigued by the potential for poltergeists? What’s got us gasping for ghouls?

After years of avowed silence and cynicism on the subject, we’re ready to talk about it. Elmwood Cemetery Executive Director Kim Bearden, a cemetarian with 25 years of experience, will share the fascinating history of spiritualism in the young United States. She will explore the meaning of spiritualism or the religious belief that the dead communicate with and advise the living. Ghost photography, séance, and more will be illuminated during this 45-minute presentation in the Chapel at Elmwood Cemetery. Tarot card designer Stacey Williams-Ng will provide Oracle card readings a la carte for $20 or free with the purchase of a signature Oracle deck purchase.

This is a seated, indoor presentation taking place in the Chapel at Elmwood. The cost is $20 per person; beverages and snacks will be provided. Space is limited. All proceeds benefit historic Elmwood Cemetery.

 

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Memphis Music & Elmwood Cemetery: A Presentation

6 Aug

2 PM - 3 PM

Memphis music history and Elmwood Cemetery.

Memphis Music is celebrated the world over for its originality, authenticity, and soul.

There are many talented Memphis musicians buried in Elmwood Cemetery, and we're ready to share their stories with you. Join us for Memphis Music & Elmwood Cemetery: A Presentation, given by musician, historian, filmmaker, and author Willy Bearden on August 6th at 2:00 pm. This event will be held inside the Chapel at Elmwood Cemetery.

Hear about a Big Band legend, blues singers, horn players, producers, and many more individuals who captivated the world with their original Memphis sound. We'll play their music and talk about their incredible journeys and legacies. Refreshments will be served.

Save your spot and register today. The cost is $20 per person.

 

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Día de Muertos Altar Workshop

26 Aug

2 PM - 4 PM

It's the final word in cultural collaborations.

Elmwood Cemetery was founded in 1852 as a fine example of a Rural Cemetery established at the height of the Victorian Age.

Now, we're collaborating with Cazateatro, a bilingual theatre company providing transformative multicultural experiences that showcase Latin American art and culture.

It's Elmwood Cemetery's first Día de Muertos (or Day of the Dead) Altar Workshop.

The Day of the Dead, known as "Día de Muertos" in Spanish, is a cultural celebration in Mexico. On this Mexican holiday, everyone remembers and honors their deceased loved ones through decorated "Ofrendas" in their homes to welcome the spirits. This is a celebration of life.

In our two-hour workshop, you'll learn about the traditions and meanings surrounding "Dia de los Muertos," Catrina's face painting, how to make an altar, and much more.

This workshop will take place in the Chapel at Elmwood Cemetery on August 26th at 2 pm. Refreshments will be available. Space is limited; the cost is $20 per person.

 

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Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana: A Presentation

27 Aug

2 PM - 3 PM

The largest maritime disaster in US history, explained.

It's April 27th, 1865. Two in the morning. The sidewheel steamboat Sultana is seven miles north of Memphis on the Mississippi River when her boilers explode.

Shortly after the devastating explosion, the boat caught fire and eventually burned to the water's edge. She was carrying nearly 2,000 recently released Union soldiers, ex-POWs from the Confederate prisons of Andersonville, GA, and Cahaba, AL.

1,167 people were killed in what would become the worst maritime disaster in United States history.

Join us for a presentation by author Gene Eric Salecker, who will tell the amazing story of the steamboat Sultana - a story that includes greed and corruption in the overcrowding of a boat legally registered to carry only 376 people, and outright courage and survival among the many men, women, and children that were aboard the Sultana on that terrible morning.

We'll have copies of Salecker's Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana: The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History (2022) for sale and signing by the author. Refreshments will be served. This presentation takes place in the Chapel at Elmwood on Sunday, August 27th, at 2 pm. Registration is required.

About the author:

Gene Eric Salecker is a military historian whose six published books include Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana: The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History (2022) and The Second Pearl Harbor: The West Loch Disaster, May 21, 1944 (2014). He owned the largest collection of Sultana artifacts and memorabilia which he donated to the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas. A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, he is a retired police officer and retired middle school teacher currently acting as the historical consultant for the Sultana Disaster Museum. He lives in River Grove, Illinois with his wife, a rabbit, a cat, and dozens of tropical fish.

 

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Yellow Fever: A Tour of the Plague

9 Sep

10 AM - 11:30 AM

The history of the terrible Yellow Fever epidemics of 1873, 1878, and 1879 can be found at Elmwood Cemetery. The Howard Association, the Citizens' Relief Committee, the Sisters of St. Mary's, and individuals who fought valiantly against the spread of the scourge are all at rest in Elmwood Cemetery. Their triumphs and tragedies echo through the hallowed cemetery grounds to this day.

This popular tour is offered only once a year. Join Assistant Director Bob Barnett for a walking tour through the cemetery grounds and hear the stories of the yellow fever epidemics in Memphis. This tour lasts 90 minutes and starts at 10:00 AM. Registration is required. The cost is $20 per person. To register by phone, call 774-3212.  

 

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