AUSTIN (KXAN) — Oakwood Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in Austin, has featured the nonprofit Save Austin Cemeteries’ annual campaign.A walking tour of murder, mayhem and adventureEvery October for about two decades. But the nonprofit said it made a big difference with this year’s event.
Tour participants walk from grave to grave, where they meet the “ghost” (a member of the SAC dressed in period-appropriate costume) of an Oakwood resident. The spirit then tells the visitors about their lives and deaths. Each tour takes about 45 minutes.
SAC President Courtney Bartsch said the tour is SAC’s largest fundraiser of the year. Although the event is free, the public has been generous with donations in the past.
“We don’t charge anything, but we have a donation box,” she said. “These donations help fund a lot of cemetery preservation…We support seven cemeteries within Austin.”
But after receiving feedback from tour participants in 2023 and 2024, group members decided to make a big change.
“Unfortunately, the last few years have been very hot, and that’s not the case. It’s not great for the experience,” Bartsch said. “So this year we decided to move it at night.”
The October 25 tour will now run from 6pm to 9pm, with the final tour starting at 8:30pm. The “ghosts” will also have microphones this year to help make the tour more accessible.
Another big change is that this year’s tour will feature more actors and entirely new stories, Bartsch said. Without spoilers, it’s hinted that a local ghost will be taking leave of the Driskill Hotel for the tour.
“The first question everyone always asks is, ‘Is this true? Is this real?'” she said. “We always tell true stories about the residents. We have a historian on board and we have a lot of different people who have access to records.”
Her hope for tour participants is to gain a better appreciation for how much history exists in the city’s cemeteries.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize the nuances of cemeteries either and how it’s not a scary thing. You know, it’s actually very peaceful. And if you’re interested in history…this is perfect for that,” she added.