Many New York organizations will be offering cemetery tours during October.
All month
*Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (Westchester County) will offer “The Original Knickerbocker Walking Tour” on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Meet the father of the American short story on this one-hour tour. Learn all about Washington Irving, his impact on American Literature and the enduring appeal of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The cost is $20. To register, go to: https://events.leapevents.com/tickets/the-original-knickerbocker-tour-2026
*Sleepy Hollow Cemetery will also offer a Lantern Tour every night in October. Step back in time and explore the cemetery by kerosene lantern light. You’ll visit titans of industry like Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller, meet Washington Irving whose famous short story gave Sleepy Hollow its name, and see the resting place of two-term Chicago Mayor Walter Gurnee. The cost is $45. To register, go to: https://events.leapevents.com/tickets/classic-evening-lantern-tour-2026
*Green-Wood Cemetery (Kings County) will offer many tours during the month of October. One of interest is the “Green-w00d After Hours.” It will be offered on Oct. 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 and 25. Join us for this special after-hours experience as participants explore Green-Wood under the night sky. Journey past monuments and along peaceful paths, discovering the stories of remarkable New Yorkers. The evening culminates with a special treat—rare access to the Catacombs. Cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. To register, go to: https://www.green-wood.com/
October 1-3, 2026
*The 9th Annual South Farmington Friends Cemetery Foundation Cemetery Tour (Ontario County) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 1-5 p.m. Civil War figures will be roaming the grounds to talk about their lives and roles in the history of the town of Farmington. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at: https://www.sffca.org/membership-events
*The Saints and Sinner Cemetery tour, presented by the Fenton History Center in Jamestown, will take place on Saturday Oct. 3 The tours will take place at Lake View Cemetery. There will be both carriage tours and walking tours.
The carriage tours will take place at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Cost is $25. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fentonhistorycenter.org/mec-events/carriage-tours-2025-saints-and-sinners-cemetery-tours-664/
The Walking tour will take place every 20 minutes from 1- 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are: $10 for members, $15 for non-members and $2 for under 12. Prices are $12 and $17 the day of the event. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fentonhistorycenter.org/mec-events/walking-tours-2026-saints-and-sinners-cemetery-tours/
*The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council and the North Fork Community Theatre will host its annual tour of the Old Cutchogue Burying Ground on Saturday, Oct. 3. Tours will start at 2 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. Six “widow guides” dressed in Victorian mourning costumes will guide you through the burial ground where the costumed actors will recount the lives of notable figures in Cutchogue’s history while standing atop their graves. In honor of the country’s 250th, the tour will feature veterans of the Revolutionary War.
Tour groups of a maximum of 20 people will be scheduled in 10-minute intervals. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no one will be admitted without an advance ticket. Tickets are $25. For more information, go to: https://www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/event/cutchogue-old-burying-ground-tour-3/
*Tioga Historical Society will present “Walk Among the Dead” on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Evergreen Cemetery in Owego. Guides will lead visitors down a specially illuminated path, and participants will receive flashlights to navigate the cemetery grounds and take in the evening atmosphere. Guests will hear tales of early settlers, soldiers from the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, a local barber, a suffragette and other historical figures. Tours will be at 5:30 p.m., priced at $35 per person and 7:30 p.m., priced at $50 per person. Contact the historical society to purchase tickets at: https://tiogahistory.org/
*Friends of the City of Tonawanda Cemetery will have a latern lit EEErie Tour of the City Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Actors will be representing the residents of the cemetery. The event is free but donations will be used toward the upkeep of the cemetery. The group’s Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-City-of-Tonawanda-Cemetery-100057419050600/
October 4-10, 2026
*Friends of the City of Tonawanda Cemetery will have a latern lit EEErie Tour of the City Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Actors will be representing the residents of the cemetery. The event is free but donations will be used toward the upkeep of the cemetery. The group’s Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-City-of-Tonawanda-Cemetery-100057419050600/
*Meet the Spirits Cemetery Tour (Wayne County) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 and 8:30 p.m. at the Lakeview Cemetery in Pultneyville. Join members of the Williamson-Pultneyville Historical Society and meet friendly spirits from the area’s historic past. Learn about this cast of characters, who were instrumental in carving out the town’s early history. To purchase tickets, go to the society’s website at: https://w-phs.org/event/meet-the-spirits-10-10-2026/
*The Phelps Mansion Museum will host a walking tour of Spring Forest Cemetery (Broome County) in Binghamton on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11 both at 10 a.m. The Saturday tour will cover symbolism found on monuments in the cemetery. The Sunday tour will focus on those with a connection to Phelps Mansion. Space is limited. Tickets are $10 for members and $12 for non-members. To purchase tickets, go to: https://phelpsmansion.org/event/cemetery-tours-path-through-history-weekend-4/
*Northport Historical Society (Suffolk County) will present a tour of the Northport Rural Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. Northport Historical Society and Museum Executive Director Terry Reid leads a guided tour of Northport Rural Cemetery to learn about gravestone symbology and the history behind some of Northport’s most notable citizens who are buried there. The tour is approximately 1.5 hours. Cost is $35 for non-members and $25 for members. To purchase tickets, go to: https://northporthistorical.givecloud.co/product/FA8418B/northport-historical-society-cemetery-tour-2026
*Haunting in the Hamlet will take place at the Marion Cemetery (Wayne County) on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 6-8 p.m. The tour is focused on local history as interpreted by costumed interpreters. Tour groups of 12 people or less leave every 10-minutes. Reservations are required. Cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. To register, go to: https://www.mhany.org/upcoming-events
*The Saints and Sinner Cemetery tour, presented by the Fenton History Center in Jamestown, will take place on Saturday Oct. 10. The tours will take place at Lake View Cemetery. There will be both carriage tours and walking tours.
The carriage tours will take place at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Cost is $25. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fentonhistorycenter.org/mec-events/carriage-tours-2025-saints-and-sinners-cemetery-tours-664/
The Walking tour will take place every 20 minutes from 1- 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are: $10 for members, $15 for non-members and $2 for under 12. Prices are $12 and $17 the day of the event. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fentonhistorycenter.org/mec-events/walking-tours-2026-saints-and-sinners-cemetery-tours/
October 11-17, 2026
*The Fenton History Center will host a guided behind-the-scenes tour of several of the mausoleums and gravesites at Lake View Cemetery in Jamestown on Sunday, Oct. 11. Costumed actors will tell tales of the individuals and their families who are laid to rest in the featured mausoleums and graves.
Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Tours will be every half hour from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fentonhistorycenter.org/mec-events/mausoleum-tours-saints-and-sinners-cemetery-tours-726/
*The Saratoga County History Center will host a tour of Dunning Street Cemetery on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. The tour focuses on gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans and early residents of Malta. The tour is free but there is a suggested $10 donation. For more information, go to: https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/dunning-street-cemetery-tour/
*Fredonia Harvest Moon Festival (Chautauqua County) will offer tours of the Fredonia Cemetery on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and Oct. 17. Ride in a horse drawn trolley along the winding paths of Forest Hill Cemetery and listen to the historic stories of actors reenacting their lives. Some stories were tragic, some ironic, and some very spooky and mysterious! Cost is $25. To register, go to: https://festivalsfredoniany.org/harvest-moon-festival-tours/
*The Spirits Tours, sponsored by the Three Village Historical Society (Suffolk County), will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 5-7;30 p.m. Guests will encounter the voices of those who shaped Setauket and Stony Brook across more than 300 years of history from the Indigenous Setalcott community who first stewarded this land, to Black families of Historic Christian Avenue and Laurel Hill, to Revolutionary-era figures whose courage and conviction helped turn the tide toward American independence.
Tickets are $2o for members and are on sale now. Tickets for $25 for non-members and are available Sept. 17. Walk-up tickets will be $30 if the tours are not sold out. To purchase, go to: https://www.tvhs.org/spiritstour
*The Batavia Cemetery Association (Genesee County) will host a Ghostwalk on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at Historic Batavia Cemetery. A guided candlelight tour will bring guests to meet the men and women of Batavia who exerted influence and held great power in their day. Tours run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required. There are no refunds and no raindate.
Cost is $23.18 per person and are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ny–batavia/candlelight-ghostwalk/
*The Chemung County Historical Society will present the Elmira Ghost Walk on Friday, Oct. 16, Saturday, Oct. 17 and Sunday. Oct. 18. On Friday and Saturday, a bus will take participants from the Historical Society to Woodlawn Cemetery where guides from Friends of Woodlawn will take you along pathways to hear actors share historic tales about the lives of this year’s ghosts. The Sunday afternoon tours will leave from the main gate of the cemetery.
The Friday and Saturday tours are from 6-9 p.m. and the Sunday tours are from 4-6 p.m. Tickets are $26 for any of the days. To purchase tickets, g0 to: https://chemung-county-historical-society.square.site/shop/events/12
October 18-24, 2026
*Historic Palmyra (Wayne County) will be hosting a two tours of Palmyra Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 18. Come meet and greet some very notable Palmyra citizens. There will be a tour at 5:30pm for those who enjoy daylight and a second tour at 7:30pm for those who enjoy the dark. Tickets are on sale via the webpage, at the museums or at the door. Adults $20, Children (6-13) $10. This is rain or shine. To register, go to: https://www.historicpalmyrany.com/events/famous-cemetery-tour
*Meet the Spirits Cemetery Tour (Wayne County) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 and 8:30 p.m. at the Lakeview Cemetery in Pultneyville. Join members of the Williamson-Pultneyville Historical Society and meet friendly spirits from the area’s historic past. Learn about this cast of characters, who were instrumental in carving out the town’s early history. To purchase tickets, go to the society’s website at: https://w-phs.org/event/meet-the-spirits-10-24-2026/
*Christ Church Manhasset (Nassau County) will be offering its annual Historic Cemetery Tour on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 12:30 – 4 p.m. every 20 minutes. This year’s tour is focused on Patriots and Loyalists. Tickets are available at the gate and are $20 for general admission, $15 for Seniors/First Responders and $15 for children 12 and under. For more information, go to: HistoricCemeteryManhasset@gmail.com
*The Batavia Cemetery Association (Genesee County) will host a Ghostwalk on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Historic Batavia Cemetery. A guided candlelight tour will bring guests to meet the men and women of Batavia who exerted influence and held great power in their day. Tours run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required. There are no refunds and no raindate.
Cost is $23.18 per person and are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ny–batavia/candlelight-ghostwalk/
*The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery will offer a “Mischief, Murder and Mayhem” tour at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester. Meet some Mount Hope permanent residents who bent, broke, or enforced the law, or whose lives met an unfortunate or grisly end. Tickets are free for members and $15 for non-members. To purchase tickets, go to: https://fomh.org/event/mischief-murder-mayhem/
October 25 – 31
Historic Ithaca will be offering several tours to the Ithaca City Cemetery. On Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Learn about the Ithaca City Cemetery’s evolution from village burying ground to Victorian landscape for the dead as we walk through various sections of this 16-acre municipal cemetery and green space. Tours will last about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Tours will also be offered on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The cost is $5 for each tours. To register for the tours, go to: https://www.historicithaca.org/events
