Spirits of the Silent City: "Unfinished Business"

This October 20th -22nd, some of Forest Home Cemetery's most notable residents will slip through the veil separating the living and the dead to settle some Unfinished Business. Visitors will be guided through graveside scenarios to learn some stories from the Silent City – and help some tortured souls find peace. We’re in this together!

Meet Mrs. Wright, the eccentric second wife of Frank Lloyd Wright; Dr. Laura Ross Wolcott, the state’s first female physician; Ezekiel Gillespie, the black man who helped secure suffrage rights for African Americans in this state; a bickering group of beer barons– and many more!

Despite the spooky silhouettes of tombstones and the cemetery’s canopy of trees, this after-dark event is designed to entertain and enlighten - not frighten!

There are only three nights for performances - tickets are limited and will likely sell-out!

TOURS & PARKING

Tour groups of 20 depart from Forest Home’s Victorian Garden every 15 minutes from 6 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Click “Select a date” above to purchase tickets for designated times. Guests should arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled tour.

These are walking tours at night, over varied terrain. Be prepared to walk more than a mile.

Vehicles will not be allowed in the cemetery. Street parking is available outside the Lincoln Avenue entrance. Enter through the pedestrian gate at the Lincoln Avenue entrance near the corner of Forest Home and Lincoln avenues. All other gates will be closed. Please factor in time for parking and walking to the entrance or consider a ride-share option.

This program is presented by Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum, in partnership with Caper Company.

ABOUT FOREST HOME CEMETERY & ARBORETUM

Since it was established in 1850, Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum has been a non-profit organization, open to everyone of all faiths. Forest Home is Milwaukee’s oldest operating cemetery, offering families traditional and green burials. There is room for 100 more years of burials. It is a National Registry of Historic Places site and the upper Midwest’s finest example of a Victorian-era rural garden cemetery.

As an accredited arboretum, Forest Home features more than 100 different species of trees. Our 189 acres are open to the public daily. Leashed dogs, jogging and bicycles are welcome. Each year, we host tours, birding opportunities, Doors Open, a Memorial Day event, and a Day of the Dead 5 K Run/walk and festival listed on our website. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and tag us and use #foresthomecemetery on your own posts.

Donations and revenue from tours and events are used to clean and care for gravestones and preserve the grounds and buildings to share with the community.

ABOUT CAPER COMPANY

Exclusive purveyors of Wisconsin's Port Washington Ghost Walks & Hunts, the Galloway House & Historic Village Ghost Hunts, Caper Company has been bringing spooky stories to life since 2010. Annual events like Port Washington and the Galloway House and very special events like the Riverside Theatre Haunted History Tours and Ghost Hunts have been enjoyed by thousands of fans. Caper Company is led by the founding artistic partners of Optimist Theatre and Milwaukee’s Shakespeare in the Park and former Artistic and Entertainment Directors of the Bristol Renaissance Faire and the Southern California Renaissance Faire.

*READ BEFORE PURCHASING*

The tour route comprises one mile of varied terrain (paved walking paths and low, grassy hills) and is completed in 60 to 75 minutes. Caper Company Tours will use stage lighting and AV technology throughout the tour to ensure that all spirits are clearly seen and heard.

Silent City tourists must be 12 or older.

The $45 fee includes transaction fees.

Names will be checked on the guest list. Paper ticket is not required to enter.

By purchasing tickets, you are acknowledging and accepting all event policies. If you are purchasing for others, you are assuming responsibility for informing them of all rules and policies.

CANCELLATION POLICIES & REFUNDS

No refunds will be issued for this event. This event will be held rain or shine. FH reserves the right to cancel in the event of weather conditions that endanger public safety. In the unlikely event of cancellation, FH will post this news as soon as it is known on our Facebook page. FH will explore options for rescheduling the event if necessary.