2018 Fall Events

August 30, 2018

It's that time of year again when we turn our thoughts into doleful channels for for “Who breathes must suffer, and who thinks must mourn,"

Consolations of Memory - Saturday October 6, 2018

Our fourth annual 19th century funeral tour will take place at Bellefontaine Cemetery on Saturday October 6th, 2018. This is a guided cemetery walk of the area surrounding Hotchkiss Chapel. During the tour guests will learn about funeral and burial practices, how the dead were remembered and the lives of those left behind to mourn the loss. The tour is followed immediately by a funeral reenactment, procession and burial service.

This year's event will focus on the Cholera Epidemic that plagued St. Louis in August and September of 1866 taking 3257 lives.

Tours take place at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Space is limited so please register for this free event.

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Campbell House by Candlelight - Friday October 26, 2018

Tom and Dan will be talking about the Campbell family plot at Bellefontaine Cemetery

We are so honored to be a part of this year's Campbell House by Candlelight Tour on Friday Oct 26th, 2018.

Enjoy a night at the Campbell House while you learn about Victorian mourning etiquette, dress, and cemeteries at the time. Witness Robert Campbell's 1879 wake in the parlor and about the process of preparing the deceased for the funeral. Don't forget to try some funeral biscuits!

Tours start every 30 minutes from 6pm to 8pm.

Reservations required. $15 per person, $5 for members. Click here to choose your tour time and buy your tickets

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Fall Events 2017

August 20, 2017

October 7, 2017 - Consolations of Memory at Bellefontaine Cemetery

This event is a guided cemetery walk of the area surrounding Hotchkiss Chapel. Along the way guests will learn about mourning practices and funerary customs of the mid-19th century. .

This is a free event but registration is required because space is limited - Register Here.

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October 14, 2017 - A Haunting Stroll of 'TBA'

We are still in the process of working out the details of this secret event. Make sure to check back here for updates! Join us for this special walking tour and learn about the ghastly events and ghostly encounters that make this St Louis' most notoriously haunted neighborhood. Tours will be led by our members in historical clothing.

Tours will be held on the hour starting at noon and should take about 45 minutes. The price is $10 per person.

November 11, 2017 - To Ask for Freedom: 100 Years of Women's Suffrage

Join us for this living history event celebrating the Women's Suffrage Movement and the Suffragists of Bellefontaine Cemetery! The ladies will begin their march at 2:00 pm and make their way to Wild Wood Valley for a rally celebrating the words of famous St Louis Suffrage leaders such as Edna Gellhorn, organizer of the 1916 Golden Lane Protest, and Florence Wyman Richardson, the first president of the St. Louis Equal Suffrage League.

This event is taking place in honor of the release of the suffrage prisoners held in a District of Columbia workhouse in November 1917 and their continued efforts to fight for the right to vote.

After the rally, guests are free to visit with the ladies of the St Louis Suffrage Movement and learn more about national events 100 years ago.

In Mourning

February 29, 2016

Have you ever been interested in becoming a living historian but you weren't sure where to start? This is the first installment in a series of lectures and classes to set you on the right path. In this lecture you'll learn all of the basics for Civil War Era Mourning and Civilian wear. This is an essential start for anyone interested in participating in our October Event Consolations of memory on October 1, 2016 but it is open to anyone who has a interest in the subject - not just our potential participants. This is a free event!

We'll also have information about how to sign up for re-enactment opportunities with the Mourning Society of St Louis and Friends of Jefferson Barracks.

About our new event

August 15, 2015

Whether you’ve been to one of our past events at the Chatillon DeMenil Mansion or you’ve never been to one of our events before Consolations of Memory will be a new experience. Here is an overview of how the event will work:

Consolations of Memory: Death and Mourning in the Nineteenth Century At Bellefontaine Cemetery Saturday October 3, 2015

Upon entering the front gate of the cemetery guests will be led by signage to the visitor parking area. From there it’s a short walk to your first stop where you can sign in, pick up a program and ask any questions you may have before you make your way to the first graveside exhibit at the site of Bellefontaine’s first burial, Edward Rutledge.

Guests can set their own pace as they make their way up Balm, visiting several other graveside exhibits along the way, until they reach Hotchkiss Chapel. There you’ll find Mr. Avery preparing for the funeral service. Inside the chapel columbarium you’ll learn about mourning customs and also get a chance to see our special exhibit Memento Mori featuring 19th Century mementos such has hair-work wreaths and jewelry, postmortem photographs and more.

Leaving the Chapel guests will find more outside exhibits by heading down an old carriage path just across from the Chapel entrance.

The Funeral Service will begin at 11 am, 1 pm or 3 pm (depending on the start time of your tour) and will be announced several minutes before-hand so guests have time to make their way to the Chapel. The service will be immediately followed by a procession down the carriage path to the burial site.

You can find an interactive map of Bellefontaine Cemetery here on their website.

Consolations of Memory is free event but you must register to attend and space is limited. Please let us know you’d like to join us by registering for this event online.

Still have questions? Contact us!

Our first event at Bellefontaine Cemetery

July 29, 2015

We are so honored and excited to be holding our first ever event at the amazing Bellefontaine Cemetery.

The Mourning Society of St Louis presents: Consolations of Memory: Death and Mourning in the Nineteenth Century At Bellefontaine Cemetery Saturday October 3, 2015

You can register for this event on the Bellefontaine Cemetery website here.

Keep up with news about this event on Facebook here.

Consolations of Memory is a self-guided cemetery walk of the area surrounding Hotchkiss Chapel as well as the Chapel itself. Along the way guests will learn not only about mourning customs of the 19th century but also illness, medical treatments, funerary and burial practices, cemetery iconography and more. This is a free event but registration is required. Tours begin at 10am, 12pm and 2pm.

Special Exhibits for 2015 include:

The Funeral Service: Guests are invited to experience a 19th Century funeral service in the Chapel followed by a procession down the old carriage path where Mr. Avery will conduct the Burial Service. Services will take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Memento Mori: Learn about Victorian mementos and sentimental items, how they served as part of the grieving process and stood as a reminder of one’s own mortality. This exhibit features a private collection of hair-work wreaths and jewelry, post-mortem photographs and many more unique items.