MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair History Center will be spearheading some spooky-but-educational events this October, including a tour of Rosedale Cemetery.
A walking tour of the historic burial grounds at 408 Orange Road will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. The two-mile tour begins outside the Rosedale Chapel with a brief introduction. Tickets are $20 per person ($15 for members). Register online here.
Here's what to expect, organizers said:
"Founded over 185 years ago, Rosedale Cemetery completely changed how America honored the departed. On this guided tour, we will venture into the old section of the cemetery. We will investigate historic gravestone art and share the stories of legendary locals buried beneath. On this tour hear stories of composer Lowell Mason buried with his musical partner, a pharmaceutical founder that led to Johnson & Johnson, the missionary who created the writing system still used on Japanese passports today, a Civil War captain mortally wounded one week before his company came home, a pioneering woman bacteriologist, and a man born enslaved in 1798 who bought his freedom."
Another walking tour of Rosedale Cemetery will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. The tour begins outside the Rosedale Chapel with a brief introduction. The tour spans about two miles, and includes walking up and down hills on uneven ground at times. Tickets are $20 per person ($15 for members). Register online here.
Here's what to expect on that tour, organizers said:
"On this guided tour, we will venture into the old section along the historic carriage routes of the cemetery. We will investigate historic gravestone art and share the stories of legendary locals buried beneath. On this tour explore the story of a clergyman and mayor of Orange and his daughter, a suffrage leader who survived a catastrophic earthquake while traveling in Sicily, trace the hatband from New Jersey to the Wild West at the Stetson grave, meet a trailblazing female doctor, learn about cradle graves of the Victorian era, and hear the mystery of a pond no longer at Rosedale."
For additional information, visit the website www.montclairhistory.org or contact the Montclair History Center at mail@montclairhistory.org or 973-744-1796.
MURDER MYSTERY
The Montclair History Center will host an immersive "murder-mystery soirée" from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Here's what to expect at the fundraiser, the center said: "You are officially invited to an immersive murder-mystery soirée where the stakes are high, every guest is a suspect, and the Crane house and Historic YWCA hides all the clues. Slip into character, sip delicious cocktails, and team up with friends to unravel a thrilling whodunnit as the clock ticks down the killer's big reveal."
Advance registration is required and can be done online here.
SPOOKY CANDLELIGHT TOUR
Are you afraid of the dark? You'll want to keep your flashlight close at an upcoming spooky candlelight tour of the Crane House and Historic YWCA Museum.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9.
"We will be traveling back in time to unearth chilling ghost stories, unsolved murders, creepy cryptids, and the most gruesome deaths from local history," the history center said. "It is a thrilling journey through Montclair's ghastliest tales that you won't want to miss."
Have a ghost story or spooky tale to share? Contact mail@montclairhistory.org and it may get included in the tour.
This event is recommended for ages 15 and up. Tickets can be purchased online here.
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