Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Foundation

The ‘Life in the Cemetery’ Tour is an annual guided historical walking tour. This fundraising event is sponsored by the Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Foundation, a 501(c)3, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the city’s cemetery. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Commission. This year’s tour will be held the weekend before Halloween, Friday, October 25th thru Sunday, October 27th. 

The goal of this fundraising event is to introduce the city’s beautiful historic cemetery to the public and highlight the cemetery’s residents whose unique (and sometimes just down-right funny) stories are the social fabric of Kennesaw. Some date back to the Civil War when the area was known as Big Shanty. During this year’s event, attendees will be introduced to cemetery residents who have a connection to the military or are otherwise involved in the defense of our nation. Each resident, portrayed by a local community member, will come to life as they tell their story. Among the residents visited during this year’s tour are a veteran wounded during the Civil War and the most decorated WWI veteran in Cobb County.

This one-hour walking tour, where the last tour each day is after dark, covers a variety of uneven surfaces. These include dirt, grass and grass hills, asphalt and/or gravel roads. Attendees will be required to navigate around headstones and small walls surrounding some family plots. This tour is not recommended for those with wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, mobility or balance challenges. (An online tour is available at kennesawcemetery.org.) Pets are not allowed in the cemetery at any time.