Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, the Halloween tour series at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, holds its final weekend of 2026 from October 22 to 25, closing out the event’s 20th year. The nighttime tours use costumed storytellers to bring to life people who shaped Atlanta, with all proceeds supporting the cemetery’s preservation.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 tours run October 15–18 and October 22–25, making this the event’s last weekend of the year.
- Each tour covers a route of about one mile and lasts roughly 75 minutes.
- Oakland Cemetery was founded in 1850 on six acres and now spans 48 acres with an estimated 70,000 people buried there.
- This year’s event artwork was created by Atlanta artist and printmaker Jamaal Barber.
- Historic Oakland Foundation’s Día de Muertos celebration follows on November 1, with Holiday Spirit set for December 4–5.
Oakland Cemetery Atlanta Marks 20 Years Of Halloween Storytelling
Historic Oakland Foundation describes Capturing the Spirit of Oakland as one of Atlanta’s most beloved autumn traditions, and the tours sell out each year. For its 20th edition, the format remains the same: guests explore the cemetery after dark and follow costumed storytellers who portray some of the people who made Atlanta into the city it is today.
The foundation describes the tours as designed to “enlighten, not frighten.” That approach sets the event apart from much of the Halloween calendar. Rather than staging scares, the tours use theater to teach local history, and the foundation notes they are not considered scary or inappropriate for children. Parents are encouraged to consider whether a nighttime cemetery setting suits their child, and guests are asked to stay quiet and attentive during each performance.
The 2026 run opened October 15 and closes October 25. The all-access Eternal Pass, which allowed entry on any night of the run, sold out ahead of the final weekend.
Historic Oakland Cemetery Holds 176 Years Of Atlanta’s Story
The setting is what gives the tours their weight. Oakland Cemetery was founded as Atlanta Cemetery in 1850 on six acres outside the city’s downtown. By the time it was renamed in 1872, it had grown to its current 48 acres. Atlanta has since grown up around it, and the cemetery now sits near the city’s center.
An estimated 70,000 people are buried at Oakland. Its residents include author Margaret Mitchell, Mayor Maynard Jackson, golfer Bobby Jones, Morris Brown College founder Wesley John Gaines, six Georgia governors, and more than two dozen Atlanta mayors. Many of the city’s early street names and landmarks can be traced to names on its mausoleums and headstones.
The cemetery also holds a harder part of Atlanta’s past. In 1852, the Atlanta City Council ruled that people of color be buried separately, on public grounds at the cemetery’s eastern edge. In 1877, remains buried in that area, known as Slave Square, were exhumed and reburied in a section now called the African American Grounds. A restoration of those grounds began in 2017, including work to protect fragile headstones and add signage on Black history in Atlanta. Oakland was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Historic Oakland Foundation Uses The Tours To Fund Preservation
Capturing the Spirit of Oakland is more than a seasonal event for the cemetery. All proceeds go toward Historic Oakland Foundation’s mission to preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery, which the foundation manages in partnership with the City of Atlanta.
Each year’s event also features new artwork. For 2026, the foundation commissioned Jamaal Barber, an Atlanta artist and printmaker, whose design appears on this year’s commemorative materials. The choice of a local artist ties the event to Atlanta’s current creative community as well as its past.
Planning A Visit For The Final Weekend
The tours run rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, the foundation says it will notify ticketholders of any changes by email and social media. The route crosses some uneven historic paths, and the foundation offers accessibility accommodations, including ASL interpretation and golf cart assistance, with at least one week’s notice.
Oakland Cemetery’s main gate is at 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. King Memorial MARTA station is a 7- to 10-minute walk from the main gate, and the foundation encourages rideshare because street parking nearby is limited. Because the event takes place in a City of Atlanta park, only service animals are allowed.
The final weekend also leads into a full season of programming. History, Mystery, and Mayhem, a guided tour on October 31, is sold out. Historic Oakland Foundation’s Día de Muertos celebration follows on November 1, and Holiday Spirit, featuring candlelit tours, a tree lighting, and a holiday market, is scheduled for December 4–5.
FAQs
Who Is Buried In Oakland Cemetery?
Oakland Cemetery holds an estimated 70,000 burials, including author Margaret Mitchell, Mayor Maynard Jackson, and golfer Bobby Jones. Six Georgia governors and more than two dozen Atlanta mayors are also buried there.
Where Is Oakland Cemetery?
Oakland Cemetery is in southeast Atlanta, with its main gate at 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. King Memorial MARTA station is a 7- to 10-minute walk away.
What Time Does Oakland Cemetery Close?
Oakland Cemetery’s grounds are open from dawn to dusk year-round, and the visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Special events such as Capturing the Spirit of Oakland run on their own evening schedules.
Why Is The Oakland Cemetery Important?
Founded in 1850, Oakland is Atlanta’s oldest cemetery and a record of the city’s history, from its early years through the Civil War to the present. It also preserves difficult history, including the African American Grounds, which have been under restoration since 2017.
