Fall History Walking Tours in Historic Bellefontaine Cemetery

Bellefontaine Cemetery is hosting a fall history walking tour on Friday, October 30, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. It's a two-hour, two-mile walk through the grounds, run by volunteers, and it's free, though donations are appreciated. Space is limited, so you'll need to make a reservation ahead of time.

If you've spent any time in St. Louis, you've probably driven past Bellefontaine without stopping. It's one of the city's oldest landmarks, founded in 1849 by a group of the city's prominent men. The layout was handled by Almerin Hotchkiss, an associate of Frederick Law Olmsted—the man who designed New York's Central Park. Hotchkiss became friends with Henry Shaw, and together they helped the cemetery grow one of the finest collections of trees in the St. Louis area, which is exactly what you'll be walking through during this tour.

Beyond the landscape, the site is known for its cemetery architecture and art, and for the people buried there. You'll find Adolphus Busch of Anheuser-Busch, explorer William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and engineer James Eads, whose bridge still spans the Mississippi. The tour focuses on both the historic interments and the horticulture, so you'll get a look at the people and the plants that make the place what it is.

The tour runs from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Bellefontaine Cemetery, 4927 West Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115. It's free, with donations appreciated, and since space is limited, reservations are required.