Oakwood Cemetery Walk (And Other Halloween Fun)

Traipsing through a burial ground under the cover of darkness is fuel for the imagination, so why don’t you take a Oakwood Cemetery walk.

The Lantern Walk at Historic Oakwood Cemetery began 20 years ago, a project of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who maintain the graves. All proceeds are funneled back into the upkeep of the Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery.

One evening each October—this year Saturday, Oct. 24—lantern-carrying guides in period dress wind through the neighborhood of the Confederate dead, pausing to reflect on the events of the past. Amidst the graves, history comes alive with a series of skits put on by Civil War re-enactors and members of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans camps.

Oakwood was originally conceived as a resting place for the Confederate dead after concern about the condition of the graves that were sprinkled among Union soldiers at nearby Rock Quarry Cemetery. In 1867, hundreds of bodies were disinterred and reburied in Oakwood. The sprawling cemetery later expanded to be the final address of many notable Raleigh residents.

“It’s a huge tradition here,” says Robin Simonton, Oakwood’s executive director, who is quick to note that it’s not a ghost tour. “This is an active cemetery, and we are respectful of that.”

Marc Cheek, who heads up the walk, insists there’s not much about it that’s frightening and says it’s family friendly and suitable for all