Historic Columbia offers up a “Secrets from the Grave Tour” and a “Moonlight Cemetery Tour” to the public each year. While I’m no history buff, the tours proved to be a chilling educational and - believe it or not - emotional experience that anyone could benefit from. The tours began in 2006 and are held every second Thursday from April through September, accompanied by a special tour on the second Thursday of October called “Spirits Alive.” Taking both tours consecutively may feel a bit repetitive as many of the same graves are visited and discussed. However, there are significant differences in each experience.
The moonlight tour’s ambiance is fun and theatrical. The tour guide, Pat Itter, was dressed in a decadent all-black ensemble complete with a veil. As she walked through the darkness, it created an eerie sensation. She represented a 19th century woman in mourning. Though in a large group, I still felt as though I was let in on a big secret, gliding from grave to grave with a guide who knew these prominent and influential Columbia citizens’ past. Not too scary and certainly not boring, this tour is a great family activity as it keeps adults informed and children entertained.
But the shining star of the evening was without a doubt the “Secrets from the Grave Tour,” which forever changed the way I look at cemeteries. Our guide Sherry Shoars left the costume behind–but she didn’t need the help of any additional ambiance. Spending time at the Elmwood cemetery since the age of sixteen years, Shoars knows her stuff. And while one would guess that such a passion for graveyards comes with a Wednesday Addams demeanour, Sherry was bright and cheerful as she led the way to some of her favorite sights. When Sherry shined her light on the graves, she illuminated the people inside of them. She doesn’t just discuss the legacy left by the names etched in stone but rather, teaches that the stones tell a story about the people who held those names. There are hidden symbols scattered across graves that most people would never think to take a second look at. The stones are covered in exquisite hand crafted details, and while I won’t spoil the meaning of an upside down torch for those planning to take the tour, I will say the knowledge provided by Historic Columbia allows the experience to extend far beyond my hour in Elmwood. I can now explore on my own and have an understanding of the people before me.
To know the historical contributions made to Columbia has its value, but getting to know the character behind the contribution is far more meaningful. Both tours do a beautiful job of bringing history and art together which creates a sense of understanding, familiarity, and empathy with the souls buried. Walking in, expecting to hear a ghost story and getting a history lesson instead may seem dull at first, but leaving the event and being able to resonate with a corpse points attention to one’s own mortality, which may be the scariest thing of all.
